They used simple special effects during Shakespearean performances, such as pounding drums to simulate thunder, bursting pouches of fake blood for sword wounds, and lowering or raising actors with winches for ghost appearances. Music was a big part of Elizabethan culture and entertainment. Shakespeare incorporated instruments like the viol, virginal, lute, and glittern into his plays, though he did not write the songs himself - composers like Thomas Morley and Robert Johnson wrote the songs for his plays. Music could be heard publicly in places like St. Paul's Cross in London and privately in the homes of wealthy individuals who employed musicians and singers.

2. What tools did they use in special
effects to keep the audience
entertained?
Everything took place on a small stage with a painted scene in the background,
for special effects they hired people to pound a drums or ripple sheet metal when
thunder was needed in a setting.

3. • When a man was “wounded” in a sword fight he put his hand to his chest
and burst a pouch full of fake blood. In scenes where ghost would appear
they lowered someone on a winch line ( like a rope on a fishing rod) or they
sent him upwards though a trap door.
• When someone important/popular was in the audience sometimes they
would fire a cannon.

4. Who composed Shakespeare's
songs if it wasn’t him?
Shakespeare only wrote plays and sonnets, he didn’t write songs so he had
composers write them for him. Thomas Morley and Robert Johnson are
men who people have said wrote Shakespeare’s songs for him during his
life. A rumour went around that Johnson worked very closely with
Shakespeare and might have had something to do with a few of
Shakespeare's last plays, like ‘The Tempest’

5. What instruments did Shakespeare
use in his plays?
Shakespeare is known for his plays and poems but I wanted to know about his
songs and how they were made, so I did a little but of research and found
that…
Shakespeare used a viol: a viol otherwise known as viola da gamba was a
favourite of Elizabethan people and was used in a few of Shakespeare's
plays.
Glittern: the glittern is similar to a guitar but in a medieval form, its played with a
bow and was a gift to the queen.
Virginal: the virginal is Italian made and belonged to queen Elizabeth, the
virginal looks like the piano.
Shakespeare also used lutes in his plays, lutes were popular in Shakespeare's
time and sounds just like the guitar but to play it you would pick at the
strings.
The English were very fond of music, English composers and players were well
known and welcomed world wide at the time.

6. Where was music heard?
Music was everywhere, just like it is now people gathered in groups at pauls
cross in London.
Now we have television, radios, magazines and more to keep use occupied or
entertained, but in Shakespeare's time they didn’t have those things so
instead of a television in the barber shop they would have given instruments
to the people waiting. Music was and still is used to keep people
entertained.
A man who was highly respected would have kept musicians and singers in his
house.