Shakespeare’s England
English 9

When and where was Shakespeare born? Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. He was the son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden.

Why was this time period called the Elizabethan period? The Elizabethan era lasted from 1558-1603 and was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth became Queen on November 17 1558, after Queen Mary I (a Roman ho was not liked very much by the people) died. Queen Elizabeth was Protestant and the people liked her very much. Her reign was called a ‘Golden Age’ for Britain

Describe the system of government during Shakespeare’s time. The government was a Monarchy at the time, which meant one person (Queen Elizabeth I) held all the power.

Describe the social structure of the time. The social hierarchy during Elizabethan England went like so, Monarch (Queen Elizabeth), Nobility, Gentry (gentlemen and gentlewomen- people who did not work with their hands for a living. As well as Knights and squires.), Merchants, Yeomanry (people who had enough money but who could at any moment through illness or other such bad luck would be poor. This included, farmers, tradesmen and craft workers.), and at the bottom of the hierarchy Labourers which was pretty much anyone who did not own their own land.

How were women dressed? Depending on what social class a woman was in would dictate what colour, fabric and martial her dress was made of. A law called the Sumptry Law told the women of different class what colours they could wear. Upperclass women could wear purple, red and gold. Lower class women could wear green, yellow and brown. http://b86a38.medialib.glogster.com/media/43bba03adc2f913b45349be121f9994d5e5602a29916cb95d3a92d5c478d98a3

Describe the typical hairstyles. The hairstyles of upperclass women were usually very elaborate and during this era the men spent just as much time on their hair as the women. Queen Elizabeth wanted them to have big and fancy hairstyles to match their style of dress. http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljrxwj94841qdzmdio1_500.jpg

Describe crime and punishment during Elizabethan England. The crimes and their punishments varied from the Upperclass to the Lowerclass. In the upper class it would be more likely for them to get charged with treason than any other crime, treason usually resulted in beheading. The Lowerclass if charged with theft or trespassing would be branded with a hot iron.

Describe healthcare. Doctors used herbs as medical remedies. Doctors and Physicians usually had no idea what was causing the any disease and sicknesses that plagued England during this time. Often Doctors would leech a patient in hopes of getting rid of “bad blood”.

What was the terrible disease during the 1500s? How many people died? The disease was the bubonic plague, commonly called “Black Death”, it was spread by rats. It killed 43 million people world wide.

Describe the Elizabethan education system. Usually only upper and middle class boys were given an education. Education at the time placed a heavy emphasis on religion, reading and writing.

Sources:
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/punishment.htm
http://thelostcolony.org/education/elizabethan-era/
http://www.william-shakespeare.info/bubonic-black-plague-elizabethan-era.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethan_era