History of Elizabethan England

and Shakespeare Himself

King Henry VIII(Ruled England

1509-1547)

Known for breaking

with Church + Many

Wives (6)

King Henry and

“his women”

Queen Elizabeth I (Ruled England 1558-1603)

• Mary (a Catholic) dies and Elizabeth (a Protestant) comes to the throne in 1558

• Under Elizabeth, the arts flourished and educational institutions were established.

• England also became a military force -Defeat of the Spanish Armada 1588

• Never married, so known as the “Virgin Queen”

• Followed by King James (1603-1625)

Defeating the Spanish Armada

Life in Elizabethan EnglandPublic Life•Gossip: Those who are “in the

know” are popular.•Crowds and public squares were

volatile --> anything could set them off!•No free discussion of rulers =

High treason! Spies everywhere

•Punishments:•Upper class = beheading•Lower class = drawing and quartering

Life in Elizabethan EnglandFamily Life

• Children and parents = very formal– Never disobey– Children raised by nurses

• Women had no legal rights– All their money and possessions went to the husband

– Literacy Rate was Low• (W-10% M-30%)

– Single wealthy women were fought over

– Married at the age of 11 or 12– Father had the right to choose husbands for daughters -- negotiated for power

• Marriage = crucial to a woman– No legal rights without it

LOVE

•Romantic Love was ALWAYS discouraged -- a good match was more important

•HONOR = very important! Defend family

London: SanitationHorrible!• Streets were filthy

– No sewers or drains– Gutters were in the middle of the street

– Garbage & chamber pots emptied in the streets --piled up until a rain

• Men walked in the middle of street to protect the ladies

The Plague = incurable• Overcrowding led to slums, filth

• Plague carried by fleas on rats -- not known then

• Thought to be God’s wrath on wicked people

• Two outbreaks killed 1/4 of the population in Shakespeare’s time

• Life expectancy = 48 years

• Time to travel to “New World” = 1-2 months

Theater’s Place in the World:One SideThe Court

•Elizabeth and James totally supported theater

•Shakespeare’s company, “The King’s Men,” were named for King James

Theater’s Place in the World:

The Other SideCity Officials

• Time of Puritanism = Very conservative

• Thought theater was evil, satanic, and destroyed public morals

Theater’s Place in the World

Therefore:

•Theater was not allowed in London proper, within the official city limits

•Instead, all theaters were in Southwark, just across the Thames, and outside city lines

Shakespeare’s Theater: The Globe

• Variety of tickets, from the pit (groundlings) to the gallery

• Loud, obnoxious, intelligent crowds

• Performances lasted “at least two hours,” and started around 2 PM (the middle of the working day)

• Trumpet blew to signal the start• Public - open to all, though could not be advertised

• Showed type of play by color of the flag• White = Comedy• Red = History• Black = Tragedy

William Shakespeare:The Bard Himself

England-A Spiritually

Divided Country•When Henry starts his own church, that splits the country into Catholic and Protestant•Shakespeare’s family has Catholic roots, but he supports the Queen

Shakespeare: Early Life

Vital Stats:• Born April 23, 1564• Dies April 23, 1616• Early Life: Stratford on Avon, England

• Marries Anne Hathaway

• They have three kids:– Susanna, Hamnet and Judith

• He moves to London in 1590s

Stratford On Avon:

Shakespeare’s Hometown

Shakespeare’s Grammar School

Trinity Church

London: The Big City

Shakespeare in London• Became a leading actor and playwright by 1592

• In 1594, Romeo and Juliet was first performed -- all male actors!

• By 1595, he’s the hottest playwright in London

• Writes 37 plays (2 per year)

• Performed plays in theaters, palaces, inns, and homes of nobility

• 1610 -- returned to Stratford

How Shakespeare Changed Theatre

After -- • Professional• Adds sets, lighting, multiple stages, and the box office.

• Theater is new, akin to the start of TV

Before --

•Performed by roaming troupes for a meal or bed.

•Actors considered vagrants

• Performed lewd plays to religious ones.

William Shakespeare, according

to many scholars, has

made the greatest

contribution to the English language of any writer,

ever.

Sources:• www.bantams.demon.co.uk/ henry%20-%20holbein.jpg• www.marileecody.com/ seymour-min.jpg• laracorsets.com/ period_gowns.htm• www.guggenheim.org/.../ sugimoto_bottom_index.html• www.pijlsnel95.nl/images/ anne%20boleyn.jpg• www.costumes.org/.../boehn/ janeseymour.jpg• www.englishhistory.net/tudor/ monarchs/howard.html• www.britannia.com/ bios/cparr.html• ntap.k12.ca.us/whs/projects/ history/elizabeth.htm• www.tudorhistory.org/ cleves/clevesnew.jpg• www.englishhistory.net/tudor/ monarchs/eliz1.html• www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/.../ eh-qe1-art.jpg• www.calrevels.org/graphics/ ermine.jpg• www.bju.edu/.../dramatour/ images/shakespeare.jpg• www.macalester.edu/~sisk/ mind/shakespeare.jpg• www.stratford-upon-avon.org/ images/Arial%20vi...• www.nmm.ac.uk/uploads/jpg/BHC0261.jpg• Photos and postcards acquired by Ms. Larsen in London, 2002