William Shakespeare
and the Elizabethan Era
Grade 9 English
Virtual Shakespeare Tour
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1. On what date, and
where, was
Shakespeare born?
William Shakespeare was
born in Stratford-uponAvon, allegedly on April
23, 1564.
2.a. Where is it
believed Shakespeare
attended school?
It is surmised by
scholars that
Shakespeare attended
the free grammar school
in Stratford.
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b. Did Shakespeare
have a university
education?
What is certain is that
William Shakespeare
never proceeded to
university schooling.
c. Why do you think
his education has
raised some
controversy?
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3 a. Who did Shakespeare
marry?
Anne Hathaway
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b. How old was Shakespeare
when he married?
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William was 18 at the time
c. How old was his wife?
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Anne was 26
4. How many children did
Shakespeare have and what
were their names?
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Three. Their first daughter,
Susanna, was born on May 26,
1583. The couple later had twins,
Hamnet and Judith, born February
2, 1585
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5. In what city did
Shakespeare establish
himself as an actor
and when did he
arrive there?
London, 1592.
6.a. What was an
acting troupe? Who
were the Lord
Chamberlain's Men?
An acting company. They
were a favorite London
troupe
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b. What name did they take
on in 1603?
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8. On what date did
Shakespeare die?
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The King’s Men.
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7. a. When did Shakespeare
leave London to retire in
Stratford?
William Shakespeare allegedly
died on his birthday, April 23,
1616.
*Bonus question: Besides
plays, do you know what else
Shakespeare is famous for
writing?
 Poems.
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1611
b. How long had he spent in
London ?
 19 years.
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Elizabeth’s England
The Renaissance
2. Weddings & Betrothals:
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a) What was a betrothal?
At a betrothal, the two people
join hands. He gives her a ring
to be worn on the right hand.
It changes to the left at the
wedding. They seal the
contract with a kiss.
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b) After a betrothal was a
couple considered
married?
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No.
3. Marriage & Family:
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c) What is considered a
foolish reason to marry?
It is generally considered
foolish to marry for love,
although love may occur in
marriage
d) What kind of relationship
existed between parents
and their children?
Children are the property of their
parents, and give them the
respect a servant gives his
master. Or else.
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e) What kind of
relationship
existed between
husbands and
wives?
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Wives are the
property of their
husbands.
4. Education
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c) Describe a typical
school day?
The school day begins at
7:00am in winter or 6:00am
in summer. After prayers,
they work till about 9:00
when they are permitted
breakfast, then they work till
11:00. Dinner is from 11:00
to 1:00. The school day ends
at 5:00 or 5:30pm.
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d) Were students treated
similarly to how they are
today? Explain.
No. It is understood that
students must have their
education beaten into them,
like their manners and
deportment.
e) Would you have wanted
to attend school during the
16th century? Why or why
not?
5. Occupations:
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Who would you obtain the
following items from a) books: stationer or
bookseller
b) hats: Milliner or Hatter.
c) shirts/smocks:
Seamstress
d) drugs: Apothecary
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If you were noble, what
would the following
servants on your staff do?
e) Steward: Oversees the
running of your estates
f) Nurse: Takes care of
infants and young children
g) Wet nurse: Breast feeds
the baby (maybe as long as
the first 2 years.)
h) Tutor: Educates your
children
6. Heirs & Inheritance:
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b) What is an heiress?
An heiress is a daughter with
no brothers and no clear male
heirs. If there are several girls,
they will be co-heiresses.
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7. Masters & Servants:
c) What is a valet?
Valet is "a man-servant
performing duties chiefly
relating to the person of his
master; a gentleman's
personal attendant."
d) What is the female
equivalent of a valet
called?
Female equivalents are waiting
gentlewoman or maid,
depending on the rank of the
relevant parties
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e) What does one's
reputation depend on?
Credit, or reputation, has
to do with one's personal
dignity or honor.
f) Who do servants
take money from?
Servants take money
from anyone
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8. Filling the Time:
a) What were three
common pastimes
during the 16th
century?
Gossip, tennis, attend the
theatre.
b) Why were theaters
only attended during
the day?
There is no artificial
lighting
9. Religion:
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a) What was the official
established state religion?
The official established state
religion is the Church of
England.
b) Puritanism. What did
Puritans believe in?
The puritans "believed that a
person by nature was wholly
sinful and could achieve good
only by severe and unremitting
discipline.
10. Titles:
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a) Who gets addressed as
"your grace'?
 Your Grace belongs properly only
to royal blood: the queen, dukes,
and visiting princesses.
b) How do children address
their parents?
 Children are taught to address
their parents as Sir and Madam,
or my lord and my lady. A noble
child refers to my lady mother and
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the lord my father
11. Money:
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a) What were all coins
made of?
All coins are silver or gold,
including the pennies
b) What were the basic
denominations of
currency?
The basic denominations are
pounds, shillings, and pence.
c) What makes up a
pound?
20 shillings make a pound
12. Duels:
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a) What actions were
considered a challenge?
Calling someone a liar, or
otherwise impugning his
honor, his courage, or his
name is a challenge in itself.
b) Why did dueling often
take place "out of the
way"?
Dueling is illegal, so you take
the fight out of the way, and
sometimes out of the country.
13. The City of London:
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a) How did people cross
the Thames River?
You crossed normally by boattaxi
b) Describe the streets in
London?
The streets were narrow,
cobbled, slippery with the
slime of refuse. Houses were
crammed together, and there
were a lot of furtive alleys.
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c) What was emptied
out of windows?
Chamber pots, or
jordans, were emptied
out of windows.
d) Why was everyone
"tipsy" all the time?
Nobody drank water, and
tea had not yet come in.
Ale was the standard
tipple, and it was strong.
14. The Plague:
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The plague was a terrible
disease that spread throughout
Europe in the middle ages.
Within five years (between
1347-1352) it had killed 25
million people. Because
smaller outbreaks of the
disease continued, Europe
lived with the fear of the
plague for centuries until it
disappeared in the 1600's.
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a) How were humans
infected?
Human beings were
infected through bites
from the fleas that lived
on these rats.
b) How could it be
avoided?
Fleeing form the cities
and towns was common,
especially by wealthy
families who had country
homes
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c) How did it affect
the theaters during
this time? Why do you
think they would do
this?
Most public assemblies
were outlawed. All
taverns, plays, and alehouses were ordered
closed. The prevent
people from socializing
and spreading the
disease.
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15. Jesters and Fools:
b. Describe artificial fools.
Artificial, weren’t really foolish at
all. They often used quick wit and
jokes t reveal deeper insights
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jesters/fools like in
Shakespeare's plays?
 He is most often an artificial fool.
d. What sort of things did
they do to entertain?
 They would entertain the royal
courts with their wit, singing and
performing, but they were most
valued for their ability to point out
the foolishness in others.
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The Globe
1. Where and when was the
original Globe theater built?
 London in 1599.
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2. Why is the Globe associated
with William Shakespeare?
 He had shares in the theatre.
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3. While watching a
performance, where did the
wealthy patrons sit?
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Tiered galleries around the open
area accommodated the wealthier
patrons who could afford seats.
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4. Who were
"groundlings" and where
did they locate themselves
during a performance?
Those of the lower classes--the
"groundlings"--stood around
the stage during the
performance of a play.
5a. When was the globe
torn down?
1644
b. When was the
New Globe rebuilt?
 September 1999.
 6a. What was the
name of the first
theatre in London
and when was it
built?
The Theatre in 1576.
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b. Name 3 other
theaters which
existed during
Shakespeare's
time.
 The Rose, Swan,
Globe and Fortune.
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