William Shakespeare and Elizabethan

England

1. READ “THE LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE” IN YOUR PACKET

Elizabethan England

The English Renaissance (rebirth)

Ruled by Queen Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry the VIII (1533-1603)

The Queen had a love for theater and the arts, so during this period, the arts flourished (poetry, plays, painting, etc.)

Elizabethan age was height of English Renaissance in music, literature, military strength.

Life in the Elizabethan Era

Marriages

A woman had very little rights when choosing a husband.

Marriages were usually arranged to benefit both families.

Once married, the woman still had very few rights.

Marrying for love was not important. Love may occur AFTER marriage, but it was necessary.

Health

There were usually many members within a family all living in the same room.

Indoor plumbing did not exist and germs, viruses, and disease were not understood.

Consequently, the streets were filled with waste (both human and animal).

There was a breakout of the Bubonic plague on two occasions (“Black Death”).

Punishments

It was normal for robbers and adulterers to be severely punished.

Punishments included the sawing off of limbs, gouging out eye balls, dunking under water until drowning, etc.

Public torture and executions were common (burning at the stake, beheading, hanging, etc.)

The Iron Maiden, branding irons, public starvation, cutting, whipping, etc.

READ!

Please “About Shakespearean Theater”!

The Globe Theater and Shakespearean Theater

Protestant Church, City officials opposed theaters due to crime, bawdy subject matter, fighting, drinking, and up to 3,000 people in one place to spread Bubonic Plague

Theaters also used for bear-baiting and gambling

1596 Plague caused London to ban all public plays and theatres within the city limits

All actors were men because theaters too disreputable for women

Little emphasis on scenery, more attention on costumes, though most were contemporary due to cost

Much of the audience watched from the ‘pit’ as groundlings - poor workers who went for the entertainment of alcohol, fights, prostitution, and lewd subject matter of the plays. Often threw food at the actors onstage.

All roles played by women! In other words, all female roles would be filled by young men.

Germs easily spread at these theaters.

Little emphasis on props.

What else did you learn in your reading?

http://www.slideshare.net/elizagolightly/elizabethan-erashakespeareromeo-juliet

Below citations from moodle.kingsley.k12.mi.us/mod/resource/view.php?id=8939...1:

Absolute Shakespeare, Shakespeare Timeline. Absoluteshakespeare.com, 2005. Web. 3 January 2010.

BBC. BBC Historic-Figures, William Shakespeare. BBC, MMX, n.d. Web. 3 January 2010.

Bryson, Bill. Shakespeare, The World as Stage (Kindle Edition). Amazon, 2007. Ebook.

The Elizabethan Era. Elizabethan Era, n.d. Web. 3 January 2010

The Folger Shakespeare Library. The Folger Institute, n.d. Web. 3 January, 2010.

Jamieson, Lee. Common Phrases Invented by Shakespeare. About.com Guide, n.d. Web. 3 January 2010.

Plowright, Teresa. Globe Theater. About.com Gude, n.d. Web. 3 January 2010.

Shakespeare for Children. Squidoo, 2010. Web. 3 January 2010.