1. What did people do to enjoy themselves in Elizabethan England?

2. Learning objective – to be able to explain the changes in sports and pastimes in the Elizabethan era.
I can describe the key reasons why the sports and pastimes in the Elizabethan era changed.
Grade 3
I can explain the key reasons why sports and pastimes in the Elizabethan era changed.
Grade 6
I can explain and assess the reasons why sports and pastimes in the Elizabethan era changed.
Grade 9

3. What sports did people enjoy doing in Elizabethan England?
Real tennis – very popular with men who played in private courts in people’s grand houses. Hunting – very popular with both men and women, often conducted on horseback and/or with hawks. Poorer people hunted for rabbits. Archery and fishing – extremely popular with all people in all classes. Bowls – played on lush greens by men. Fencing – played with blunted swords by men. Wrestling – played by most men in public places. Football – played by lower class men – often violent and lasted for hours with very few rules and a pitch that covered entire towns.

4. What spectator sports did people enjoy in Elizabethan England?
Wrestling and tennis were both very popular spectator sports. Baiting – baiting animals was very popular, particularly with bears. Watching animals fight to the death was so popular special arenas were built to host it and gambling was rife. Cock fighting – hugely popular and often hosted by taverns. Cockerels were trained to fight using their beaks and with spurs on their feet.

5. How did literature develop in Elizabethan England?
Literature boomed in Elizabethan England with history, accounts of voyages and translations of Greek and Roman classics being very popular.
Secular and comedy plays rose in significance with many people going to watch them.
Poetry writing was popular with the noble classes.

6. Why did the theatre become so popular during the Elizabethan period?
Rising Protestantism was a key factor in the popularity of the theatre. They attacked the Catholic-influenced mystery plays and replaced them staging comedies.
Teams of professional players were formed and were sponsored by the nobility. For example, Elizabeth I funded a company called The Queen’s Men. All groups had to have a royal licence and plays had to be approved to the Master of Revels.
Purpose built theatres were built in many towns and cities and all classes enjoyed them. However, where you sat in the theatre often defined your class, with the seats being extremely expensive.

7. Was the theatre popular with all during the Elizabethan period?
The Puritans opposed the nature of the comedy plays in the theatre as they were rude and vulgar.
Some opposed the theatre as they thought it would encourage idleness, spread disease and unrest.
Despite pressure from influential members of society, Privy Council resisted closing theatres unless there was the threat of a plague.

8. How was music and dancing popular in Elizabethan England?
Playing musical instruments was a popular pastime for all classes.
Musical performances were very popular as wealthy families employed their own musicians while the poorer classes enjoyed music at fairs and markets.
Music tapped into the popularity of the theatre with musical scores written for plays.
Dancing was popular as it brought the sexes together although classes did not dance together.

9. What other Elizabethan pastimes were there?
Inns and taverns were an important part of lower class life.
Tobacco was very expensive and seen as a luxury.
Gambling was popular with all classes at sporting events.
Storytelling was popular with the lower classes as many of them could not read.

10. Working and poorer people
Task
Daw the Venn diagram below and write the sports and pastimes enjoyed by the different groups of people.
Theatre
Dancing
Music
Hunting
Real Tennis
Tobacco
Gambling
Storytelling
Baiting
Cock fighting
Working and poorer people
Nobles
Everyone
Wrestling
Taverns
Dancing
Football
Bowls
Archery
Fishing
Poetry
Literature
Fencing

11. Knowledge questions
List as much evidence to support and counter the following statement –
There were plenty of opportunities to enjoy life when you were not working in Elizabethan England.

12. Plenary
Compare and contrast sports and pastimes now with sports and pastimes in the Elizabethan times. List at least three differences and three similarities.