William Shakespeare's Globe Theater

On June 29th, 1613, the Globe Theater in London, England, burned down. In that time of wood construction and few building safety standards, fires and loss of life due to those fires were common. But the Globe fire was notable; it took away a landmark and a culturally significant edifice.

William Shakespeare

It was built in 1599 as a playhouse for the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a troupe of actors led by none other than William Shakespeare, known to us today as The Bard.

In Elizabethan times, theater was a diversion enjoyed by all segments of society; the "cheap seats" – actually standing room – cost only a penny. For two pennies, a theater-lover could sit on a bench in the lower of several galleries, and for three pennies, that bench was softened by a cushion. For comparison, a loaf of bread cost Shakespeare's contemporaries a penny too, so even servants and apprentices could afford to see the latest plays.

As attendees entered the theaters they put their entry fees into a box. Today we refer to the "box office" as the place to buy tickets.

The Globe was designed as a multi-level, almost-circular theater, its central stage open to the sky. Other theaters were "indoor theaters". They were more expensive, with tickets starting at 6 pence (in 1600 there were 240 pennies to the pound). While the outdoor theaters had room for thousands of attendees, the indoor theaters had room for about 500.

At Broadway theaters and local repertory playhouses today, theater-goers are allowed to buy food and drink at the intermission, but the actors of Shakespeare's time had to put up with hawkers selling oranges, ale, and nuts during the performance. They also had to compete with other theaters, each with its own wealthy patron, and with other forms of "entertainment", such as bear-baiting and cock-fighting. Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed bear-baiting, and so banned theatricals performances on Thursdays because they would have conflicted with "Her Majesty's pleasure".

Actors of Elizabeth's time had other challenges too. When twenty-first century people go to see a performance today, we applaud at the end of each act, sometimes with a standing ovation. But in Shakespeare's time, the people shouted out their support for the heroes and the condemnation of the villains. The penny-payers were neither silent nor respectful, sometimes destroying the furniture or throwing apples at the actors. Pickpockets were attracted to these venues too. Magistrates were often called in to remove those exhibiting bad behavior. However, it was a golden time for playwrights, Shakespeare among them. From 1560 to 1640 (a period that ranged from a few years before The Bard's birth to 30 years after his passing in 1614), 3,000 new plays were written.

In 2020 we worry about Covid-19 but in 1564 plague hit the infant Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford. We are lucky he survived the outbreak and we are able to enjoy his literary legacy, but 20 percent of the population of Stratford died, about 200 people. Growing up, William's education included the memorization of classic stories, a skill he no doubt used as an actor and playwright. Thirty years later plague struck England again and the death toll is estimated to be around 10,000 people. By this time Shakespeare was living in London, a rapidly growing metropolis, center of commerce and royalty.

The Globe Theater was built in 1597. Shakespeare was part-owner (with a 10 percent stake), along with Richard Burbage, the leading actor of his time. It was built on the south bank of the River Thames, a location outside the City of London, and preferred by the authorities for this rowdy and disruptive form of entertainment. Two other theaters were already in that rough neighborhood, the Rose and the Swan. The vicinity also hosted taverns and brothels. Shakespeare and his partners were short on money so they used cheap materials for the new theater. The building had 20 sides.

The Original Globe Theater

Scholars think the first play staged at the Globe was Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. It was followed by other Shakespearean plays, for example, As You Like It, Othello, King Lear, Measure for Measure, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra. But William wasn't the only playwright to have his work performed at the Globe. His rival, Ben Jonson, and several others had their works come to life there too. The Globe was a success, bringing some degree of wealth to its investors.

Colored flags flying outside the Globe informed the populace what kind of play was being staged. A white flag signified a comedy, a red flag meant a history, and a black flag advertised a tragedy.

But at the end of June, 1613, Shakespeare's play Henry III was being performed. It included special effects. To suggest cannon-fire the stage master ignited some gunpowder. Unfortunately, the thatched roof caught fire and the whole building burned down within two hours. No one was hurt.

Shakespeare, et al, rebuilt in the same location; this time around they were able to afford better quality materials, including a tile roof instead of a flammable thatched one.

The Rebuilt Globe 

However, Puritan pressure forced the closing of all the theaters in 1644 and the Globe was dismantled.






Three hundred and thirty years went by and in 1970 American actor Sam Wanamaker set up an organization called Shakespeare's Globe Trust, whose mandate was to reconstruct the Globe. It took over two decades to find the land and get the appropriate building permits, but in 1993, and close to the original location of Shakespeare's Globe, construction began on the "3rd Globe", which opened for business in 1997. Unfortunately, Wanamaker didn't live long enough to see his dream come true.


You can visit the Globe today; although it meets modern safety standards, the builders used hand-tools and green oak, just like in the original building. It is not a museum, but an active playhouse.

The 3rd and Present Globe