9 - Education And Leisure Flashcards
What sports and hobbies were common in Elizabethan England?
- Inns and taverns were an important part of everyday life for the lower classes
- Tobacco was increasingly popular, although expensive
- Gambling on the outcome of sports such as bear-baiting, cock-fighting and racing was popular
- Archery and fishing were popular at all levels of society; the working class and poor (the fourth sort) often took part in wrestling, running and football. The upper class preferred tennis, fencing and bowls
- Hunting
- Storytelling
- Nobles enjoyed household musicians, gentry bought songbooks and organised musical evenings, and the working class and poor would sing ballads (romantic song)
This information was recorded in a book by a churchman from Essex, William Harrison, in the 1570s
Why were the theatres located on the outskirts of the City of London?
- There were often outbreaks of the plague in the 16th Century, so the monarchy and government did not want theatres in the centre of the City of London
How was the theatre seating arranged?
- In the theatre, the poor people would stand in the pit and could be exposed to rain, this was close up to the stage.
- Slightly richer people would sit under the cover and higher up, to have a better view and to avoid the rain
- The most noble visitors would sit elevated behind the stage, this was not the best view but was good for recognition as the audience would spot and take notice of who was sitting in this place. The Earl of Leicester would often visit the theatre and sit here.
This suggests that there was a clear hierarchy in society at the time, although all social classes loved the theatre
How had theatres developed by the start of Elizabeth’s reign?
- Theatres had not developed much since the Romans had introduced them a thousand years before.
- At the start of Elizabeth’s reign, groups of actors would travel around to public places and perform shows on temporary platforms. Many people hated these actors as they believed they were vagabonds.
How did theatres develop during Elizabeth’s reign?
- The first theatre, ‘The Theatre’ was built by James Burbage in 1576, this was followed by ‘The Curtain’ in 1577 and ‘The Rose in 1587.
- The theatres were built due to the financial backing of nobles such as the Earl of Leicester and survived because wealthy traders and manufacturers had money to watch the shows
- Elizabethan playwrights wrote some of the most famous plays ever written
Why was there opposition to the theatre, and who from?
- Some Elizabethans opposed the theatre because they thought it would encourage idleness, spread disease and create unrest. Puritans believed the theatre was the work of the devil
How did Elizabeth control the plays produced by theatres?
- Elizabeth was worried that the theatre could spread religious or political messages, so censorship was introduced
- All acting companies had to have a royal license and submitted plans to the Master of Rebels, who were responsible for coordinating all theatric entertainment at court, before they were performed.
Why did the majority of children not go to school?
The majority of people in Elizabethan England did not go to school because their families were too poor and could not afford to send them to school. This was often due to starvation, taxation, war or disease
As a result, only 30% of men were literate and less than 10% of women were literate
Why did Protestants want their population to be literate?
This is so the public would be able to read Protestant prayers from the Bible in church, as well as other Protestant teachings
What different types of schools were present in Elizabethan England?
Hardly any schooling was free, nearly all schools in England charged fees. Mostly boys from richer families would be educated but smart boys from lower classes could go to grammar school and even university if they had/were given financial support.
- Parish/petty schools (4-7 years old): Young children were taught to read and write as preparation for moving onto a grammar school. These schools would often be attached to grammar schools, so students may be taught by older pupils. Mostly boys attended, with a few girls from the upper class
- Grammar Schools (7-15 years old): 72 Grammar Schools were founded in Elizabeth’s reign, and the main subjects taught were Greek and Latin, as the study of classics was thought to encourage intellectual, personal or spiritual growth. Arithmetic would also be taught
- Public schools (7 -15 years old): These were fee-paying boarding schools set up for boys from the highest classes. All lessons were taught in Latin and the curriculum included many aspects of the grammar school curriculum, but there was more emphasis on conduct, courtesy and etiquette which were necessary to produce gentlemen destined for careers in court
What was university like in Elizabethan England?
- At university, all degrees involved grammar, rhetoric (developing arguments) and logic with compulsory lectures in maths, music, theology, astronomy and geometry.
- After this, an undergraduate would specialise, most chose law, as this was the traditional route into professions for boys from non-noble classes.
- After completing university, the graduates would be distinguishable from the lower class, as they could speak and write ‘proper English’, had knowledge of French and Latin, and would also have learned the correct social etiquette (table manners and how to dance)
- Under Elizabeth, the number of students entering Oxford and Cambridge increased greatly, as people of all classes started to understand the importance of education in reaching the top
What alternatives were available to school and university?
- Some of the nobility would be educated at home by a private tutor until the age of 15, and then go to university, and some were educated at home until a younger age, and then went to a public school. Daughters would also be educated at home, most higher class women were able to read and write
- Some of the lower class would be taught to read and write at their place of work, and in the case of servants and apprentices, they would most likely live there too.
What higher education option was available after university?
After university, some students would have gone to the Inns of Court, which taught English Literature, History, and Law as well as teaching people how to succeed in court. This was a form of higher education.
