Elizabethan Era
1485-1603
Late 15th and
early 16th century
Directions: Take Cornell Notes
Title: Elizabethan Era
Heading
Information and pictures provided on the website.
.
Vocabulary
Information and pictures provided on the website
Dates
Information and pictures provided on the website.
*Write down the definitions of new words and highlight them.
Summary
Government
• Much of Elizabeth’s success
was in balancing the
interests of the Puritans and
the Catholics. She managed
to offend neither to a large
extent.



England was also well-off
compared to the other
nations of Europe.
Queen Elizabeth started
her reign at the age of
25.
Her leadership allowed
England to prosper. She
changed the country from
backwards to confident.
She grew the nation and
increased the navy that
protected England
throughout the
Renaissance.
Video Clip

If the video doesn’t
play automatically go
to the Hamlet file and
play the video titled:
England under Queen
Elizabeth_4.avi
Fashions/Clothing
At the beginning of this
period, ladies gowns were
modest. They had ruffled
sleeves (symbolizing upper
class), and a V-shaped
waist. The dresses were
made to show of small
waists and square
shoulders. Later, the ruffled
sleeves were turned to tight
sleeves, and the V-shaped
waist transformed into a
straight waist.
Fashions/Clothing

Women’s hair was always
swept up, either in a
snood (a gathered bag in
the back, covering the hair,
or in a popular heartshaped style, which from
the front looks like to little
cones sticking out from
either side of your hair.
Queen Elizabeth wore this
hairstyle for many of her
portraits.
Fashions/Clothing

Men wore vest-like shirts called jerkins,
and knee length pants that puffed out.
Nobles wore fine leather shoes and either
a velvet hat, silk hat, a tall feathery hat, or
a tall fabric hat. Later on, the fashion was
to wear long, billowing cloaks fastened
with a pendant of chain. The hats
changed to beaver hats or hats with a
plume sticking out jauntily on one side.
Silk stockings were added to the pants.
Working Class Clothing
Chemise
Kerchief
Kirtle
Apron
Breeches
Working Class
Clothing
Bodice
Working Class Clothing
Jerkin
Doublet
Breeches
Working Class Clothing
Parlet
Kirtle
Headdress
Parlet
Farthingale: structures
used under to support the skirts
into the desired shape
Men’s Shoes
Women’s Shoes
The
Elizabethan
view of pure
beauty was a
woman with
light hair and
a snow white
complexion
complimented
with red
cheeks and
lips.
V-shaped waist
V-shaped waist
Elizabethan
fashion was
highly
elaborate.
Clothes were
decorated
with heavy
embroidery
and
decorated
with jewels,
spangles,
pearls.
Padded shoulder sleeves
Semi cartwheel ruff with
figure-of-eight lace
High collar figure-of-eight ruff
Clothes were
designed with
a layered
approach
requiring
assistance in
dressing from
servants.
Upper class
fashions were
tight, hot and
uncomfortable.
Cartwheel ruff
with lace
Aristocrats
Deep figure-of-eight
ruff
Capotain: tall grey hat with a
feather
Aristocrats
Cloak
Livery Collar: heavy
chain, usually of gold,
worn as insignia of office
Aristocrats
Cloak
Jerkin
Plume
Codpiece: a flap or pouch
that attaches to the front of the crotch
Children’s Clothing
Children had to wear the same clothes as adults.
Children’s Clothing
Children’s Clothing
Coif
Coif:
place.
Children’s Clothing
a close fitting cap to keep hair in
Coif
Fashions/Clothing
Elizabethans were not allowed
to wear what clothes they
liked. Their clothing and items
of apparel were dictated by
the Elizabethan Sumptuary
Laws which governed the
style and materials worn!
 The penalties for violating
Sumptuary Laws could be
harsh - fines, the loss of
property, title and even life!

