A 'ghost' awaits his cue

A 'ghost' awaits his cue

Theater--England--History--16th century

Theater--England--History--17th century

Ghost (Fictitious character : Shakespeare)

Description: In this illustration, a 'ghost' prepares to ascend the ladder and appear on stage via the trapdoor. Two young apprentices mechanically operate the trapdoor, which slides back and forth on specially constructed grooves. Aside from the ghost and apprentices, numerous wooden posts support the stage from below.

Scholarly Signifiance: This illustration provides a view of "Hell," the conventional Renaissance theatrical term for the area directly beneath the proscenium stage. Among the numerous Renaissance plays that make use of this Renaissance stage machinery/special effect, perhaps Shakespeare's Hamlet and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus are the two best known.

Hodges, C. Walter (Cyril Walter), 1909-2004

Hodges, C. Walter. Shakespeare's Theater (New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1967), p. 97.

Coward-McCann, Inc

1967 (First American Impression)

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JPG

embta2013-00126

Watercolor over pencil