QN 1 ) Queen Elizabeth: Shakespeare's Patron
The poet was throughout his life greatly indebted to the patronage and support of royal and noble personages; his royal patrons were Queen Elizabeth and King James I, both of whom greatly loved the drama. Employer- employee relationship.
Shakespeare was ardently attracted to Elizabeth and her Court, and proved a faithful servant to his royal mistress
QN2) Elizabeth I was the queen of England from 1558 to 1603
She became queen at the age of 25
She died on 24 march 1603 (aged 69)
She was a Protestant. This caused her much trouble with other country because of her strong belief.
She had more power than a modern prime minister or president. Often disagreed with the parliament.
QN3) ALLIANCE
ENGLAND + NETHERLANDS
· August 14, 1585 – Queen Elizabeth issues a declaration taking the Netherlands under her protection
· December 8, 1585 – Robert Dudley, 1st earl of Leicester (close friend of Elizabeth) leads the English army to fight The Spanish Forces who are occupying the Netherlands.
· In return, Netherlands helped fight the Spanish Armanda when the English fleet was in peril.
CONFLICTS
Conflict between ENGLAND and SPAIN.
Protestant and Catholic respectively.
· Triumph of England’s new Protestant church angered the King of Spain, Philip II.
· Competition in trade Angle-Spanish War from 1585-1604
· Elizabeth rejected Philip 11’s hand in marriage and cause severe blow to his pride of country
England and Scotland Conflicts.
Protestant and Catholic respectively.
· Elizabeth cancelled a meeting with Mary, Queen of Scots because of Mary’s continued attacks of French Protestants. Mary was imprisoned by Elizabeth.
· Many protestants wanted to replace Queen Elizabeth with Queen Mary, by an assassination plan. But it was foiled and Mary was executed, on 8 February.
IRELAND AND ENGLAND CONFLICTS, previously Catholic, had conflicts with Hugh O’Neill’s ambition to control Ireland and england’s advance on Ireland.
· Ireland + spain, lost. Irish commanders received good terms from the new King, James I.
· Elizabeth tried to eliminate Ireland’s Catholic churches but Ireland resisted, main religion changed into Protestant.
QN4) Portia:
Lead female in Merchant of Venice play.
Heroine who saves the day.
Independent woman.
Strong headed woman
Elizabeth:
Same as Portia.
Tribute paid to Elizabeth who was a patron of Shakespeare’s work
Famous of the defeat of the Spanish Armada
Strong woman like Portia0ol.
Gave England Identity
TOPIC 3
What was personal hygiene like during the Elizabethan era?
Only the wealthy people bathe and use soap. They think that washing their hair is unhealthy
The notion of cleanliness had a different meaning for the Elizabethans. During that period, when Queen Elizabeth ruled and Shakespeare wrote, personal hygiene as we practice it was virtually nonexistent.
- Bathing
- During Elizabethan times, baths were taken about once every couple of weeks by the wealthy and about three times a year for peasants. Washing of hands, wrists, face, teeth and feet were done on a daily basis, generally before a meal. It was considered unhealthy to wash hair often. Hair was styled with lard and lead powder.
- Makeup
- Society women wore pale makeup to make their skin as white as possible and avoid the appearance of being in the sun. They caked lead-based powder on their face, neck, chest and hair and often bathed in wine or milk to improve skin complexion.
- Smell
- Due to the infrequency of bathing, perfumed candles, potpourri and perfume were used to mask offending odors. Wealthy women often carried small silver boxes called vinaigrettes, which contained perfumed sponges. The aristocracy used expensive soap during bathing, and affluent households made their own perfumed soaps to mask odors.
- Sanitation
- Running water was nonexistent during the Elizabethan Age, meaning there were no sewer systems. A chamber pot was used in wealthy homes, while lower-class homes most likely used an outhouse. Waste was usually disposed in a common cesspit. During the early morning, it was most likely thrown out the window on the street. Thus arose the noble notion that a man should walk on the outer part of the sidewalk when strolling with a woman.
