ELIZABETHAN/SHAKESP

EAREAN THEATRE

a presentation by
Anthony Chaptini

ELIZABETHAN ERA LIFE

Daily life in Elizabethan England varied according to status and
location.
It was the time of the Renaissance - new ideas in science and
literature and all aspects of Elizabethan Daily life.
Changes in agriculture during the Elizabethan period led to people
leaving the countryside and their village life to search for
employment in the towns.
Village life was changing and the movement towards town life
started during the Elizabethan era.

ELIZABETHAN ERA LIFE

The Medieval Feudal system* had broken down.
**The political and economic system of the Middle Ages, in which
powerful lords owned and governed local districts and the people of
their districts served their lords under bonds of loyalty.
Outbreaks of the plague had reduced the population - peasants
had an increased income for their labour.

ELIZABETHAN ERA LIFE

There were opportunities for young Englishmen to become
apprentices and learn a trade which would bring them a good
standard of living.
A wealthy werchant class was emerging in England.
Elizabethan daily life provided many opportunities which had been
denied to previous generations.

CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL
CLASSES
The Monarch: The era called the Elizabethan England was a time of many
changes and developments and was also considered as the Golden Age in
English history. This era was led by Queen Elizabeth I, the sixth and last ruler
of Tudor.
Nobility: These people were rich and powerful, and they have large
households. The real growth in society was in the merchant class. Within the
nobility class there was a distinction between old families and new. Most of the
old families were Catholic, and the new families were Protestant. During
Shakespeares time there were only about 55 noble families in England. At the
head of each noble family is a duke, a baron or an earl. This class is the lords
and ladies of the land. A person becomes a member of nobility by birth, or by
a grant from the queen or king. Noble titles were hereditary, passing from
father to oldest son.

CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL
CLASSES
Gentry: The Gentry class included knights, squires, gentlemen, and
gentlewomen who did not work with their hands for a living. Their
numbers grew during Queen Elizabeths reign and became the most
important social class in England. Wealth was the key to becoming a part
of the gentry class. This class was made of people not born of noble birth
who by acquiring large amounts of property became wealthy landowners.
Merchant: The Tudor era saw the rise of modern commerce with cloth
and weaving leading the way. The prosperity of the wool trade led to a
surge in building and the importance cannot be overstated. Shipping
products from England to various ports in Europe and to the New World
also became a profitable business for the merchants.

CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL
CLASSES
Yeomanry: This was the class who saved enough to live comfortably
but through illness or bad luck be plunged into povrty. This class
included the farmers, tradesmen and craft workers. They took
religion very seriously and could read and write. This class of people
was prosperous and sometimes their wealth could exceed those of
the gentry, but the difference was how they spent their wealth. The
yeomans were content to live more simply, using their wealth to
improve their land and expand it.
Laborers: Artisans, shoemakers, carpenters, brick masons and all
those who worked with their hands belonged to this class of society.
In this class we can also put our great swarms of idle serving-men
and beggars. Under Queen Elizabeth I, the government undertook
the job of assisting the laborers class and the result was the famous
Elizabethan Poor Laws which resulted in one of the worlds first
government sponsored welfare programs.

THEN AND NOW

Elizabethan Theatre

Modern Theatre

Acting was not a highly paid or highly respected

profession.Actors were seen as vagrant troublemakers who
promoted hard living and sin.

Acting is a very highly paid profession that

manypeoplerespect and appreciate.

In the 16th century, actors traveled from town to town on a

cart, looking for audiences to pay to watch them
perform.Playhouses were not constructed in London until
1576.

Theater houses are set up in a permanent location.They often

stay open for decades and become part of a community.

Because acting was not a respected profession, women were

not allowed to act until after 1660. Teenage boys who hadn't
gone through puberty would play the roles of women.

Both men and women are allowed to act on stage or

inmovies. Men and women may also play opposite gender
roles.

Poor people called the groundlings, or penny knaves, were

famous for their love of plays.They would pay one penny to
stand in front of the stage in an area called the open yard or
the pit.

Typically going to a play is associated with the wealthyor the

intellectual. Tickets are usually considered moreexpensive for
the average person.

