eight, the rear half being covered for the protection of the players on rainy days. There were the usual entrance doors at the sides, and a balcony above, framed in to look like the tower of a castle, with parapet and passages behind to right and left. A very essential part of the "Fortune," as of other theaters of the period, is what is called the inner stage, a recess or closet curtained off from the main platform, which could be used as a room, the interior of a house or palace, a tomb, the cave of a hermit, the inside of a tent, or for other similar purposes. When the curtains were drawn various "properties" could be brought on from the sides, chairs, tables, beds, even shrubbery and the branches of trees to make the stage look like an orchard or forest for outdoor scenes. It should be noted that the inner stage provided a third means of access to the platform, and was almost as much used for entrance and exit as were the side doors.

The "Globe." The editor's reconstruction of the probable interior of the Globe theater is given on page xxv. It is based in part on the implied similarity between the "Fortune" and the "Globe," as shown in the contract already referred to, but more upon a comparative study of the plays known to have been enacted in the theater which has always been primarily associated with Shakespeare's name. There were curtains for the balcony as well as for the inner stage below, a grating for the castle window, and bay-windows which jutted out over the doors, thus affording a view from above of the doings within the inner stage. The shape of the building as a whole was doubtless octagonal, with the usual "gentlemen's rooms" or balconies around the sides. Dressing-rooms and stairways to the balcony and tower were "behind scenes," to left and right. Spectators

probably reached the galleries by an outside staircase, entirely disconnected with the stage.

The Performance. The performance took place in the afternoon, never at night. It began usually about two o'clock. No painted scenery was used, and so there were no long waits between scenes. Acted in the Elizabethan fashion, it has been found that even the longest Shakespearean plays can be given without cuts in from two and one-half to three hours. Night scenes

were indicated by the bringing on of torches or lanterns, not, of course, by darkening the stage, as in modern playhouses. Since there was no drop-curtain in front all characters had to enter at the beginning of a scene and leave at the end; and dead bodies had to be carried out. Most of the action took place pretty well forward, on the front stage, where it could be seen by everyone in attendance. The large, open building and the disorderly character of the average audience made loud speaking on the part of the actors a necessity; and, as might be expected under these conditions, long, declamatory speeches are frequently provided by the dramatist.

The Audience. Shakespeare was undoubtedly put to it to hold an audience of the kind that assembled in his Bankside playhouse, made up as it was of the extremes of London society, nobles, vagabonds, scholars, tradesmen from the country, poets, venders of refreshments, even occasional thieves and pickpockets, if we are to believe a contemporary account. He employed various devices to hold the attention of the "groundlings," as he called them,-prologs to explain the play, trumpets, drums, orchestral music, and singing, mobs on the stage one of whose duties seems to have been to outshout the mob in the "pit," clowns, dancers, pantomime, the spectacle of witchcraft and necromancy, these and many other eye-catching and ear-splitting devices to supplement the legitimate declamation of the actors and the interest natural to the play. Battles and sword-fighting, ghosts, gorgeous costume, processions of kings and princes to delight the eye and arouse the patriotism of an Englishman,-all these things had their part in making Shakespeare's plays successful and his name famous throughout the land.

Women's Parts. It has been generally supposed that there were no women actors in Elizabeth's time, the female parts being all taken by men or boys. Evidence of many kinds can be found to show that this was the usual custom, but it would seem strange if the rule were not evaded now and then in favor of the talented wife or sweetheart of some player attached to the theater. Either Shakespeare had two very remarkable boy actors in his company for such parts as Portia and Nerissa and a third equally competent to play Jessica (the Calpurnia of Julius Cæsar, and the Olivia of Twelfth Night), or else these parts were frankly entrusted to women, who may have pretended to be boys, as was usual, and were perhaps clever enough to carry out the deception with the audience.

IV. HOW TO STAGE

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE"

It is a mistake to suppose that we must have a theater in order to play Shakespeare. The average class-room will do very well for a stage, and costumes are not an essential part of the performance. You will remember that the Elizabethan stage was originally a mere platform; and for this reason any open space or passageway with an entrance at either end will serve for most Shakespearean scenes. An inner stage becomes a necessity if a whole play is to be performed, but ordinarily there will not be time to rehearse an entire play, and the inner stage may be dispensed with. The essential thing about any play is the play itself; the audience which assembles to see amateurs perform does not come to see fine costumes, elaborate scenery

or stage setting, but to hear a story told by actors on the stage. Given the actor who means business and the story to tell, and the play is made; for the audience is usually not hard to please.

Let us select a typical scene from The Merchant of Venice and stage it in the average class-room. A good one to select is the second scene of Act II, in which Launcelot “tries confusions" with his blind old father.

Strictly speaking, Launcelot should enter through the curtains of the inner stage, to indicate that he is leaving Shylock's house. This really makes little difference, however, and we shall assume that he enters from the left. His soliloquy is accompanied by a great many comical gestures, and is frankly addressed to the audience; he is taking us into his confidence, and impersonating the devil in conversation with himself. At the lines, "I will run, fiend," he runs off right, but is met at the entrance by Old Gobbo, who nearly bumps into him. While Launcelot is giving his ridiculous directions for finding the Jew's house (which all the while is directly in front of us) he leads the old man about the stage, turning him about several times to confuse him. Gobbo should carry a crooked stick, and appear very much bent from age. When Launcelot says, “Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son; give me your blessing," he should kneel beside his father, facing front. Old Gobbo, after fumbling vainly to find him, takes hold of Launcelot's back hair. Launcelot remains kneeling until his father begins the speech, "Lord, how art thou changed!"

Bassanio, Leonardo, and the servant enter from the right, advancing only a step or two before Bassanio stops, addresses the servant, and dismisses him through the door they have just used. They then advance,