There are many conflicting theories about William Shakespeare, the man traditionally and historically considered to be the greatest dramatist in history, as well as possibly the best writer in world literature. While many hold the above opinion, there are still others who think Shakespeare did not write all of the plays believed to be his; others even go as far as to claim the Great Will never even existed, was a woman or a collective of several authors, reinterpreting pieces of history and popular myths into educated literature. However, for the sake of the argument, we’ll go on assuming that Shakespeare did exist and that he did live in London. As such, when taking a trip to London, which are the landmarks one ought to pay a mandatory visit to?
The Globe Theatre
Without a doubt, the one landmark most closely associated with William Shakespeare is the famous theatre located on the banks of the River Thames. It is here that most historians surmise his celebrated plays first saw the stage lights, as well as popular acclaim and if you choose to visit London, there’s no reason to miss it. However, what many people don’t know is that the Globe was located in a different site than its modern counterpart. The Original Globe Playhouse, which burned down twice, was located behind a car park on Park Street at Anchor Terrace.
Tabard Inn must have still been around in Shakespeare’s day, but it is most famous by association with another great figure in British literary history. It is here that the pilgrims setting out in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales first met. This was the starting point of their adventurous journey to Canterbury.
The Blackfriars Theatre
There were two theatres known as The Blackfriars Theatre in Elizabethan London, both located in what was then known as the Blackfriars Dominican priory. While the first one was a children’s theatre, the second was built by James Burbage in 1596. It was taken over by Shakespeare’s troupe, the King’s Men in 1608, and used as a winter theatre. The place is now one of the many London free attractions, available via a leisurely walk through the city. A public fundraiser for the reconstruction of the theatre, whose outer shell is located right next to the Globe, was initiated in January 2011.
Back in the 17th century, Southwark was a lively and colourful place, where Shakespeare spent some time writing his plays. He created many famous characters here and was particularly inspired to write tavern scenes, owing to the great number of public houses in the area. However, this historic London area fell into disgrace, at the hands of squalor and poverty during the 19th and 20th century. Visit London nowadays and you will find that it is undergoing reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Shoreditch is the name of an area in London, as well as the name by which the theatre built in 1576 by James Burbage was best known. Shakespeare performed many of his plays at Burbage’s ‘The Theatre’, as well as at the adjoining ‘Curtain Theatre’, constructed in 1577.
When he first arrived to London, William Shakespeare lived in Bishopsgate, one of the most important points of access into London. It was very close to Shoreditch, as well as to the infamous insane asylum of Bedlam. Nowadays, the Liverpool Street Station is located close by. Much like in the case of Southwark, once the Elizabethan era was completed, the area fell into disgrace.