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 England Public 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 England Family 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: Sanitation The Plague = incurable Horrible! 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 Side The 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 Side City 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 Trinity Church Shakespeare’s Grammar School

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 Before -- •Performed by roaming troupes for a meal or bed. •Actors considered vagrants • Performed lewd plays to religious ones. After -- Professional Adds sets, lighting, multiple stages, and the box office. Theater is new, akin to the start of TV

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