- the presence of popular speech and thought;

- the fact that it was addressed to a public more accustomed to listening than to reading.

Themes were derived from popular and folk tradition, or from older plays, ballads or sermons.

Dramatic Tecniques were standardized .

The Elizabethan theatre drew inspiration from Italian plays, in particular from Macchiavelli's works; it also had much in common with the Greek tradition, because it was a public and a nationalistic theatre; as well as it was influenced by Seneca in:

-the division of the play into acts which, in the Elizabethan theatre, were five:

-ACT 1: introduction

-ACT 2: development

-ACT 3: turning point

-ACT 4: complication

-ACT 5: end, which usually solved the difficulties

usually started with an introduction, a prologue, which usually gave information about the main character of the play.

The number of characters, called Dramatis Personae, always included a hero (or heroine) and a villain, who usually tried to interfer with the hero.

Actors, in the theatre, were dressed as usual; there weren’t any special costumes for the theatre.