Question

On the Jacobean stage, when was Macbeth first performed, and what was the theatre layout like?

a) 1599, In the Round
b) 1606, Thrust Stage
c) 1611, Proscenium Arch
d) 1623, Black Box

Answer 1

Macbeth was first performed in 1606 on a thrust stage in the Jacobean theatre, where the audience stood around the stage in an open courtyard called the orchestra. The correct answer is b) 1606, Thrust Stage.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the Jacobean era, which followed the Elizabethan period, Macbeth was first performed in 1606. The Jacobean theatre, like Shakespeare's own theatre, The Globe, featured a thrust stage. The stage extended into the audience in the form of a wooden platform.

The audience would stand in an open courtyard around the stage called the orchestra. There were two levels of balconies with wooden seats surrounding the orchestra. The seats in the balconies were more expensive since they were covered by a roof.