British Government
Table of Contents
1. Queen Elizabeth
2. Crimes and Punishments
3. Laws
4. Influences on the theatre
Queen Elizabeth
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/eliz1.htm
Queen Elizabeth 1 was born on September 7, 1533 she was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne
Boleyn. Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25 and ruled until the age 69. Elizabeth’s grandfather was
King Henry VII. Queen Elizabeth restores Protestantism, establishes state Church of England. She was
the survivor of scandal and danger, and considered illegitimate by most Europeans. Even her
supporters believed her position dangerous and uncertain. She ruled alone for nearly half a century,
lending her name to a glorious epoch in world history. In her greatest speech to Parliament, she told
them, 'I count the glory of my crown that I have reined with your love. And five centuries later, the
worldwide love affair with Elizabeth Tudor continues. (Forsythe).
Crimes and Punishments
http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/georgians/crime/crimeandpunishment.html
The crimes and punishments in the British Government was a very big part of the 1500 and 1600s. Many
people viewed criminals and law breaking as heroic and courageous and the activities of robbers and
villains were celebrated by the people. Their crimes were widely reported in a host of printed in
newspapers, people wrote books about them and more. For others the crimes were more concerns.
Theft rates in particular remained alarmingly high and by the second half of the century many people
were beginning to question the effectiveness of the methods used to investigate and arrest wrongdoers.
‘The greatest criminals of this town are the officers of justice’ (Lovekin).
Laws
http://www.britannia.com/gov/gov8.html
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have their own legal system. The laws are divided
into two different groups’ criminal law and civil law. The distinction between the two branches of the
law is reflected in the procedures used, the courts in which cases may be heard and the sanctions which
may be applied. Common law, which is based on custom and interpreted in court cases by judges, has
never been precisely defined or codified. There’s also equity law the consists of a body of historic rules
and principles which are applied by the court. The English legal system is therefore distinct from many of
those of Western Europe, which have codes derived from Roman law. (“Crime and Punishment”)
Influences on the theatre
http://alexryan8x.tripod.com/theatre.html
In Shakespeare’s time there were no female actors. This was because acting was not considered an
honorable job, so no women would ever be seen doing such thing. The plays that were made in this time
period were usually last minute. Some actors usually got their scripts just before the plays. They used a
technique called “cue acting” this is when peopled stood behind the curtain and yelled at them their
lines. There is a famous stadium called The Globe Theatre. There’s a myth that if two plays were done
every day at the same time in there afternoon then it is good luck. The plays can’t end too early in the
morning because the sun was too bright, and it can’t be done at night because there is no artificial
lighting (“Queen Elizabeth 1: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources”).
Helpful Links
http://tudorhistory.org/elizabeth/ In this website you will be able to find helpful information
about Queen Elizabeth 1.
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/punishment.htm In this website you will be able to find
out all the information about the crimes and punishments in the 1500s.
http://www.britannia.com/gov/gov8.html In this website you will find out all about the laws in
the British government.
http://alexryan8x.tripod.com/theatre.html In this website you will find out all about the theatre
in the 1500s.
Works Citied
“Crime and Punishment.” Crime and Punishment during 1500s. 15 January 2013
Forsythe, Judy. “Theatre in Shakespeare’s times”. Theatre in Shakespeare’s Times. 15 January
2013
Lovekin, Shane. “Britannia Panorama: British Government.” British Government. 15 January
2013
“Queen Elizabeth 1: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources.” Queen Elizabeth 1. 15 January
2013