Since the beginnings of English Shakespeare criticism in the late 17th century, the original audience of the playwright has been invoked to interpret his work. For the most part, the theatergoers of the English Renaissance initially explain what is considered to be the "weaknesses" of the plays. However, it is also argued that the unique quality of the dramas can be attributed to their influence. In both cases, extremely different notions of the composition and nature of this audience are represented - which is not surprising given the poor state of the sources. The study demonstrates that the respective notions of the Elizabethan theatergoers, if they exist at all, are only in an extremely indirect relationship to the available historical evidence. Rather, there is a direct connection between the two.