Question

What would an audience at one of Shakespeare’s plays expect to see? Check all that apply.

a handbill advertising the play
basic sets
elaborate scenery
historically accurate costumes
animal blood
young men playing female roles

Answer 1

Correct answers: handbill advertising the play; basic sets; animal blood; young men playing female roles.

Brief notes:
- Handbills/flags were used to advertise performances and indicate the type of play.
- Sets were minimal — a simple thrust stage with a few props and pieces, not elaborate painted scenery.
- Some productions used real animal blood/entrails for gory effects (e.g., Titus Andronicus).
- Female roles were performed by boys/young men; women did not act on the public stage.
- Elaborate scenery and consistently historically accurate costumes were not typical of Elizabethan staging.