7

Shakespeare's EnglandThe reign of the Tudor Queen Elizabeth I of England extended from 1558 to 1603. It is regarded as a Golden Age. Queen Elizabeth I was the last Tudor. Historical context The Church of England declared independence from the Catholic Church the same year the Elizabeth took power, and so the queen had absolute power over both church and state.

Due to the stir caused by the Reformation in Europe, Queen Elizabeth of England sought to stabilize her country by compromising between the Protestants and Catholics. In 1580, the pope stated that it would not be a mortal sin to assassinate the Queen of England. Hereafter, all Catholics, loyal or not, were under suspicion. Soon, it was discovered that Queen Mary was involved in an assassination plot and "Elizabeth signed the death warrant in February 1587, and her cousin was beheaded."

During Elizabeths reign there was unprecedented peace and prosperity in England. The explorations of the British abroad brought a steady stream of exotic news and influences. The exploration of the New World and the South Pacific brought new food items: tomatoes, chili peppers, chocolate, cinnamon... But England was not yet the world power. Spain dominated the waves under Phillip II, Catholic ruler. Denied an alliance with England and its ruler Elizabeth I by marriage, Phillip began to nurture the intent to take England by force. When the British defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, it became the undisputed ruler of the seas. The British navy controlled the world's naval trade.What was life in Elizabethan England like during Shakespeares life?

England was for the main part a green and pleasant land, predominantly rural. The population of the entire country was probably around 3 million, compared to nearly 60 million today. The majority of people lived in the south.

The wool trade became increasingly popular during the Elizabethan age, which meant that land which had been farmed by peasants was now dedicated to rearing sheep which required fewer people to work on them. There were also thriving merchants dealing with the strange and exotic imports coming to England from overseas potatos from Virginia, sugar and spices from the Caribbean, India or China. These might be landed in London by the growing fleets of sailing ships.

People did not travel around a lot during the Tudor and Elizabethan age. Although there was a move towards town life, people did not venture far away.

The nation's center of power was London, which was home to an increasingly diverse population of around 200,000. Clearly anyone with a yearning for political power or the greatest possible audience for their art would find themselves on the road to London eventually, as would country-born William Shakespeare.

England was a land of clear divisions: between the old faith and the new, between the cities and the rural communities. People's lives were often short. As many as one-half of the children born never lived beyond fifteen years. the average lifespan of an adult was only thirty years due to the limited medical knowledge.

The bubonic plague or Black Death often plagued England always appeared suddenly and spread quickly. Ignorant of the disease, doctors typically prescribed anything from amulets to sweet-smelling things. In an attempt to slow the disease's spread, regulations were passed. One was to temporarily close all London theaters. Another policy was to kill cats and dogs. Since there were few cats around to hunt rats, which carried the fleas that carried the plague, the bubonic plague was not hindered. William Shakespeare was known to be terrified of the Bubonic Plague throughout his lifetime. This terrible disease was not confined to the main English town of London. In 1564 alone, the bubonic plague killed one out of seven of the 1,500 inhabitants of Stratford-upon-Avon. England's food supply was uncertain. The poor could've easily starved if there was a series of bad harvests. Aristocrats' diets weren't very nutritious either. This caused the whole population to acquire illnesses caused by vitamin deficiencies.

Nobody drank water in Elizabethan England. Most British people in the Elizabethan era drank ale, beer, cider or wine instead of water. Water was contaminated and not safe to drink, especially in London, and the alcohol content of alcoholic beverages helped to kill germs and bacteria. During the time of William Shakespeare, the majority of women had very limited rights in England. The father and head of the household ruled over his wife and children. Women were denied formal educations.

Ghosts were common in the Elizabethan Era. Superstitions ran high in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and chief among them was the belief in ghosts and haunted houses. Castles were an especially common haunt for ghosts; in fact, the ghost of Queen Elizabeth herself has been reported to haunt Windsor Castle to this day.A cultural Renaissance... The Elizabethan era saw a flowering of British culture. There was a rebirth of poetry, music, theater and literature. This was a period of change between medieval and modern times. Queen Elizabeth loved poetry. Some poets even composed in dedication to Queen Elizabeth herself as a form of flattery

Playgoing in the 16th century was very different from what it is today, and at first it was not widely accepted. Playacting was seen as deceit and deception and contrary to the Bible's teachings. However, Queen Elizabeth poured money into London's arts scene, building the city's first theaters and sponsoring productions. Because of monarchs like Queen Elizabeth, leading companies were supported by the lord mayors so that they could perform for her at Christmas. However, tight control was kept, and theaters were often closed for reasons such as plague outbreaks. The plays were never to contain religious or political subject matter in connection with the leaders of the day. The Master of Revels personally reviewed each play destined for the stage.

Shakespeare himself grew up and benefited from this atmosphere, and his first play, "Henry IV," was published near the end of her reign.

Playacting was often accompanied by music and dance. Whether comedy or tragedy, the music and dances incorporated into the plays.