- Diet
- Poor diets consisting of sugary candy, which were favored by the wealthy, resulted in rotten teeth. The wealthy feasted on a variety of meats and breads. The lower class subsisted on fish, cheese and bread. Both rich and poor alike ate few fruits and vegetables, resulting in a prevalence of scurvy.
- Recreation?
- Recreation during the Elizabethan Era encompassed spectator/blood sports, team sports, simple games, and individual amusement activities. Queen Elizabeth enjoyed hunting--at age 67 she was occasionally found on horseback loving the "thrill of the chase".
- SPECTATOR/BLOOD SPORTS
- Two sports now considered inhumane were active twice a week in London. These "blood sports" thought by most people today to be too gruesome, cruel and violent, had great appeal for the Elizatethans. Large crowds of both men and women of all classes flocked to see bear baiting or bull baiting , and Elizabeth frequently used it to entertain visiting ambassadors. "The average Elizabethan," writes historian M.St. Clair Byrne, "was not sensitive to the spectacle of physical suffering, either in human beings or in animals." The building shown here on the left was the arena where bear and bull baiting was held.
- Bearbaiting involved a bear tied to a stake by a long rope. The animal was put into a pit where four or five large, fierce dogs call mastiff (or in some cases, lions) were let in for the sole purpose of attacking the confined bear. Any dogs that might survive the bear's retaliation were pulled off just before the bear was killed. The dogs would be considered winners if the large animal was killed, but losers if many of them were disabled that the rest refused to attack. Sometimes apes were used instead of bears.
- Bullbaiting was much the same as Bearbaiting, except that the bull was let into the pit and "worried to death" - teased or hurt until it died. Cockfighting was another popular blood sport. Roosters were fitted with sharp blades on each foot and put into a pit to fight to the death. Fighting cocks were expensive, so it took a well-to-do man to own these birds, but men of all classes came to see and bet on the fights.
- TEAM SPORTS
- Team sports gained in popularity during Elizabeth's reign. They, too, were rough and violent like the sports involving animals. Common men played football (not an ancestor of American football, despite the similarities) received its name not because the ball was kicked but because all the players went on foot. It was extremely violent as there were few rules. Hurling, a combination of hockey and polo, had some players on foot, others on horseback. The object of the game was to strike a ball (with a stick or a club) so that it went over the opponents' goal. Country hurling might match the entire adult male populations of two villages, and the goals might be three or four miles apart. Soccer was also played, but the government frowned upon it since it was the cause of many riots and bloodshed.
- INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES
- Fencing was one of the most popular of sports. Betting was commonplace as one of the contestants might bet that he could hit his opponent a certain number of times. In addition, much time was spent with the sport of hawking - very popular with gentlemen. Training a hawk or a falcon began with the capturing of a wild bird, then taming it by sealing its eyes with needle and thread, then tying the thread back over the head of the bird so that the trainer could open and close the bird's eyes at will. The temporary blinding made it very easy to train the hawk or falcon to hunt other birds. Bells were attached to the birds legs so that the trainer could keep track of its whereabouts.
- SIMPLE GAMES
- The game of BOWLS refers to a popular Elizabethan game in which a small "bowl," or ball (called a jack) was used as a mark at the end of a green lawn. The players roll their bowls toward the jack, and the one coming closest to it would be the winner. When a bowl touched a jack, it was said to "kiss" it. The bowl was not perfectly round - rather lopsided to make the ball curve in a haphazard way.
- And if you are bored with these popular amusements, perhaps you might find more interesting things to do. Many Elizabethans occupied their time with various activities.
- Of course, the Elizabethan Era being the time of Shakespeare, going to the theatre was always an option. Attending the most well-known, The Globe Theatre was an adventure in itself. Many of Shakespeare's plays (he acted in some of them) were performed at this magnificient theatre.
- 5. Accommodation:
- Rich had country mansions
- Tudor manors were remodelled to be lived in
- The poor lived in ghettos in mud houses within the towns and cities
- In London, the rich lived in the West while the poor lived in the East, where modern day Fleet Street is
- 6. Dressing
Bright colours, elaborate trimmings, and excessive padding are the most notable characteristics of Elizabethan dress. Padding was so full that all outward semblance to the human form was completely lost, both to men and to women.
