Elizabethan Drama · English Literature

What happened to the original Globe Theatre in 1613 during a performance of 'Henry VIII'?

  1. It was permanently closed by Puritan authorities that same year
  2. It collapsed under the weight of an overcrowded audience
  3. It burned down when a stage cannon ignited the thatched roof
  4. It was dismantled and relocated to the south side of the Thames
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Correct answer: It burned down when a stage cannon ignited the thatched roof

During a 1613 production of 'Henry VIII', a small stage cannon used for special effects set fire to the thatched roof of the Globe. The theatre burned to the ground in under two hours; no lives were lost. It was rebuilt the following year with a tiled roof.

Difficulty: Medium Question 16 of 19

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