William Shakespeare is a name that reverberates beyond the limits of literature. He is one of the few writers whose work is truly timeless. From conflicts around jealousy and greed to the rush of young love and throes of heartbreak, there is not an emotion on the human palette that his writing hasn’t explored. Other than being a prolific writer, he is also eminently known for crafting extraordinary theatrical productions. 

Theatre as a form of entertainment became extremely popular, especially during Shakespeare’s lifetime. A little history lesson here: Much of this can be attributed to Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. She profusely supported arts and culture, and during her reign, England was known to be in its ‘golden age’. “All the world’s a stage”, a phrase from As You Like It, echoes in prestigious theatre festivals around the world. The art that he has created continues to live on, adapting itself into the modern day through pop-culture references, conversations and films. In this article, we shall take a look at Shakespeare’s impact on theatre, how he built The Globe, the murmurs around it and how his legacy still lives on. 

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The Art of Theatre by Shakespeare

Shakespeare was a brilliant playwright and produced a total of thirty-eight dramatic works in his lifetime. A few notable works include – Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Othello, King Lear and many more. He not only brought his plays to life on paper but on the stage too. William Shakespeare is known to have worked as an actor, director, costume designer and even influenced the music in his plays. This intimate involvement allowed him to write plays that were not only meant to be read, but experienced live. 

There is a lot of scholarly debate around the chronology of his productions. However, the major vote bank lies with ‘Henry VI, Part I’ as the first play. And ‘The Two Noble Kinsmen’ to be his last. The production on the stage creates a world of its own, and audiences are spectators to that world and therefore a barrier is understood. However, sometimes when characters engage with the members in the audience, via eye contact, questions or chatter, it is called breaking the fourth wall. Shakespeare was notoriously known for breaking the fourth wall. For example, the character Prospero bid farewell to the audience, too. The soliloquies were performed while addressing the audience, so on and so forth.

Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre 

All these productions were staged at  The Globe. It was the platform that allowed Shakespeare to carve and showcase his theatrical talent. It was built in 1599, near the South Bank of the River Thames and is considered one of the first theatres of London. It had a three-tier seating area in a curved manner, which was made up of wood. The seating area faced the stage, which was an open-air amphitheatre. This architectural design helped facilitate the breaking of the fourth wall phenomenon. Since there was a lack of electricity, plays were performed in daylight. 

Theatre is the art of practising entertainment but Shakespeare very well understood the business aspect of it too. The Globe was run and owned by Lord Chamberlain’s Men. A smart fellow, who became a shareholder in the company and thus climbed the ladder of wealth. Over time, the company found so much success that it later got renamed to The King’s Men. The Globe also helped democratise theatre. It attracted all kinds of audiences from the royals, aristocrats to the working class, all of whom shared the same performance space. 

All was jolly at The Globe until the year 1613. The play ‘Henry VIII’ was being performed when, during the entry of King Henry, stage cannons let loose a fire and the whole theatre went up in flames. One can imagine what a devastating sight it must have been. It was rebuilt a year later and remained open until 1644, when it was demolished again. As the saying goes, the third time’s the charm as the latest version of The Globe, which is the third attempt in bringing the theatre alive again and was built in 1997.  It has been made as an exact replica of what the original might have been and continues to showcase Shakespeare’s legacy. 

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 The story of Macbeth’s curse 

Macbeth’s first performance in 1606 began the myth of this curse. For those unfamiliar with the text, it begins with three witches announcing a predicament of the character. There is a belief system that witches might have actually doomed the play. The story goes that during the first performance of the play, the actor playing Lady Macbeth died mysteriously, and Shakespeare had to take on that role. These rumours multiplied, and soon it became a carrier of bad luck, something theatre companies were scared of. So much so that the occurrence of its name was even considered superstitious. One can say now that the curse has been lifted, as Macbeth is widely loved and performed. 

Criticism of Shakespeare’s theatre 

Shakespeare was my introduction to the world of theatre, and his plays have left an indelible mark on me. However, there is much to be said about the man who wrote such ferocious female characters. The productions contained an all-male cast, with female characters being played by young men whose voices hadn’t yet matured. It wasn’t until the year 1660 that females were given the opportunity to act on stage.

Conclusion

Shakespeare has lived such a vibrant life that one is compelled to think that, without his presence, the literature and theatre world would have been a lonelier place. His prose, sonnets and the love affair with the English language penned down centuries ago continues to find it’s way into the audience’s heart. His legacy is immortalised in the countless adaptations and retellings of his work, reminding us that his work will forever remain a beacon of culture.

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