TOPIC 4
- What was Venice like during the 15th and 16th century? Comment especially on its demographics and culture.
Venice in the 14th and 15th century was fighting and acquiring islands and various territories on the way to the Middle East. Venice started declining in the 16th century after various attacks like the Kingdoms of France and Spain. However, Venice flourished and was an important trading centre and art centre due to its stable political climate. There were over a 100000 people living in Venice in the 15th and 16th century. Venetian craftsmen produced various decorative arts, including sculptures, lace, glassworks, paintings and ceramics. Merchants traded wool and silk and various other products. At the beginning of the 16th century, theatres appeared and were welcomed. Groups of actors performed in the houses of nobles and even they charged admission.
- Why was Venice important during the 15th and 16th century?
Venice was a centre for Renaissance culture in the 15th and 16th century. Architecture, art, music and literature flourished in Venice. The printing of books in the Italian language was initiated in Venice and contributed to the Italian Renaissance. The Venetian School polychoral compositions were famous throughout Europe in the late 16th century. Trading was also very important in Venice as it was along one of the main trading routes during the Renaissance. More is mentioned in my response to the previous question.
- What was the dominant religion in Venice? How were Jews treated and regarded? The dominant religion in Venice was Roman Catholicism. Jews were evicted from England in the 1290s and were forced out of many countries in Europe in the 15th and 16th century. They were allowed in only certain countries like Venice because they had value and were beneficial to the country. Jews were discriminated by the Christians in the 16th century in Europe, especially in England and Venice. Christians saw Jews as a threat to Christianity and that they were inferior and were excluded from society. In Venice, Jews were restricted from working in certain sectors like in manufacturing. They were not allowed to be bankers, lawyers, doctors or merchants and could only be moneylenders, which were important to the Venetian economy. However, in 1516, there was a set up of a Jewish ghetto in Venice where several thousands of Jews were crammed into the small walled area and were restricted from moving to other parts of the city.
- How is Venice a choice setting for the plot of this play?
Though William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon never visited Venice, other candidates for Shakespeare authorship including de Vere did visit Italy. The personal travels to Venice allowed Shakespeare to gain a better understanding of life in Venice. The Merchant of Venice had to be set in a place where Jews were allowed, and could not be in countries where Jews were forbidden to live in (most countries in Europe). Venice, however, allowed Jews and there were many instances where those who borrowed from Jewish moneylenders fail to repay their loans. Trading was also common in Venice with Antonio being the merchant. References: Westland Network. Venice History. http://www.westland.net/venice/history.htm (26/6/2011) Esaak, S. The Renaissance in Venice – Art History 101 Basics. About.com http://arthistory.about.com/cs/arthistory10one/a/ven_ren.htm (26/6/2011) History of Venice. History World. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=gii (26/6/2011) The Renaissance Secret Team. (29 March 2005). The Jewish Ghetto of Renaissance Venice. open2.net http://www.open2.net/historyandthearts/history/venice_ghetto.html (26/6/2011)
Topic 5
- Why was there such animosity between Jews and Christians?
The Jews and the Christians got off with a bad start with the Jews trying to exterminate the Christians. This was shown in the Acts and the letters of Paul. But, the Jews failed to exterminate the Christians, which led the Christians to treat the Jews badly. It was to the point of the Christians, just giving the Jews enough to survive. This resulted in the animosity between the Christians and the Jews. A couple more reasons to add on to this animosity would be theological differences, competition between Church and Synagogue, the Christian drive for converts.
- What was the dominant religion in England and Venice in the 15th and 16th century?
The dominant religion in England during the 15th century were the Catholics frist then it changed to the Christians. Venice dominant religion would be the Jews.
- In what ways did the Christians discriminate against Jews in 15th and 16th century Europe?
In the 15th and 16th century, Jews were expelled from many countries. Such examples are:
Descrimination:
-In 1396, 100,000 Jews were expelled from France
-In 1421 thousands were expelled from Austria. Many of the expelled Jews fled to Poland
-Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion from Spain in 1492,
-The expulsion from Portugal in 1497,
-various pogroms, the Dreyfus Affair,
-the Holocaust by Nazi Germany.