THEN AND NOW

Elizabethan Theatre

Modern Theatre

Going to a play was a lively event.Groundlings would

frequently talk, yell, and even throw during the play. If the
audience liked or did not like the play or the actors, the
groundlings would let everyone in the theater know it.

Going to a play is a more serious event. Audiences

areexpected to be silent during the viewing of a play.
Audiences are reminded several times to be respectful and
quiet.

The most expensive seats in a theater were the in the top row
of the theater, farthest from the audience.The cheap seats
were directly in front of the stage, although people in this area
stood. Rich people would want to have the most segregated
and exclusive seats in the theater, away from the rowdy, poor
people.

Some of the most expensive seats in a modern theaterare the

orchestra seats, which are directly in front of the stage.The
cheapest seats are in the back of the theater because
theyhave the worst view of the stage.

People expected to see a new play everyday in theaters.This

meant many actors and playwrights were employed to meet
the demands of audiences.

A theater will show the same play for a muchlonger time.

Modern playhouses can run a play for weeks,months, and
even years.

Most plays were seen at two o'clock in the afternoon.

Although there are still afternoon matinees for theaters, the

most popular showings are typically seen at night.

ELIZABETHAN ACTING
TROUPES
Earl of Leicester's Men Elizabethan Acting Troupe
The Earl of Leicester's Men were the earliest organized Elizabethan acting company. Formed in 1572
from members of the Earl of Leicester's household, the troupe performed at court the following year.
The Earl of Leicester was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth and the company was granted a license by
royal patent. In 1576 James Burbage, a member of the troupe, built The Theatre to stage their
productions. With the death of the Earl of Leicester in 1588, the troupe merged with Lord Strange's
Men.
Lord Strange's Men Elizabethan Acting Troupe
The troupe of Lord Strange was made up from members of the household of Lord Strange, they
toured the provinces before appearing at court in 1582. From 1588 to 1594 they were associated
with the Admiral's Men. The troupe performed at The Theatre and at the Rose Theatre, where they
are believed to have staged several of Shakespeare's plays. Upon the death of Lord Strange in 1594,
the group left London to perform in the provinces. Some members, however, joined the
Chamberlain's Men.

ELIZABETHAN ACTING
TROUPES
Chamberlain's Men leading to the King's Men Elizabethan Acting troupe
Chamberlain's Men were the most important company of players in Elizabethan England. Between
1564 and 1567 this acting troupe was initially known as known as Hunsdon's Men, whose patron was
Henry Carey, first Lord Hunsdon. After their patron's death in 1596, the company was given to his
son, George Carey. Once more it was known as Hunsdon's Men, until their new patron himself took
office as Lord Chamberlain in 1597. It was again known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men, until the
accession of James I in March 1603, when, by letters patent, it was henceforth known as the King's
Men.
Admiral's Men Acting Troupe
Between 1576 and 1579 they were known as Lord Howard's Men after their patron Charles Howard.
In 1585, when Lord Howard became England's Lord High Admiral, the company changed its name to
the Admiral's Men. The chief actor of the Admiral's Men was Edward Alleyn; their manager and
employer until his death in 1616 was Philip Henslowe whose diary, covering the years 1592 to 1603,
documents the Elizabethan theatre and its organization. Once considered the finest Elizabethan
theatrical company, the Admiral's Men began to decline with the rise of the Chamberlains and by
1631 the company had disbanded.

ACTING TROUPES LAWS

AND LICENSING
Elizabethans were prohibited by Law to wear any clothing
which was above their social standing - these were called
the Sumptuary Laws. Many Elizabethan plays were about
Kings and the nobility but actors were restricted to wear
any clothes which might convey this high status. The
Queen herself enjoyed this form of entertainment so a
clause was written into the Sumptuary Laws. This was
another reason for the formation of the Elizabethan Acting
troupes who were sponsored by the nobility!
Licenses were granted to the aristocracy for the
maintenance of troupes of players, who might at any time
be required to show their credentials. Thus the Elizabethan
Acting Troupes were formed. The movement of actors were
therefore regulated.

REFERENCE
The Shakespearean Stage by Andrew Gurr
wikiediea.org
google.com
images.google.com
elizabethan-era.org.uk