* They were active participants in the performance. They would cheer, boo, and heckle the actors. They would also throw things at the stage, such as food, coins, and even dead animals.
* They helped to create the atmosphere of the performance. Their reactions to the play would affect how the actors performed. For example, if the audience was laughing, the actors would be more likely to play up the comedy. If the audience was booing, the actors would be more likely to play up the drama.
* They were the arbiters of success. If the audience didn't like a play, it would quickly be taken off the stage. If the audience did like a play, it would often be performed for months or even years.
In short, the audience was an essential part of Elizabethan theatre. Without them, the plays would not have been nearly as successful.
Here are some specific examples of how the audience interacted with Elizabethan plays:
* In one performance of the play "Hamlet," the actor playing the ghost was so convincing that the audience actually screamed and ran out of the theater.
* In another performance of the play "Macbeth," the actor playing the title role so enraged the audience that they threw rotten fruit and vegetables at him.
* In one performance of the play "The Taming of the Shrew," the actor playing Petruchio actually beat the actress playing Katherine on stage. The audience was so shocked and horrified that they demanded that the play be stopped.
These are just a few examples of the many ways in which the audience interacted with Elizabethan plays. Their reactions to the plays helped to create an atmosphere of excitement and chaos that was unique to this era of theatre.