-In countries that did not ban Jews from their country, were heavily discriminated and they had many restrictions. They were only limited to jobs, land ownership and residential areas that made them seem inferior from the other citizens.
Persecution:
As the Black Death epidemics devastated Europe in the mid-14th century, annihilating more than a half of the population, Jews were taken as scapegoats. Rumors spread that they caused the disease by deliberately poisoning wells. Hundreds of Jewish communities were destroyed by violence
In Moorish Spain, ibn Hazm and Abu Ishaq focused their anti-Jewish writings on the latter allegation. This was also the chief motivation behind the 1066 Granada massacre, when "[m]ore than 1,500 Jewish families, numbering 4,000 persons, fell in one day", and in Fez in 1033, when 6,000 Jews were killed. There were further massacres in Fez in 1276 and 1465.
What was the dominant religion in England and Venice in the 15th and 16th century?
It was Roman Catholiscism
Why was there such animosity between Jews and Christians?
There were a few reasons for the strong believe in anti-semitism.
1) The Jews were seen a threat to Christianity and were often prejudiced against and discriminated for many centuries. The New Testament rejected Judaism and criticized the Jews which led to further hatred and hostility between the two religions. In addition, rulers often prosecuted and exiled Jews as they were seen as threats to the political stability of the nation.
2) Jews were also discriminated for their political and economical status. Many countries were unhappy about what the
In the 15th and 16th century, Jews were expelled and restricted in many countries across Europe, including England, Spain, Austria and Portugal. In countries which allowed Jews, they were forced to live in a certain part of the city (ghettos) and could only engage in certain occupations that were deemed as socially inferior, like tax and rent collecting, peddling and money lending. Jews were forbidden to own land and had restrictions on dress. In what ways did the Christians discriminate against Jews in 15th and 16th century Europe?
In the 15th and 16th century, Jews were expelled from many countries. Such examples are:
Descrimination:
-In 1396, 100,000 Jews were expelled from France
-In 1421 thousands were expelled from Austria. Many of the expelled Jews fled to Poland
-Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion from Spain in 1492,
-The expulsion from Portugal in 1497,
-various pogroms, the Dreyfus Affair,
-the Holocaust by Nazi Germany.
-In countries that did not ban Jews from their country, were heavily discriminated and they had many restrictions. They were only limited to jobs, land ownership and residential areas that made them seem inferior from the other citizens.
Persecution:
As the Black Death epidemics devastated Europe in the mid-14th century, annihilating more than a half of the population, Jews were taken as scapegoats. Rumors spread that they caused the disease by deliberately poisoning wells. Hundreds of Jewish communities were destroyed by violence
In Moorish Spain, ibn Hazm and Abu Ishaq focused their anti-Jewish writings on the latter allegation. This was also the chief motivation behind the 1066 Granada massacre, when "[m]ore than 1,500 Jewish families, numbering 4,000 persons, fell in one day", and in Fez in 1033, when 6,000 Jews were killed. There were further massacres in Fez in 1276 and 1465.
What was the dominant religion in England and Venice in the 15th and 16th century?
It was Roman Catholiscism
Topic 6
In what sort of building were Shakespeare's plays performed? - central part had no roof
- depended on sunlight- no electricity
- contained stage and yard
- like a mini football stadium-circular
- audience who paid higher prices get to sit on the seats around the stage 2-3 stories higher up
- above back of stage contained machinery
- trapdoors were used to walk in and out
How did the physical constraints of the theatre affect the language of Shakespeare's plays?
have to describe the scenes vividly because of open air.
What sort of people acted in plays? What sort of people went to see them?
actors and young actors. Women were not deemed fit for work in the theatre
How was "The Theatre" viewed by Elizabethan society?
the authorities of London disliked the public performance of plays. However the Queen was a frequent patron of the plays.
Compare the modern-day Globe Theatre in London with the theatres that Shakespeare worked in.
