Who played the female parts in Shakespeare's plays?

In Shakespeare's own era, it was deemed highly improper for women to act in plays, so the parts were played by men, in particular slim, young boys whose voices hadn't yet changed.

By the Restoration of the Monarchy (1660), the tradition was dropped, and actresses appeared on the English stage, although some parts, such as the nurse in Romeo and Juliet and the witches in Macbeth were still played by men for comic effect.

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