Shakespeare has written some of the most memorable plays in history. It was probably the most important structure in Shakespeare’s career. Throughout its history the Globe Theatre has hosted the very best of Shakespeare’s productions or works of art such as Hamlet, and the Twelfth Night were written to be performed on the stage of the Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre was a theatre located in London, England. The Globe Theatre is commonly associated with William Shakespeare. The theatre was built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which happened to be William Shakespeare’s playing company (Linda Alchin). The land that the theatre was built on was owned by Thomas Brend and was later inherited by his son Nicholas Brend and then later on his grandson Sir Matthew Brend. On the 29th of June 1613 the theatre was destroyed by a fire during a performance of Henry the Eighth (Linda Alchin). The Globe Theatre was rebuilt in June of 1614 and was closed in 1642. There is a modern reconstruction of the Globe Theatre in London called Shakespeare’s Globe and it opened in 1997 (J.M Presley). The Lord Chamberlain’s Men were actors who were shareholders in the Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre was divided into shares of ten percent each with two brothers, Richard and Cuthbert Burbage having a double share or twenty-five percent each (Linda Alchin). Originally there was supposed to be a seventh shareholder, William Kempe but he sold his share to the four minority shareholders, giving them a share of twelve and a half percent. Their names were John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, Thomas Pope and William Shakespeare. These shares changed as new shareholders were added and were sold, for example Shakespeare’s share went from twelve and a half percent to approximately seven percent throughout his career (History, 2). Before the time of the Globe Theatre there was a theatre called the Theatre. The Globe Theatre was built using timber from The Theatre. The Theatre was built by James Burbage who was Richard Burbage’s father in 1576. However, the Burbage’s did not own the land that The Theatre was built on, instead they had a twenty-one year lease on it, but they owned the building outright. Giles Allen, who was the land owner, said that the Theatre belonged to him after the lease expired. In order to keep The Theatre, it was dismantled beam by beam and ferried over the Thames to where it would be reconstructed. This new theatre was called the Glove Theatre. The Globe Theatre has a very unique shape, its size can be approximated, and however the Globe’s dimensions are unknown. Scholars have evidence to suggest that the Globe Theatre was an open- air amphitheatre that was three storeys’ high and could house up to three thousand people (Linda Alchin). The Globe theatre is perceived to be a round building, however excavation was done in 1989 uncovering the Glove’s foundation and it was a polygon with twenty sides (Linda Alchin). In the middle of the theatre there was a stage that had two large columns on each side that supported a roof that cover the back half of the stage. In front of the stage there was an area called the pit, this is where people could stand and watch the performance for a penny. Surrounding the stage there was three levels of theatre seating, which was more expensive than the pit. The Puritans were a Protestant religious group and the term came into general use at the beginning of the Elizabethan era. The Puritans had a strict religious view; they wanted to change the Church of England. These religious views included social activities such as the Globe Theatre; the puritans deplored the Globe Theatre (Linda Alchin). Theatres were a new form of entertainment for people. The Globe Theatre was not just used for housing plays, they were also used for gambling, bear baiting and many other activities. This new form of entertainment was a phenomenon and attracted many people. Thieves, pick-pockets, and beggars were attracted the theatre because of the large crowds, due to the rise in crime, the nature of some of the plays, fighting and last but defiantly not least the Bubonic Plague that spread like the common cold. Many of the respectable citizens of London were Protestants and they supported the Puritans conquest to demolish the Globe Theatre. In 1642 the Puritans finally got what they wanted, the English Parliament issued a policy suppressing all theatres productions. The Puritans were led by Oliver Cromwell who was elected to Parliament started a conflict with the Royalist led by King Charles I, the English Civil war then broke out. In 1644 the Globe Theatre was demolished by the Puritans. In 1647 stricter rules were passed focusing on plays and theatres, in 1648 all theaters and playhouses were to be torn down. All actors and play writers were to be seized and anyone caught watching a play would be fined five shillings (J.M Presley). In 1649 the civil war led to the execution of King Charles I. In 1658 Oliver Cromwell died and the power of the Puritans started to decline. In 1660 King Charles II became the King of England, and the theatres opened again. The Globe Theatre didn’t open until 1997. Shakespeare’s Globe is the modern version of the Globe Theatre, which opened in 1997. Every summer tourist flock to Shakespeare’s Globe to watch performances. This theatre is located approximately two-hundred and twenty-five yards from the Globe theatre (Linda Alchin). Shakespeare’s Globe was built to resemble the Globe Theatre; it cost five pounds to stand in the pit during a performance. Shakespeare’s Globe can only house thirteen hundred people during a performance, which is a little under half of what the Globe Theatre could house (Linda Alchin). The Globe Theatre was extremely important in the history of theaters and play writers such as William Shakespeare. It was a new form of entertainment for many citizens. When the Globe Theatre was torn down in the sixteenth century, it was greatly missed. Now the newly standing structure called Shakespeare’s Globe reminds us of the great structure that it was, the Globe Theatre.