Renaissance

• What is literacy defined as in the context of Elizabeth's reign?

  The ability to read and write
• How did literacy rates change for males during Elizabeth I's reign?

  Literacy for males rose from 20% to 30%
• What was the literacy rate for females during Elizabeth I's reign?

  Literacy for females stayed at 20%
• Where were children taught about behavior and religion?

  At home
• What was the next step for children after being taught at home?

  They went to Sunday school
• How did the education of rich and poor children differ?

  Rich children had private tutors, poor learned manual labor
• What did petty schools teach?

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Maths
• What was notable about the curriculum in petty schools?

  There was no official curriculum
• How were students organized in petty schools?

  There were no classes or year groups
• Who often ran petty schools?

  Wealthy people or local priests
• What was the focus of the curriculum in grammar schools?

  Latin, Greek, literature, history, religion, rhetoric
• What was required for boys to attend grammar schools?

  They had to be especially bright
• Where did the best male students from grammar schools go?

  To Cambridge and Oxford
• In what language were all studies at Oxbridge conducted?

  Latin
• Who was the leading playwright of the Elizabethan age?

  William Shakespeare
• What was the Globe Theatre known for?

  Performing many new plays each year
• What was the profession of actors during Elizabeth's reign?

  Male-only profession
• Who was a particularly famous actor of the time?

  Richard Burbage
• What was the name of Shakespeare's theatre troupe?

  Shakespeare’s Lord Chamberlain’s Men
• What characterized Elizabethan theatres?

  • First permanent theatres built
  • Rich and poor attended same performances
  • Rich sat in covered galleries, poor in the pit
  • Stage decorated with scenery and 'heavens'
• Why was the theatre popular among the public?

  It was affordable, exciting, and social
• What political messages did many plays carry?

  Hidden critiques of the ruling classes
• Where was the Globe Theatre built?

  In the City of Southwark
• Why was the construction of theatres opposed?

  They were said to encourage crime and disruption
• What did Puritans believe about the theatre?

  It distracted people from prayer and was sinful
• What was a concern regarding large crowds at theatres?

  They could lead to the spread of disease
• What dangers were associated with theatres?

  Audience members were often drunk and crimes occurred
• What political issue was discussed in the 1560s?

  Elizabeth's marriage and future succession
• What was the play Gorboduc about?

  It showed the terrible future of an unsettled succession
• What is debated about the Elizabethan era regarding the arts?

  • Was it a 'Golden Age' for the arts?
  • Different opinions on the quality of art vs. music
• How was music regarded under Elizabeth I's patronage?

  It was world-class in England
• What instrument was Elizabeth I particularly skilled at?

  The lute and virginals
• Who did Elizabeth I commission to compose music for the Chapel Royal?

  William Byrd
• How do historians view art in Elizabethan England compared to music?

  Art was not as impressive as music
• How did Elizabeth I engage with art?

  She rarely commissioned her own portraits
• What were portraits often used for in Elizabethan England?

  To communicate Elizabeth I's power
• What was central to the religious experience in Elizabethan England?

  Congregational singing
• What was contentious among Protestant reformers regarding music?

  The amount of music in services
• What attempt was made in 1562 regarding music in churches?

  To ban organs
• What was the popularity of the Psalms written by Sternhold and Hopkins?

  They were very popular