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The original Globe Theatre opened in autumn 1599 on the south bank of the River Thames, in London. It was one of several major theatres in the area, the others being the Swan, the Rose and the Hope. The Globe was the main playhouse of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later called the King's Men, a theatrical company to which the playwright William Shakespeare belonged. Most of Shakespeare's post-1599 plays were staged at the Globe, including Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear and Hamlet.
The Globe was built in 1576, using timber from an earlier theatre in Shoreditch, east London, by James Burbage, the father of one of the actors. Called simply The Theatre, this structure was taken down after a 20-year lease on its land expired, and the timber from it was then transported over the Thames to construct the Globe.
The Globe Theatre was highly successful. Since there was little artificial light, performances were held in the afternoon, usually beginning in May. Flags waving in the wind advertised plays by the King's Men, and all about the grounds of the theatre, playgoers would be buying merchandise and refreshments from stalls. People from all walks of life could enjoy the tragedies and comedies of Shakespeare. Both men and women would attend the plays, but the well-off would frequently wear masks to conceal their identity.
