Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Why did the Puritans close down the Old Globe Theater in 1642?

The Puritans opposed all forms of entertainment. They believed in a very strict code of conduct and "deplored any kind of finery or flippant behaviors". In 1642, the Puritans came to powerin Parliment, dethroned the king and eventually, Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of England. One of their first acts was to begin demolishing theaters. The Old Globe was among the first to be destroyed in 1644. By 1648, all playhouses were ordered demolished. All actors were supposed to be seized and whipped and anyone caught attending a play was fined 5 shillings. This continued until the Restoration of Charles II and in 1660 the theaters opened once again. The Globe, however, was never rebuilt, but in the 20th century its old site was discovered and and new Old Globe Theater has been erected near the original site.

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