Plays were attended by the entire spectrum of the London population, from lords and ladies, to students, artisans, market women and even whores. All saw plays as a chance to enjoy a period of idle occupation. Standing room for the poor (the groundlings) was available for one penny. Nobility often attended to be seen as well as to watch plays. In 1591, London theatres were banned from performing on Thursdays because that was the day when bear-baiting took place.

Actors wore make-up made from all kinds of natural ingredients. These included chalk, poisonous lead.Some facts about Shakespeares life.... Shakespeares exact date of birth isnt known. But historians do know that he was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, close to April 23. He died on April 23, 1616, on or near his 52nd birthday, in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Life in Stratford was pretty much self-sufficient. There was no reason for the average person to ever travel further than half a day's walk. Everything was available from the people who lived in the town of Stratford. Water was not clean so people drank ale which was brewed and sold in Stratford. John Shakespeare, Williams father, owned a shop and traded in wool and farm produce and worked as a glover. Money was is short supply so the people would barter. There were local market fairs when trade was brisk to obtain items in short supply.

Family entertainment in William Shakespeare's Stratford: Life changed with the seasons and the market fairs were not the only form of distraction or entertainment available to the folk of Stratford. It was the custom of the reigning monarch to go on ' progresses ' throughout the land. Royalty would progress from town to town stopping at various castles and manor houses throughout England. Queen Elizabeth I was known to have visited Kenilworth Castle, near Stratford, when William Shakespeare was eleven years old. The Shakespeare family would have travelled to Kenilworth castle to see the Queen and the colourful scenes, sports and jousting which would have been arranged for her amusement. Stratford was often visited by travelling troupes of professional actors. Stratford was quiet after sundown and evenings were spent in talk and games. On Sunday there was some free time. The townsmen met for church in the morning, with time to gossip, play games and enjoy a few pints of ale after the service was over. Women worked communally at sewing or spinning whilst men bowled, played skittles or ball games. Many enjoyed board games like nine man's morris, chess or draughts (checkers). In November 1582, 18-year-old Shakespeare wed Anne Hathaway. She was eight years older than he and was three months pregnant at the time they were married. Shakespeare disappears from historical records between 1585 and 1592.

As for William and Anne, it is believed that the couple lived apart for most of the year while Shakespeare pursued his writing and theater career in London. In 1613, Shakespeare retired from the theater and moved back to Stratford-upon-Avon. It was not until the end of his life that Shakespeare moved back in with Anne in their Stratford home.

In 1594 he began writing and acting for a troupe known as the Lord Chamberlains Men (renamed the Kings Men when James I appointed himself its patron), ultimately becoming its house playwright and partnering with other members to establish the legendary Globe theater in 1599.

Shakespeare wrote a total of 37 plays. Shakespeares first plays, believed to have been written before or around 1592. The dramatic genres included: tragedy comedy and history. Shakespeare is credited for creating several given names, including Miranda, Olivia, Jessica and Cordelia.

Shakespeare wrote a total of 154 sonnets.Shakespeares famed collection of sonnets, which address themes ranging from love and sensuality to truth and beauty, was printed in 1609, possibly without its writers consent. In his play Romeo and Juliet, the word love appears 150 times.

Shakespeare is believed to have influenced the English language more than any other writer in history, coiningor, at the very least, popularizingterms and phrases that still regularly crop up in everyday conversation.

ResourcesWeb pages Alchin, Linda. (2015) William Shakespeare. In elizabethan-era.org.uk. Retrieved April 2 2015, from http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/william-shakespeare.htm Alchin, Linda. (2014). Life in ElizabethanStratford upon Avon. Retrieved April 2 2015, from http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-biography-stratford.htm Flores, Stephan (1997). Shakespeare's world/stage. Retrieved April 2 2015, from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~sflores/345world.html Green, Treye. (April 22 2014) Shakespeare's 450th Birthday: 20 Facts About William Shakespeare. Retrieved April 2 2015, from http://www.ibtimes.com/shakespeares-450th-birthday-20-facts-about-william-shakespeare-1575062 Life in Shakespeares Time (2015) In Shakespeare's Globe. Retrieved April 2 2015, from http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/playground/read/facts/life-in-shakespeares-time Shakespeare's England (2003). In pbs.org. Retrieved April 2 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/locations/location153.html Ten Facts on the Elizabethan Times (June 04, 2014).In e-How. Retrieved April 2 2015, from http://www.ehow.com/list_7732782_ten-elizabethan-times.html William Shakespeare.(n.d). William Shakespeare. Retrieved April 2 2015, from http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/william-shakespeareYouTube Biography Channel.(Apr 29, 2014) William Shakespeare Biography [Video file]. Retrieved April 1 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc2MQh_GwkQ Reidcatherine. (Nov 16, 2010).Elizabethan Era. [Video file]. Retrieved April 1 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ1BZMcUBxo&feature=youtu.be

Timelines.tv. (Feb 2, 2013 ). Shakespeare's World - Timelines.tv History of Britain A08 [Video file]. Retrieved April 1 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9P1IJqNDYjQ

UK Visit TV. (Feb 17, 2014). [Interview8] Shakespeare's England, At Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Gardens(Visit Great Britain!) [Video file]. Retrieved April 1 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8_MavXzpLI