In Elizabethan England, before the theatre was accepted, there were various forms of entertainment. Whether one lived in a small town or the great city of London, dances were very popular, as well as meeting with friends at the local pub for sing-alongs. Chess, checkers and tennis also happened to be popular games at the time, along with hunting, fencing and bear-baiting for the upper class. However, once the Globe Theatre was introduced in 1599, new standards for human fun and enjoyment were created (Mabillard). Because of the Globe Theatre, talented actors, and brilliant playwrights such as William Shakespeare, the world of entertainment has forever been changed. Before the world of theatre was popular, acting and plays were considered taboo. Elizabethan people loved entertainment. Feasts, fairs, and festivals were all common occurrences throughout the year, a lot of which were dictated by the Church and religious affiliations. Whenever there was something to celebrate, such as a betrothal, wedding, or a victory, the people of Elizabethan England were always eager to oblige. Linda Alchin writes that court entertainment was often a regular, nightly occurrence “combined with feasts, jousts and banquets often accompanied by music and dancing” (Alchin). All classes seemed to delight in the vicious form of entertainment known as bear-baiting, but it was without doubt Queen Elizabeth's favourite pastime. Dogs would be pitted against bears or bulls and onlookers would gather
This article’s purpose is to express the danger of breaking the law in England. Most of the punishments of our time are deemed cruel and unusual. The death penalty can no longer be enacted in cases of theft or highway robbery. The following paragraphs will describe the various instruments of punishment (torture) of the period.
h The form of Elizabethan theatre derived from the innyards and animal baiting rings in which actors had been accustomed to perform in in the past. They were circular wooden buildings with a paved courtyard in the middle. Such a theatre would hold around 3,000 spectators. The yards were about 80 feet in diameter and the rectangular stage 40ft by 30ft in height
Gaming/gambling were sometimes played in theatres such as the ones that Shakespeare’s plays were in. Other popular venues were gambling dens and houses.
The Greek god Cronus should be remembered in the minds of all as a historical and cultural figure that played an important role in the Greek creation story. Cronus's birth, conflict with his father, time as ruler, role in Golden Age, relationship with children, actions in war, mercy given to him, and time as king of the Islands of the Blessed tell an incredible story that can be enjoyed by all. The birth of this Greek god was not an unusual one compared to the crazy stories of others. Cronus had two parents whose names were Uranus (Sky) and Gaea (Earth).
Queen Elizabeth came to be known as one of the greatest rulers of the English empire. Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a more efficient government was created. The church was unified, the English empire was expanded, and language, literature, and theater flourished to a greatness that would be impossible for almost any other period of English history, or any other European empire, for that matter, to match. Although there was a great rise in literature,it was theater that catapulted to greatness during Elizabeth's reign. Out of Elizabeth's era came Elizabethan theater. Elizabethan theater has such a variety of topics, that would make it virtually impossible to talk about in ten pages.
From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for many reasons. Elizabethan theatre was popular for its time because Queen Elizabeth encouraged the arts, it was somewhere for every social class to go, and people could relate to the plays. One of the reasons that Elizabethan theatre was so popular was that it was enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth herself. Elizabeth loved learning new things. She would read and study for hours at a time. She also had a lot of knowledge when it came to history. She could read books in Latin and French. When she grew older, she could translate classic works into English. She also enjoyed writing and reading poetry, and a few of her poems still exist today. Elizabeth was also into arts and literature. She loved watching plays and dramatic performances. “She hired her own company of actors called “The Queen’s Players.” The art spread because of the queen. Her
cost 1 penny, to sit cost 2 pennies and for a wealthy person to sit
Pluto, Named after the Greek god, Of the underworld. A young research assistant of, Lowell Observatory. Discovered you on February 18th, 1930 Named by 11-year old Venetia Burney.
Imagine if it only cost you one penny to get tickets to a Broadway production. It would almost seem too good to be true! Well, back in the 1600s, in London, you could buy your way into a theater for as little as one penny. This price made it easy for anyone of any class to be able to partake in the festivities. Hence, the reason the theaters became so popular from 1562 to 1642. The theatres were very profitable based on the fact they were so popular in the community. The Elizabethan theatres were viewed as popular entertainment because of their fanciful attributes, their various events, and their several venues.
During the colonial period, the Elizabethan poor laws were adopted to address the social issue of poverty. Residency was a main factor in determining who was eligible for aid. Categories "worthy" and "unworthy" were set to determine who would qualify for assitance. Unfortunately the individuals in the "unworthy" category were the very individuals more in need of assistance.
2. The Elizabethan theater represented a great source of entertainment because it provided what people wanted: dancing, games and plays at an affordable price.
When Belinda was twelve, her father died of a stroke while he danced with her, after battling through compulsive behaviors, depression, and anxiety she was ultimately hospitalized. Velia, age eleven, never met her dad. Confused and at times rejected by her mother, she became involved with drugs and binge eating episodes. After terminating treatment she had a baby out of wedlock like her mother. Maria when she was thirteen was having sexual relations with her peers and was called various names such as “whore” at school. She deeply longed to meet her biological father from an early age (Kestenbaum & Stone, 1976). These are a few of the devastating stories of real women who had to undergo various psychological treatments to deal with their behavioral
The Elizabethan Era is often referred to as the Golden Age of England (A Changing View...). The Elizabethan Era, named after Queen Elizabeth I, was a time of change and discovery (Elizabethan Superstitions). Elizabeth ruled in a time of religious turmoil; both the Catholics and Protestants fought to be the official religion of England. (Elizabethan World View). Many people throughout England struggled to find the “correct” religion (Elizabethan World View). Religion was changing and so did science. During the late 1500’s science began to evolve; new ideas, concepts, and beliefs were starting to emerge (A Changing View). Magic was considered to be very similar to science in this era. The belief in magical creatures served as the roots for
Shakespeare has a difficult task entertaining the rowdy Elizabethan audience, especially during the exposition of the play, which sets up the entire plot. The audience needs to be engaged and invested in the play, otherwise many of the Elizabethan audience would throw food and furniture on stage or vandalize the theatre in response. Shakespeare employs a variety of techniques throughout the exposition of the play in order to do this, by creating tension between characters, introducing scandalous plots and unresolved issues right at the beginning of the play leaving the audience waiting for an answer. This essay will explore Shakespeare’s techniques and methods of engaging his Elizabethan audience.
“In roughly built playhouses and cobblestone inn yards, an extraordinary development took place in England in the 1500s.” (Yancey, 8). At that time, an opportunity combined to produce literature achievement never before witnessed in the history of drama and theater. The renaissance, helped spark this movement by inspiring scientific and artistic creativity throughout the land. Models began writing dramas that portrayed life in both realistic and imaginative ways. This created work later captured the attention of the world that changed the English drama. The many aspects of Elizabethan theater helped to shape the acting and theater world forever.