The groundlings were the people who bought standing room
tickets.
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In Shakespeare's time - the groundlings
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The lower classes of observers stood in the theatre pit. They
paid 1 penny as an entrance fee, and because they stood in the
lowest area, were called groundlings. A less favorable name that
they were called was Stinkards.
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groundlings are the ones not sitting in overhangs or balconies
but on the floor