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Shakespeare was not only a playwright; he was an actor. In those days the law said that a company of actors had to be sponsored by a noble person or they would be considered to be vagabonds and be arrested. Having a noble sponsor was therefore essential to be a legal theatre company, and in order to prove that you were legal (and to flatter your patron so you could keep his patronage) you referred to yourself as "the servants of the Lord . . ." whatever his name was. The Burbage company in 1594 obtained the patronage of Henry Carey, the Lord Chamberlain, so they were called The Lord Chamberlain's Men.

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13y ago

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