2. What Was England Like? When Shakespeare was born, Queen Elizabeth I was already ruling the monarchy She ruled until her death in 1603 After her death, King James I took over He continued to rule the monarchy until he died in 1625, long after Shakespeare's death England had three types of money-pence, shillings and pounds Items could be bought for a very cheap price Most people believed in ghosts, witches and magicians There were enough jobs to choose from for the people who lived in England
3. Significant Events That Occurred During That Time There were three plagues The first plague went around from 1592-1594 Shakespeare was about 30 years old and when he was writing poems and performing plays The second plague happened when Shakespeare was old, going from 1603 to 1604 The final plague was about 7 years after Shakespeare died Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603 Shakespeare wrote tragedies during this period
4. How Did People In Power Influence Shakespeare’s Work When Queen Elizabeth I ruled, Shakespeare's wrote comedies and tragedies When the new century started, Shakespeare's comedies became more romantic In the first few years of King James I's reign, Shakespeare responded to a deep shift in popular tastes At the end of the decade, Shakespeare started to write tragicomedies
5. The Social System At That Time There were four social classes - the Nobility, the Gentry, the Yeomanry, and the poor The Nobility were the lords and ladies of the land. They were rich and powerful, and they have large households. The Gentry were people like knights, squires, gentlemen, and gentlewomen "who did not work with their hands for a living." They were the most important social class in Shakespeare's England. The Yeomanry were people who have saved enough to be comfortable but who could at any moment, through illness or bad luck, be plunged into poverty. They are yeomen farmers, tradesmen and craft workers. The poor are the lowest class. They were mostly made up of people who were unemployed or unable to work. This people lived a life of poverty.
6. What Were The Theatres Like? There were no female actors Role of women had to be played by young boys who had not gone through puberty Spectators had a range of seating options available The cheapest option was to crowd around the stage The next cheapest option was to sit in the galleries The most expensive option was to sit directly on the stage