Clothing Video
If the video clip doesn’t
play automatically go
to your Hamlet file
and play the video
titled Shakespearean
clothing_7.avi
(5min. 32 sec.)
Crime and Punishment
•People were shamed
publicly in front of large
crowds.
•Some punishments were
done by the crowds. For
example, the picture to the
left people would walk by
and spit on the prisoner.
•Punishments were severe
and often meant death for
the prisoner.
Health

England during the
Elizabethan Era did
not give its people
a high standard of
health. Various
diseases and food
problems emerged
which made life
difficult for them.
Health

The serious lack of
sanitation in Elizabethan
England, especially in big
cities, gave rise to many
diseases endangering the lives
of the people in England.
Streets were filled with rotting
garbage, sewers were blocked
and rivers were contaminated
by domestic waste. Epidemic
diseases became increasingly
common due to the growth
of pests such as rats, fleas
and lice, and were especially
prevalent among children due
to their high susceptibility to
diseases.
Treatment:
Health
• Advanced medicine did not
exist back in the 16th
century, therefore people
sought for basic remedies to
various illnesses usually by
making their own medicine
and potions using herbs and
plants. Most people also
preferred home medicine
and household remedy as
they were much cheaper
than seeing doctors and
physicians.

People also tried to treat diseases using methods based on their
superstitious beliefs. For example, some believed that the use of
magic and gemstones could cure mental illnesses and emotional
discomfort. Astrology was also widely practiced.
Health

The average lifespan of
an adult male was 47
years, while the life
expectancy of people in
London was 35 years for
the richer ones, and only
25 years for the less
affluent ones. Death in
infancy or early childhood
was common. Also, about
40% of the people died
before their middle
teenage years.

An appointment with a
qualified doctor would
cost one gold coin,
equivalent to 10
shillings Using the retail
price index, 10 shillings
from 1560 is worth
$1346.52 in 2006, which
was very expensive under
common standards during
the 16th century and was
therefore almost entirely
exclusive to the royalty,
nobles and the rich.
Health
Food the Poor Ate
coarse bread of barley or
rye (largest portion of the
diet)
 fish
 cheese
 vegetables.

Food the Wealthy Ate
fine white bread
 the rich considered food
from the ground as lowly
(carrots, potatoes, etc.)
 beef
 pork
 lamb
 fowl
 salmon
 eel
 shellfish.

Daily Life
Entertainment/Hobbies
There were many different types of Elizabethan sports and entertainment:
 Feasts

– A large, elaborately prepared meal, usually for many persons and often
accompanied by court entertainment. Often celebrated religious festivals

Banquets
– A ceremonial dinner honouring a particular guest

Fairs
– The Annual Summer Fair was often a bawdy affair

Plays
– Started as plays enacted in town squares followed by the actors using the
courtyards of taverns or inns (referred to as Inn-yards) followed by the first
theatres (great open air amphitheatres built in the same style as the Roman
Coliseum) and then the introduction of indoor theatres called Playhouses

Mystery Plays
– Re-enactment of stories from the Bible

Festivals
– Celebrating Church festivals
Entertainment/Hobbies

Jousts / Tournaments
– A series of tilted matches between knights

Games and Sports
– Sports and games which included archery, bowling, cards, dice,
hammer-throwing, quarter-staff contests, quoits, skittles and
wrestling

Animal Sports
– Included bear and bull baiting, and dog and cock fighting

Hunting
– Sport followed by the nobility often using dogs

Hawking
– Sport followed by the nobility with hawks (otherwise known as
falconry)
Language
ANTICK = the fool in the old plays
BODIKIN = an oath (Today: “I swear”)
'Od's Bodikin,' God's little Body
CALIVER = a hand-gun
DROLLERY = a puppet-show
ENGLUT = to swallow speedily
FET = fetched
GAST = frightened
HOISE = to hoist, heave up on high
INLY = inward
LOWT = a clown
NEELD = a needle
OPE = open
QUICKEN = to come to life
STIGMATICAL = deformed
TREACHERS = traitors