Popular Culture

• Some Elizabethan pastimes, including tennis, fencing, football and the theatre, are still popular today.
• What role did hunting play in court life during Elizabeth's reign?

  It was entertainment and a food source
• Why was hunting considered important for the court?

  It provided food and entertainment for the court
• What skill did Elizabeth possess related to hunting?

  She was skilled at hawking
• Who could afford to train falcons during Elizabeth's time?

  Only the rich could afford to train falcons
• What sports did Elizabeth's courtiers practice from a young age?

  Fencing, tennis, and bowls
• Why were tennis and bowls only played by the rich?

  They required expensive equipment to play
• How many days a week did most ordinary people work?

  Six days a week
• What were the festival days that allowed ordinary people leisure time?

  Midsummer's day and Ascension day
• What activities did people enjoy on festival days?

  Sports, feasting, and other pastimes
• What was a popular sport played between villages?

  Football
• How were football games characterized during Elizabeth's time?

  They often descended into long and violent fights
• What type of blood sports were popular during this period?

  Cockfighting and bull or bear-baiting
• What was the nature of blood sports like cockfighting?

  They were very popular among the people
• What became very popular later in Elizabeth's reign?

  Theatre
• What was the state of theatres in England at the start of Elizabeth's reign?

  There were no permanent theatres
• Where did actors perform before permanent theatres were built?

  In village squares or inn courtyards
• When were the first theatres built in London?

  In the 1570s
• What were the characteristics of the first theatres built in London?

  Round, open-air buildings with a raised stage
• Name two of the first theatres built in London.

  The Theatre and The Curtain
• Who were the poorer audience members at the theatre called?

  Groundlings
• How did the seating arrangement differ between rich and poor audience members?

  Poor stood at the stage, rich sat under cover
• What was Elizabeth's attitude towards plays?

  She enjoyed them and supported performances
• What was the name of the acting company set up by Elizabeth?

  The Queen's Men
• Who supported theatre companies besides Elizabeth?

  Members of the elite, including Privy Councillors
• Why did the London authorities and Puritans oppose the theatre?

  They saw it as a source of crime and immorality
• Where were many theatres built as a result of opposition?

  Just outside the City of London in Southwark
• What was a significant cultural output during the Elizabethan era?

  Lots of plays were written
• Name three famous Elizabethan playwrights.

  William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Johnson
• How did Elizabethans' attitudes towards witches change?

  They became more hostile towards witches
• What did Elizabeth ban that affected beliefs about witches?

  She banned Catholic rituals like charms and exorcisms
• How did the ban on Catholic rituals affect Elizabethans' feelings?

  It made them feel more vulnerable
• What did people believe about witches' actions?

  They acted on the Devil's orders
• What significant law did Elizabeth pass in 1562 regarding witchcraft?

  She passed the Witchcraft Act
• What were the consequences for witches found guilty of causing death?

  They would be hanged
• What was the punishment for less serious offences like providing herbal remedies?

  They carried a prison sentence of one year
• Who were typically accused of witchcraft?

  Usually older women who didn't fit into society
• What types of women were often accused of witchcraft?

  Mothers with illegitimate children and spinsters
• When did formal accusations against witches peak?

  At the end of the 16th century
• How many people were accused of being witches between 1570 and 1609?

  263 people were accused