The laws allowed actors in touring troupes, called strolling players, to be arrested for vagrancy and vagabondage unless they were under the protection of a lord. As household servants, they had the freedom to come and go, practically at will, as long as they could show their license.
In 1572, the government published the Punishment of Vagabonds act, which meant that no theatre company could perform without a patron.
They got a new patron. Originally their patron was Henry Carey, the Lord Chamberlain. After Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603, their patron was the King, James I. All Elizabethan theatre companies were the name of the patron and then "Men"; when the patron changed, the name changed.
The name of every Elizabethan and Jacobean acting company tells you the name of the company's patron or sponsor. It's like having an acting company called the Coca-Cola Players. Lord Strange's Men, The Lord Admiral's Men, The Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men were sponsored by Lord Strange, the Lord Admiral, the Lord Chamberlain, and the king, James I, respectively.
It indicates (as the names of all Elizabethan companies did) the name of the patron of the company.
They did not change the name of the theatre. The name of their theatrical company did change when they changed patrons from Henry Carey the Lord Chamberlain to King James 1. The name of Elizabethan theatrical companies always gave the name of the patron of the company to show that the company was within the law. (An acting company without a patron was liable to prosecution as vagabonds) When the patron changed, the name automatically changed. The name could even change if the patron's title changed.
Shakespeare did not name the acting group he belonged to. Elizabethan theatre groups did not name themselves; they were required by law to have a noble or royal patron and the theatre group took its name from that person. If the patron changed his title, the name of the company changed; if the patron was replaced by someone else (as happened with the company Shakespeare belonged to) then the name of the company changed. Even if the theatre company has some say in what they were called, and they didn't, Shakespeare was not the leader of the company. The brothers Richard and Cuthbert Burbage were the leaders. The patrons of the company were Henry Carey, the Lord Chamberlain and King James I.
They got a new patron. Originally their patron was Henry Carey, the Lord Chamberlain. After Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603, their patron was the King, James I. All Elizabethan theatre companies were the name of the patron and then "Men"; when the patron changed, the name changed.
The name of every Elizabethan and Jacobean acting company tells you the name of the company's patron or sponsor. It's like having an acting company called the Coca-Cola Players. Lord Strange's Men, The Lord Admiral's Men, The Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men were sponsored by Lord Strange, the Lord Admiral, the Lord Chamberlain, and the king, James I, respectively.
It indicates (as the names of all Elizabethan companies did) the name of the patron of the company.
He became their patron.
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They did not change the name of the theatre. The name of their theatrical company did change when they changed patrons from Henry Carey the Lord Chamberlain to King James 1. The name of Elizabethan theatrical companies always gave the name of the patron of the company to show that the company was within the law. (An acting company without a patron was liable to prosecution as vagabonds) When the patron changed, the name automatically changed. The name could even change if the patron's title changed.
Shakespeare did not name the acting group he belonged to. Elizabethan theatre groups did not name themselves; they were required by law to have a noble or royal patron and the theatre group took its name from that person. If the patron changed his title, the name of the company changed; if the patron was replaced by someone else (as happened with the company Shakespeare belonged to) then the name of the company changed. Even if the theatre company has some say in what they were called, and they didn't, Shakespeare was not the leader of the company. The brothers Richard and Cuthbert Burbage were the leaders. The patrons of the company were Henry Carey, the Lord Chamberlain and King James I.
A charter. He himself was the patron of the company. All acting companies at the time had to have a noble patron by law. This was to prevent vagabonds and conmen from pretending to be acting companies.
Elizabethan acting companies took the names of their patrons--by law, no acting company could exist unless it was sponsored by a noble or royal patron. This was automatic; neither Shakespeare nor anyone else could change the name of the company. The name of the company did not "honor" anyone, it showed who was giving the actors legal protection.
Shakespeare had nothing to do with the name of the acting company he co-founded. The name was given by the company's patron or sponsor. When the patron changed, so did the name of the company.
As their name clearly says, their patron was the king. King James I to be precise.
King James I, in 1603