Shakespeare's Globe

 

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting my aunt and cousins in London. My cousin Alex led me and my friend Gianna on a tour through London, visiting famous tourist attractions like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. Throughout our day, we ended up waling 40,000 steps which was crazy, but so fun. 

As we rounded a corner in part of the city, my cousin randomly pointed out that Shakespeares globe was on our left. It was rather comical, as he did not expect me and Gianna to have such a thrill to be able to see it. He further explained that this was not the original and that the true globe fell apart a while ago, due to a fire. However, this was a pretty close remake of the globe. I took a look online, reading more into the story, seeing that the thatched roof can easily catch on fire, making me ponder whether or not thatched roof are less inclined to catch fire that are made now vs. hundreds of years ago?

When I was web surfing about the globe, I looked at prices for tickets to see shows there. Some tickets for performances can be found for under 8 pounds! The only unfortunate part of this is that you have to stand for the entire play, but it would still be such a cool experience to be a part of the history that Shakespeare's legacy is.

Funny enough, one of my favorite authors W. B. Yeats was influenced by Shakespeare's work. This is prevalent in Yeat's work, "Lapus Lazuli", where he uses famous Shakespearian characters. Here is an excerpt from the poem, where Yeats uses Hamlet, Lear, Ophelia, and Cordelia, highlighting their strengths throughout the tragedies they faces.

All perform their tragic play,

There struts Hamlet, there is Lear,

That's Ophelia, that Cordelia;

Yet they, should the last scene be there,

The great stage curtain about to drop,

If worthy their prominent part in the play,

Do not break up their lines to weep.

They know that Hamlet and Lear are gay;

Gaiety transfiguring all that dread.

All men have aimed at, found and lost;

Black out; Heaven blazing into the head:

Tragedy wrought to its uttermost.

Though Hamlet rambles and Lear rages,

And all the drop scenes drop at once

Upon a hundred thousand stages,

It cannot grow by an inch or an ounce.