Elizabethan England Flashcards
Name 7 problems facing the Tudor family
- Threats to their power/ control
- Religion (switch between Catholic and Protestant
- Ability to have children
- Succession to the throne
- Jealousy (plots to overthrow them)
- Marriage and political alliances
- Running the country (domestic policy, foreign policy)
Why was the church so powerful?
The Pope controlled every King in Europe, the Roman Catholic Church owned 1/3 of Europe and controlled every element of peoples life
When did Henry VII ascend to the throne?
August 1845
Who did Henry VII marry?
Elizabeth of York (War of Roses)
How many children did Henry VII have?
3 sons, 4 daughters
When did Henry VII die and who succeeded him?
Dies April 1509 when he was succeeded by his son Henry VIII
When did Henry VIII ascend to the throne and how old was he?
April 1509, 17
Who did Henry Henry VIII marry and what happened to them?
Catherine of Aragon (Divorced), Anne Boleyn (Beheaded), Jane Seymour (Died), Anne of Cleves (Divorced), Catherine Howard (Beheaded), Catherine Parr (Survived)
Nuemonic of Henry VIII’s wives?
Can Catherine of Alice Aragon Achieve Anne Brilliant Boleyn Jokes Jane Shit Seymour Alice Anne of Can Cleves Crack Catherine Hundred Howard Cracking Catherine Puns Parr
When did Henry VIII die?
January 1547
Who was Henry VIII succeeded by?
His son, Edward VI
Why did Henry VIII change the church and make himself Head of the Church of England?
Because it allowed him to divorce his wife Catherine and remarry in the hope that she would be able to produce and male heir
What was Edward VI’s religion?
Protestant
Who did Edward VI exclude from being heir in his will when he died of tuberculosis?
Mary I and Elizabeth I
Who did Edward VI make Queen after he died?
Lady Jane Grey (his half-sister)
How old was Edward VI when he became King, and how long did he reign for?
Age 9, reigned for 6 years
Who was Edward VI controlled by?
Powerful Protestant men like the Duke of Northumberland
Who was Lady Jane Grey?
Duke of Northumberland’s daughter in law
How did Lady Jane Grey become Queen?
Edward VI’s will proclaimed her Queen
What happened 9 days after Lady Jane Grey became Queen?
Mary I put her in the tower and accused her of treason, she was executed in 1554
What was Mary I’s religion?
Catholic
How many protestants did Mary I burn?
Over 300
What was Mary I’s nickname?
Bloody Mary
Who did Mary I marry?
Phillip of Spain
Why did Mary want children so badly?
So that her children could be heir, not Elizabeth
Why did Mary I not have any children?
She had multiple miscarriages (Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow..) and it is believed she had ovarian cancer
What was Elizabeth I’s religion?
Protestant
What was Elizabeth I’s nickname and why?
Virgin Queen because she never married
How long did Elizabeth I reign for?
44 years
Why was Elizabeth I the end of the Tudor line?
Because she had no children to succeed her
What was Elizabeth’s relationship with her Father King Henry VIII like?
They lived very separate lives and only met a few times. Even though Henry executed her Mother Anne Boleyn age 2 and he only wanted a boy, Elizabeth still looked up to Henry and loved and admired him.
When was Elizabeth born?
1533
When was Elizabeth’s mother Anne Boleyn executed?
1536
What was Elizabeth’s relationship with her mother Anne Boleyn like?
Anne died when she was only 2, so Elizabeth hardly knew her, but she was often seen as a witch for isolating Elizabeth and exiling her from Court
Who cared for Elizabeth?
Duke of Somerset, until he was executed in 1549 for planning to kill the King
When did Henry VIII die?
1547
What was Elizabeth’s relationship with her half-sister Mary I like?
Elizabeth became Queen because Mary had no children, but Mary hated Elizabeth because her own parents (Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII) marriage broke down because of Anne Boleyn’s pregnancy. She was also suspicious of Elizabeth and hated her beauty and power.
What was Elizabeth’s relationship with her half-brother Edward VI like?
They generally got on well until he became King and very arrogant. However, he feared Elizabeth and made Lady Jane Grey Queen after he died.
How was Elizabeth’s cautious character shaped by her upbringing?
Her Father murdered her Mother Anne Boleyn when she was only 2 years old, this would’ve made her cautious and untrusting of other people
How was Elizabeth’s confidence shaped by her upbringing?
She was often ignored by her Henry and was being cared for by the Duke of Somerset until 1549. She was made to feel unloved and losing her mother and not having contact with her father would’ve made her become more confident and work harder to become Queen.
