2. Elizabethan England
• Known as the English Renaissance (rebirth)
• England was ruled by Queen Elizabeth I , daughter of
King Henry VIII, from 1533-1603.
• The Queen had a love for theater and the arts, so
during this period, the arts (poetry, plays, painting,
etc.) flourished.
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3. Life in the Elizabethan Era
Clothing/Fashion
• Certain fabrics, textures, and colors of clothing indicated
which social class a person was a part of.
• If a person dressed out of his/her social class, they would be
punished because it was against the law.
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4. Life in the Elizabethan Era
Marriages
• A woman didn’t choose
husband.
• Marriages were usually arranged
by the families of the bride and
the groom in order for both sides
to benefit from one another.
• Once married, women had
practically no rights; they could
not work outside the home.
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5. Life in the Elizabethan Era
Health
• Many members of a family,
often 48 people, would live in
the same room.
• There was no sanitation, no
indoor plumbing, no concept of
germs or sterilization.
• The streets were filled with
waste, both human and animal.
• There were two outbreaks of the
Bubonic Plague
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6. Life in the Elizabethan Era
Other interesting facts:
• Only boys were allowed to attend formal education
• Going to the dentist was deadly
• Punishment for crimes was VERY harsh
– Robbers would have limbs cut off by a saw, have fingers torn off,
eyes dug out with hot pinchers, or death sentence
– Women gossips had sharp device put in mouth and, with any
movement, the tongue would be cut or damaged
– For adultery, one would be attached to stool and continuously
dunked under water until death
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7. Life in the Elizabethan Era
• The lower class would bathe a couple times A YEAR, and the
upper class bathed once every couple of weeks.
• Instead of toilet paper, clumps of grass or hay was used.
• Pale skin was considered beautiful, so they avoided the sun.
• A high forehead was a sign of intelligence, so many women
would shave a portion on top of their head.
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8. William Shakespeare
• The most famous
playwright of all time
• Born: 1564 in Stratford
uponAvon; Died: 1616
• At 18, he married 26 year
old Anne Hathaway
• Had 3 children, one of
which died at 11
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9. William Shakespeare
• 1585 – 1592 were considered
his lost years. No one knew
of his whereabouts.
• By 1592, he had become well
known in London theatrical
circles.
• In his lifetime Shakespeare
wrote 37 plays
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10. William Shakespeare
Types of Plays
• 1. comedy – a funny problem
that occurs that must be fixed by
the end of the play
• 2. history – a retelling of the
history of England
• 3. tragedy
a. a hero has a high position
b. hero falls (causes his own
fall)
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11. The Globe Theatre
• Famous theatre of the time
• Plays were held at 2:00
pm because there was no
lighting in the theaters.
And in good weather
because it had no roof
• Few props were used;
language focused on
imagery
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12. The Globe Theatre
• Both poor and rich
people alike attended plays
in Shakespeare’s time.
• It had several levels of
seating
– Lowest level, or pit, was
the cheapest; the
“groundlings” stood here
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13. The Globe Theatre
• During this time, women
were NOT allowed to be
actors
• ALL roles were played by
men/boys
• The character of Juliet
would have been played by
a boy
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14. The Globe Theatre
• In the 1590s, the theaters
had to close a few times due
to outbreaks of the Plague
• Germs were EASILY
spread at the theaters
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15. Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
“Starcrossed lovers”
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16. Romeo and Juliet
• The play is set in
Verona, Italy
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17. Juliet’s Balcony
• Although Juliet is a fictional
character, this actual building in
Verona (built around the 13th century)
is said to have been the home to a
prominent family in Italy back then.
The Capuleti was a family that
actually existed, and some believe that
Shakespeare based his fictional family,
the Capulets, on them.
• Pictured here is Juliet’s balcony. Some
couples even get married there today.
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18. Basics of Romeo and Juliet
• Written around 1595
• Involves two major families
who hate each other
• Entire play takes place over
5 days
• Fate of Romeo and Juliet is
given at the beginning of
play
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19. Romeo and Juliet - Characters
The Montagues The Capulets
• Romeo first loves Rosaline; sees Juliet • Juliet – daughter of Capulet; happy,
and forgets Rosaline. innocent girl who loves Romeo
• Lord Montague Romeo’s father • Lord and Lady Capulet Juliet’s
• Lady Montague Romeo’s mother parents
• Benvolio nephew of Montague and • Tybalt Juliet’s cousin; likes to fight
friend of Romeo • Nurse Juliet’s nanny and friend
• Balthasar servant of Romeo • Peter servant to the Nurse
• Abram servant of Montague; enjoys • Sampson and Gregory – servants
fighting with Capulets
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20. Romeo and Juliet - Characters
The Others
•Prince Escalus ruler of Verona; tired of the fighting in the
city and threatens anyone who disturbs the peace with death
•Mercutio relative of the prince and friend of Romeo (sides
with Montague); serves as comic relief
•Friar Laurence a Franciscan priest; helps Romeo and
Juliet; good man
•Friar John another Franciscan priest
•Count Paris a young nobleman and relative of the prince
(sides with Capulet); Juliet’s parents arrange for her to marry
him
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