Elizabeth: sports, pastimes and the theatre

Question 1

name 4 Elizabethan pastimes that are still popular today

Answer 1

tennis, fencing, football and the theatre

Question 2

what was the royal court?

Answer 2

a large group of people who surrounded the Queen at all times. Over 1000 people attended the court, including Elizabeth’s personal servants, members of the privy council, nobles, ambassadors and other foreign visitors

Question 3

name five pastimes that were enjoyed by Elizabeth and her courtiers

Answer 3

1. hunting dear and otherr wild animals
2. hawking
3. fencing
4. tennis
5. bowls

Question 4

why did Elizabeth and her courtiers often hunt deer and other wild animals?

Answer 4

as well as being a form of entertainment, hunting was an important source of food for the court.

Question 5

who practised hawking and why?

Answer 5

The rich - training falcons was an expensive process, which only the rich could afford. the Queen was skilled at hawking, spending many hours with her trained falcons as they hunted.

Question 6

who took part in fencing?

Answer 6

Elizabeth’s courtiers and other noblemen were expected to be skilled at fencing - they practised from a young age.

Question 7

who were tennis and bowls played by?

Answer 7

they were becoming increasingly popular, but these sports required expensive equipment, so they were only played by the rich

Question 8

what did ordinary people do for leisure activities?

Answer 8

1. most people worked six days a week and went to church on Sundays, so they had very little leisure time. However, there were several festival days in the calendar, including Midsummer’s day and Ascension day. On these days, people were free to enjoy sports, feasting and other pastimes
2. football was a popular sport, often played between two villages. An unlimited number of players could participate, and there were few rules. As a result, games often descended into long and violent fights
3. blood sports like cockfighting and bull- or bear-baiting were also very popular. People would gamble on the outcome of the fights

Question 9

when did the theatre become very popular?

Answer 9

later in Elizabeth’s reign

Question 10

what was used instead of theatres in England at the start of Elizabeth’s reign? why?

Answer 10

there were no permanent theatres in England at the start of Elizabeth’s reign. Instead, companies of actors travelled around, performing in village squares or the courtyards of inns.

Question 11

when and where were the first theatres built?

Answer 11

the first theatres were built in London in the 1570s. They included the Theatre and The Curtain.

Question 12

what were the first theatres like?

Answer 12

they were usually round, open-air buildings with a raised stage that stretched out into the audience

Question 13

how did the theatre appeal to both the rich and the poor?

Answer 13

poorer audience members, known as groundlings, stood around the stage, while richer people sat under cover around the theatre’s walls

Question 14

why were many theatres built just outside the City of London in Southwark?

Answer 14

The London authorities and the Puritans opposed the theatre because they saw it as a source of crime and immorality

Question 15

what was Elizabeth’s view on theatre?

Answer 15

Elizabeth enjoyed plays and often had them performed at court. She supported her favourite performers and even set up an acting company, The Queen’s Men

Question 16

why was support from the elite essential to the development of Elizabethan theatre?

Answer 16

acting companies relied on members of the elite to fund or promote their performances and protect them from opponents of the theatre. Two of the most important Elizabethan companies, The Admiral’s Men and The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (William Shakespeare’s company), were supported by members of the privy council.