Who was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester?
PRIVY COUNCIL
Dudley and Elizabeth were childhood friends and Elizabeth was openly in love with him. He was a radical Puritan and in charge of Elizabeth’s safety, he didn’t get on with Cecil (a father figure to Elizabeth) and was also often excluded from Court.
Who was Sir Christopher Hatton?
PRIVY COUNCIL
He was a powerful Protestant with a legal background. Elizabeth promoted him for his dancing in Court.
Who was Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley?
PRIVY COUNCIL
He was a dedicated, devoted Protestant and often described as the Queen’s favourite.
Who was Sir Francis Walsingham?
PRIVY COUNCIL
Dedicated Protestant and excluded from Court at times. He was in charge of any treasonous plots against Elizabeth.
Who decided when the Parliament met?
Elizabeth
What did Elizabeth see Parliament as?
An inconvenient necessity
What were performances?
A social hub for entertainment and political gain. Banquets, musical performances and plays gave an impression of power and money
What were progresses?
Touring around the country with the Court, visiting the homes of the nobility.
What was the Parliament used for?
Called if the monarch needed new laws to be passed or to introduce new laws. IT WAS NOT THEIR ROLE TO GOVERN!
What was the Privy Council?
A group of men whose role it was to advise and direct policy. Elizabeth did not have to take their advice, but they still had considerable powers. They also guided Parliamentary business on behalf of the Queen.
What was patronage?
Showing favouritism by giving men in Court particular jobs, this encouraged competition.
What was the Royal Court?
A mobile household, not confined to one building.
A centre of political power in the Tudor period.
In the Globe Theatre, what was the Gentlemen’s Room?
A section of seating which was on the same level as the balcony costing 2 pence. On the right and left of this, there were boxes for groups of friends or family costing 4 pence.
During The Tempest, what would you have heard if you had sat in The Gentlemen’s Room?
Canon balls rolling around on the roof to create a thunder like effect
In the Globe Theatre, what was ‘The Pit’?
A section of the audience where you paid 1 penny to stand and watch. It held 1000 people and they were usually described as ‘Groundlings’. It was also open to the weather.
In the Globe Theatre, what was The Stage?
Where actors would perform, there were hidden cellar doors which allowed actors to appear or disappear. There was also a wall at the back of the stage called the ‘Frons Scenae’ which allowed access to the ‘Tiring Room’ where actors changed costume.
In the Globe Theatre, what was the Lords Room?
Usually used by musicians and sometimes actors (e.g. Juliet’s balcony), it was the closest to the action and you had to pay 5 pence to sit here, but actors would often make it a memorable experience.
In the Globe Theatre, what were The Heavens?
A room in the theatre with a trapdoor that allowed performers to descend from the ceiling on a rope or a harness
How many people could the Globe Theatre seat?
3000 max.
What did Shakspeare want his plays to do?
Educate people as many were illiterate and therefore couldn’t read books to educate themselves.
How many plays and sonnets did Shakespeare right?
39 plays, 154 sonnets
What % of The Globe did Shakespeare own?
12.5%
The story of how The Globe was built…
1574- James Burbage obtained a license which allowed him and sons to put on plays to wider audiences.
1567- Built The Red Lion
1579- Built The Theatre
1596- City of London refused to allow theatres to be built inside city walls becuase of bad reputation and crime.
Xmas 1596- Burbages and actors dismantled The Theatre during the night and
1599- Rebuilt The Theatre on he south bank of the river Thames and renamed it The Globe Theatre.
The money was shared between Burbages and 4 actors
Who was James Burbage backed by and how did this help?
Backed by The Queen and Robert Dudley, this showed Patronage.
Who was Richard Burbage?
James Burbage’s son and lead actor in The Globe. His most celebrated roles were in Hamlet and Macbeth.
In Medieval times, why was the content of the plays so shocking?
Some religious figures were shown presented as being a drunk fool and there were jokes made about the crucifixion of Jesus. The Church and the Government had no control over the content.
What was the Medieval stage like?
It was a temporary one and was often built in the street or in town squares. This meant that anyone could watch the play and for some mystery plays they even moved around different towns for different scenes.
What were the most famous plays in Medieval times?
The most famous were the ‘mystery plays’ of York, Coventry, Chester and Wakefield.
Who set up the plays in Medieval times?
Guilds, groups of people who shared the same trade or craft, e.g. stonemasons or carpenters.
