Shakespeare was not the only playwright who was achieving success. Ben Jonson introduced a new kind of drama around 1598, a comedy which satirized human obsessions in the form of what he called "humors," such as jealousy or greed. Jonson's great plays included Every Man in His Humor, Volpone and The Alchemist. We know that Shakespeare acted in at least one of Jonson's plays, and he seems to have been influenced by the comedy of humors, since he created some characters who resembled Jonson's creations.

Jonson was very proud of his learning in Latin and Greek. He became a kind of critic of others' works and severely attacked some of Shakespeare's plays, such The Winter's Tale, for improbability. Nevertheless, they were friends and according to legend met frequently at the Mermaid Tavern where artists and intellectuals gathered. Jonson was the first playwright to gather his collected drama for publication in 1619. This was an important step in legitimizing drama as literature and opened the way for the publication of Shakespeare's work in 1623.

In 1599 the lease on Burbage's theater building ran out, and the Lord Chamberlain's Men dismantled the building at night and transported the timber to the south bank of the Thames, outside of the jurisdiction of the city. There they rebuilt the theater as the Globe. It was a polygonal building which held about 3,000 patrons, most of them standing in the pit around the stage. Shakespeare's company performed every day they could, using natural lighting in the open-air. Shakespeare made a lot of money, and his reputation soared.

In 1608 Shakespeare's company added a second theater, Blackfriars. It differed in two important ways. It was an indoor theater, which held only about 700 people and used artificial illumination. Because of the smaller size those attending had to pay proportionately more money than at the Globe. This more exclusive audience preferred more subtle stage effects and a different kind of play. The Blackfriars was within the city limits and allowed to operate because it was considered a private theater, unlike the Globe.