Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Age William Shakespeare Lived

Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Age

William Shakespeare Lived 1564 – 1616 Wrote 36 plays and 154 sonnets Was married with 3 children Wrote about 2 plays per year Wrote for performance Not for publication

The Globe Theatre Noisy Octagon No roof Lower classes sat in the “pit” Eating / drinking OK

The Globe Theatre Audience might throw things at actors All actors were male Acting often rushed, lines exaggerated Burned down in 1613 (cannon fire) Rebuilt, but razed by Puritans

The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603) First English woman to rule “without a man” Ornate dresses weighed up to 75 lbs. Engaged to 6 men at the same time Died with an inch of makeup caked on her face

The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603) Revelry & merriment, pageants and plays Very noisy Dancing in the streets Outdoor sports, hunting and hawking Music & poetry thrived

The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603) Also a cruel age Belief in witchcraft / ghosts Average lifespan was ? ? ? Bathing was synonymous with evil OK to show bosom, but not elbows!

The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603) Tights were a fashion statement High foreheads Beauty marks Makeup for everyone!

The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603) The Bubonic Plague swept through Great Britain & Europe Death in 3 days Surrounded by things that smelled good (dried flowers / herbs) Ring Around the Rosy

The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603) Children raised on beer Ate on wooden plate called a “board” Bones go under table Food heavily spiced If you can’t swallow the food, quietly throw it away

Assignment (due next class) The year is 1570. You live in a small town just outside London. Your teacher has asked you to write a onepage paper entitled “What I did during my summer vacation. ”