London in Shakespeare’s Time
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 I1558 – 1503(Protestant)‘The Virgin Queen’
The Elizabethan Era (1558 -1603)
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)
Population grew 400% from 1500 to 1600
nearly 200,000 people in the city proper and outlying region
An Overpopulated City
Streets were narrow and crowded People moved from the city to the country London’s economy grew
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. Disease2. Poor sanitation3. Riots
Lots of People = lots of problems
• 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
Plague Symptoms:Sneezing and swelling of the lymph nodes, bleeding in the lungs.
The Gap Between Rich and Poor
The poor lived in homes that are little better than sheds.
One earthen-floored room downstairs for living and cooking
There was an 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
The Rich Royalty Servants and
attendants Family money Loan sharks
Business men Wealthy land
owners Trade
merchants
Guilds 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
Occupations
OccupationsOccupationStationer orBooksellerMercer
MillinerHatter
Product/ServiceBooks, paper, quills, inkCloth
Hats, gloves
OccupationsOccupationTailor
Seamstress
Draper
Product/ServiceClothing
Shirts/Smocks
Cloth merchant
OccupationsOccupationFletcher
Bower orBowyerFarrier
Product/ServiceArrows
Bows (to go with the arrows)Horse shoes
OccupationsOccupationBlacksmith
Armorer
Limner
Product/ServiceOther ironwork
Armor
Portrait Artist
OccupationsOccupationLawyer
Apothecary
Barber orSurgeon
Product/ServiceLegal Services
Medication
Dentistry
OccupationsOccupationCooper
Miller
Moneylenders
Product/ServiceBarrels
Grinds Grain
Bankers
OccupationsOccupationSpinster
Candle maker
Product/ServiceWomen who spun woolCandles
Lower Class Clothes Peasants-wool (which was often
dyed)-browns, and pale yellow, black, pale green
Lower Class Clothes Peasants had to wear multi layered
clothes. They used to wear "doublets” doublets
were thick jackets made of wool, soft leather, heavy linen or canvas.
Over the doublets, they wore "jerkins", which were identical to doublets but loose in fitting.
Lower Class Clothes They wore "knickers", which
were pants that buttoned below the knees.
On the lower half of the leg, they used to wear knit woolen hose, or, knee socks to protect them from the extremely cold weather of England.
Middle Class Clothes
Middle class-cotton, and layered clothing. Collars
Neatly fitted clothes, with a few ruffled edges
Weapons—daggers
Middle Class Clothes
• The Upper Class wore velvet, cotton, lace, silk, gold embroidery. Fancy shoes and hats
• Color- black, purple, maroon, gold, white shirts.
• Weapons—Swords
Upper Class Clothes
Upper Class Clothes
Food and Drink Eggs
Meat Fish Egg Plant Cabbage Turnip Fruit and sugary
sauces
Ale and Beer (water shortage)
Wine Puddings, pies,
cakes Gingerbread Almond Bagels and bread
Nutmeg
Entertainment Other than
gambling, drinking at the pub, playing cards, tennis and lawn bowling, watching plays (the theatre) was the main source of entertainment.
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.
Sound familiar? An evil person who dies because of own
wrongdoing (Macbeth) Mistaken identity (A Comedy of Errors) Giving a person a taste of their own
medicine ( The Taming of the Shrew)
Torn between loyalty and revenge (Hamlet)
Star Crossed Lovers (Romeo and Juliet)
Movies/Plays 10 Things I hate About YouLion KingWest Side StoryShe’s the ManForbidden Planet