ABSTRACT
Alicehadoncedescribedaplaytohiminwhichseveralactressessharedtheroleof theheroine.Afterhalfanhourthepowerfulmatriarchremovedherlargecoatfrom whichanimalpeltsdangledandshepassedit,alongwithherstrength,tooneofthe minorcharacters.Inthiswayevenasilentdaughtercouldputonthecloakandbe abletobreakthroughthechrysalisintolanguage.Eachpersonhadtheirmoment whentheyassumedtheskinsofwildanimals,whentheytookresponsibilityforthe story.MichaelOndaatje,IntheSkinofaLion2
Liveriedservants
Professionalactors,thosemostnotoriousofshape-shifters,werealsoliveried membersofaristocratichouseholds. 3JamesI'shouseholdincludedtheKing'sMen, thetheatricalcompanytowhichShakespearebelonged,andeachmemberofthe companyreceivedeverysecondyearatEasteraliveryconsistingofthreeyardsof bastardscarletforacloakandaquarteryardofcrimsonvelvetforacape.In1627, theallowanceforthecloakwasincreasedfromthreetofouryards,althoughit remainedonlythreefortheQueen'sMenuntil1630.4Atonelevel,thisliverywas somethingofalegalfiction.Shakespeare'scompanywashardlyaregularpartofthe royalhousehold,anditssharersearnedtheirmostsignificantincomefromthepublic andprivateplayhousesofthesuburbsandtheCityofLondon.AsJohnStephens saidinhisportraitof"AcommonPlayer,""howsoeverhepretendstohauearoyall Master,orMistresse,hiswagesanddependanceprouehimtobeetheservantofthe people."5Butlegalfictionsarenevermerefictions.Inbeinggivenroyallivery,the King'sMenweregivenprotectionfromtheCityfathers,whowereconstantly troubledbythecivildisturbances,theeconomicdisruption,andtheimmorality whichtheyattributedtothisnewindustry.6
