Fire destroys Globe theatre

Literary/ Cultural Context Note

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The Globe Theatre had been built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the company of players for which Shakespeare wrote all of his plays from 1594 onwards, and which therefore had exclusive rights to perform most of his oeuvre. It was built with timber taken from a previous theatre in Shoreditch, The Theatre, where the lease had expired. The new theatre was built on some marshy ground on the south side of the River Thames, in Southwark, and was also prone to flooding. Despite these practical constraints, it became famous as the home of Shakespeare's plays.

In 1613, however, during a performance of Henry VIII, a misfired cannon set the wooden and thatching alight. It was rebuilt the following year, and then stood until 1644.

In 1613, however, during a performance of

Henry VIII

, a misfired…

122 words

389 Fire destroys Globe theatre 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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