London in Shakespeare’s Time
When Shakespeare was writing Romeo and
Juliet, most people believed that the sun went
around the earth!
The Reformation—The 16th Century
The Tudor Family ruled England
Henry VIII
1509-1547
King Edward VI
1537-1553
(Protestant)
‘The boy king’
Mary Tudor
1553 -1558
(Catholic)
‘Bloody Mary’
Elizabeth I
1558 – 1503
(Protestant)
‘The Virgin Queen’
The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603)
• A golden age in English
history.
• height of the English
Renaissance, and saw the
flowering of English literature
and poetry.
• Elizabethan theatre grew and
William Shakespeare, among
others, composed plays that
broke away from England's
past style of plays.
• More people were educated
during this time in London than
ever before.
The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603)
• London in the 16th
century underwent
a transformation.
• Population grew
400% from 1500 to
1600, swelling to
nearly two hundred
thousand people in
the city proper and
outlying region
An overpopulated city
Streets we narrow and crowded
The move from the city to the country
London’s economy
Trade Ships
Poor Sanitation
• Little or no drainage
• Running water hard to come by
• Bad smells
– Rotting vegetables
– Human excrement
• Bathing not common practice
Lots of People = lots of problems
1. Disease
2. Poor sanitation
3. Riots
Common Diseases/Heath
Problems in Elizabethan England:
•Typhoid –inflammation of the
intestine.
•Gout (rich) Meat diet
•Scurvy (poor) lack of Vitamin C
•Tooth ache (complications)
•Complications in result of
amputations
•Measles
•Diseases of the explorers
The Black Plague
• Bubonic plague – originated in
Central Asia killing 25 million
• Hit London several times
• Rats hosted the disease
carriers
"Doctor Schnabel von Rom" (English:
"Doctor Beak of Rome") The beak is a
primitive gas mask, stuffed with
substances (such as spices and herbs)
thought to ward off the plague.
Plague Symptoms:
Sneezing and swelling of the lymph
nodes, bleeding in the lungs.
The Gap Between Rich and Poor
• poor live in homes that are little
better than sheds.
• one earthen-floored room
downstairs for living and
cooking
• the upstairs loft is for sleeping
in and storing hay.
• Peasants keep animals in the
house. Windows are shuttered
and have no glass.
• Thatched roofs are a fire
hazard and a nesting place for
rats and insects
The Rich
• Royalty
• Servants and
attendants
• Family money
• Loan sharks
• Wealthy land owners
• Business men
• Trade merchants
The Guild
• The workers guild
protected the crafts
people of the time.
• Insured quality of work
• Worked much like a union
• Membership was
mandatory to be
successful and sought
after in London
The Old Market House
You get...
From the...
Books
Stationer or bookseller
Cloth
Mercer
Hats
Milliner or Hatter
Suit of Clothes
Tailor
Shirts/Smocks
Seamstress
Ready made clothes
Draper
Arrows
Fletcher
Bows
Bowyer
Horseshoes
Farrier
Other iron work
Blacksmith
Armor
Armorer
A Portrait
Limner
Legal Service
Lawyer
Drugs etc.
Apothecary
Dentistry
Barber Surgeon
A Stapler
Buys and sells raw wool; also silk and
linen.
A Draper
Deals in cloth (wholesale), plus some
ready-made garments and dry
goods.
Occupations
Lower Class Clothes
• Peasants-wool (which
was often dyed)browns, and pale
yellow, black, pale
green
• Weapons—knives
Middle Class Clothes
• Middle class-cotton, and
layered clothing. Collars
• The look-new and clean,
neatly fitted clothes, with
a few ruffled edges
• Weapons—daggers
Upper Class Clothes
Layers of Fabric
• The Upper Class wore velvet, cotton,
lace, silk, gold embroidery. Fancy
shoes and hats
• Color- black, purple, maroon, gold,
white shirts.
• Weapons—Swords
Food and Drink
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Ale and Beer (water shortage)
Wine
Puddings, pies, cakes
Gingerbread
Almond
Bagels and bread
Nutmeg
Eggs
Meat
Fish
Egg Plant
Cabbage
Turnip
Fruit and sugary sauces
Entertainment
• Other than
gambling, drinking
at the pub, playing
cards, tennis and
lawn bowling,
watching plays (the
theatre) was the
main source of
entertainment.
Occupations
Cooper
Chandler
Glover
Glazier
Tiler
Saddler
Cutler
Joiner
Stationer
Mercer
Barrels
Candles
Gloves
Glass Windows
Tile for the roof
Saddles, bridles.
Knives
Furniture
Books
Cloth
Milliner or Hatter Hats
Tailor
Seamstress
Draper
Clothes
Fletcher
Arrows
Bowyer
Bows
Farrier
Horseshoes
Blacksmith Armorer
Apothecary
Why study Shakespeare?
• William helped turn the
theatrical profession into a
gentlemanly profession loved
by all people, from Kings and
Queens to peasants and
servants. Today, a writer, actor,
director, or producer is well
respected
Words and Phrases
created over 2,000 new words and
phrases.
They include: schoolboy, shooting star,
puppy-dog, football, bandit, partner,
downstairs, upstairs, leapfrog, alligator,
and mimic
Sound familiar?
• William's plots are present in movies,
television shows, and books. They have
become so common we may not realize
they were first introduced by William.
an evil person who dies because of their own wrongdoing (Macbeth)
mistaking the identity of one person for another person (A Comedy of Errors)
giving a person a taste of their own medicine (The Taming of the Shrew)
a person torn between loyalty and revenge (Hamlet)
two young people from rival families falling in love (Romeo and Juliet)
Let’s Go to the Globe!!!
• Across the Thames River, outside
the city limits you will come to
Southwark
• Here you will find more than just
the theatre.
• Most of the really low company
you may be looking for is probably
hanging out in across the river.
• Naturally the bear garden (for bear
baiting) is here, as are the play
houses