What was the pit in the Globe Theater?



The Pit, or yard, was the area located around the stage. There was no seating – the cheapest part of the Globe Theater and the audience had to stand. The stage structure projected halfway into the ‘ yard ‘ where the commoners (groundlings) paid 1 penny to stand to watch the play.

What are the parts of the Globe Theatre?

Parts of Globe Theatre

A B
Galleries expensive admission seats
Pit Groundlings stand or sit on stools
Stage wooden platform where most of play’s action took place
Heavens canopy painted underneath with stars, moon, zodiac signs

Who sat in the pit at the Globe Theatre?

groundlings





Elizabethan general public or people who were not nobility were referred to as groundlings. They would pay one penny to stand in the Pit of the Globe Theater (Howard 75). The upper class spectators would pay to sit in the galleries often using cushions for comfort.

What did they call the audience members who stood in the pit?

Standing in the pit was uncomfortable, and people were usually packed in tightly. The groundlings were commoners who were also referred to as stinkards or penny-stinkers. The name ‘groundlings’ came about after Hamlet referenced them as such when the play was first performed around 1600.

What were the seating areas in the Globe called?

At the Globe Theatre there were three classes, the upper, middle, and lower class. To begin, the upper class would be treated better than the other classes. They would sit in an area called the heavens, on cushions.

What are the 12 parts of the Globe Theatre?

Globe Theatre Interior



  • The Galleries.
  • The Entrance.
  • Stairs and Access.
  • The Stage.
  • The Pit, the Yard, the Galleries.
  • The Heavens, the Frons Scenae, Lord’s rooms, Gentlemen’s rooms, Tiring House and the Hut.


Where did the poor sit in the Globe Theatre?

The Seating at The Globe Theatre

The Globe theatre had a central area where there was no cover. This is where the poor people used to watch the plays. They were called the groundlings. They would stand in this area with no protection so when it rained and snowed they got very cold and wet.

Did Queen Elizabeth attend plays?

No, as far as we know, she never attended any of the London Theatres. It would have been too dangerous, not only because of the danger of assassination, but because of disease. The Queen had her own company of actors called The Queen’s Men and these performed plays at court.



How much did it cost to stand in the yard?

In open air theatres the cheapest price was only 1 penny which bought you a place amongst the ‘groundlings’ standing in the ‘yard’ around the stage. (There were 240 pennies in £1.) For another penny, you could have a bench seat in the lower galleries which surrounded the yard.