Queen Elizabeth Going in Procession to Blackfriars by Marcus Gheeraerts

SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND

Elizabeth's
Golden Age
 Queen Elizabeth I
(1533-1603)
• Succeeded to the throne in 1558, after half-sister's death
(Queen Mary I died of an unknown illness).
• Reigned for 45 years. Her time as queen is considered a
golden age.
• Secured the Church of England through the Elizabethan
settlement which created peace between Protestants and
Roman Catholics.
• The arts and trade flourished under her reign.
• The English navy's victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588
established Britain's dominance in Europe.
• In 1600, the East India Company established trade in India
and China.
• She never married because infighting among the royals
made doing so unwise.

The Armada Portrait (1588) by George Gower

The Elizabethan Settlement

• Religious differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics

threatened the stability of England.
• The Elizabethan Settlement of 1559 sought to end religious
turmoil.
• The Act of Supremacy of 1559 declared the Church of England's
independence from Rome and proclaimed Queen Elizabeth I
supreme governor of the spiritual and physical realm.
• The Oath of Supremacy of 1558 required the clergy to swear
obedience to the Crown. Refusal of this oath was a treasonable
offence.
• The Act of Uniformity of 1559 introduced the Book of Common
Prayer and compulsory church on Sundays for all British subjects.
 The Black Death
• Devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague struck Europe and Asia in the mid-
1300s.
• Killed an estimated 20 million Europeans and, at least, 75 million people worldwide.
• Believed to arrive in England on trade ships in 1347.
• The disease caused victims to seep blood and pus from swellings in the armpits and
groin. Also caused fever, nausea, chills, and death.
• The plague never left. Recurrences of plague continued for hundreds of years.
• Severe outbreaks in 1582, 1592-93, 1603-04, 1606, and 1608-09 resulted in frequent,
prolonged closures of Shakespeare's theater.
 Women in Elizabethan England
• Women were considered "the weaker sex" emotionally and physically by a patriarchal
society.
• Not allowed to attend school, though many were highly educated thanks to private
tutoring.
• Laws did not allow women to inherit their family's estate.

• Expected to marry, run the

household, and give birth.
• Considered dishonorable
for women to act, so
Shakespeare's female roles
were played by adolescent
boys.
 Men in Elizabethan England
• Despite Queen Elizabeth's supremacy, British society was patriarchal.
• Men had absolute authority over all family matters, with men having the legal right to
discipline their wives and daughters whenever they failed to obey the man's command.
• Sons were more desirable because only male heirs could inherit the family's estate.

• Expected to use their influence to elevate their

family's status, often done by gaining favors from
wealthier patrons.
• Allowed to enter professions in law, medicine,
and politics.
 Elizabethan Entertainment
• Beginning of the entertainment industry:
theaters and bloodsports, such as bear-
baiting.
• Outdoor activities: tennis, archery, fencing,
and an early version of soccer, which was
more violent and less bound by rules.
• The rich would host parties and feasts
featuring live entertainment.
• Card games were popular among the rich
and the poor.
• Hunting was popular among the
Bear Baiting is a shocking practice where dogs are used aristocracy; practiced by men and women.

to attack a chained bear

 Elizabethan Food and Medicine

• Storage was a problem so produce was grown at home or bought at a local market.
• Water was avoided due to the presence of typhoid, cholera, and dysentery.
• A healthy distrust of water meant that ale and beer were the most popular drinks.

• Physicians had no idea what caused most illnesses and diseases.

• Patients were subjected to bloodletting or administered herbal concoctions.
• An ordinary household would have an assortment of homemade medicines and
potions.
 Discussion

What connections can be made between

Elizabethan England and America today?

How are issues that affected Elizabethan England still

relevant?
 References
“Black Death.” History, A&E Television Network, 6 July 2020.
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/black-death

Cartwright, Mark. “Sports, Games & Entertainment in the Elizabethan Era.” Ancient
History Encyclopedia, 10 July 2020. https://www.ancient.eu/article/1579/sports-games--
entertainment-in-the-elizabethan-era

Cartwright, Mark. “Food and Drink in the Elizabethan Era.” Ancient History
Encyclopedia, 8 July 2020. https://www.ancient.eu/article/1578/food--drink-in-the-elizabethan-
era/

“Elizabethan Settlement.” An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, Church Publishing Inc,

2000. https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/elizabethan-settlement

“Elizabethan Women: Women in Tudor History.” Elizabethi.org.

https://www.elizabethi.org/contents/women/

“Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603).” The Royal Household, https://www.royal.uk/elizabeth-i