The Elizabethan Age (1558 - 1603) - Popular Entertainment

Question 1

What was bull baiting?

Answer 1

Used dogs as bait
Rope tied around base of horns to stake
Dogs were set free one by one to fight the bull
Cheap, gambling, violence

Question 2

What was bear baiting?

Answer 2

Used angry dogs as bait
Bear chained to wooden stake
Bet on which dog would survive longest
Cheap, gambling violence

Question 3

What was cock fighting?

Answer 3

Between a single pair of birds
Sometimes as many as twenty would fight until one was left
In a cockfighting pit
Cheap, gambling, violence

Question 4

What entertainment did the rich participate in?

Answer 4

Hawking
Hunting
Dancing
Music
Ball games

Question 5

What entertainment did the poor participate in?

Answer 5

Football, tennis, lawn bowls

Question 6

Who enjoyed music and singing?

Answer 6

Form of home entertainment as many people could play a musical instrument e.g viol, lute or virginals

Question 7

Who enjoyed hawking?

Answer 7

A trained hawk would kill selected prey and then hawking return. Bells would be attached to the bird to keep track of it. Rich.

Question 8

Who enjoyed hunting?

Answer 8

Hunt picnics and deer hunting were enjoyed by wealthy nobles.

Question 9

Who enjoyed dancing?

Answer 9

The upper classes employed musicians to play foreign tunes. The Queen loved dancing. The poor enjoyed country dances.

Question 10

Who enjoyed lawn bowls?

Answer 10

Fashionable for all classes. Earlier versions include skittles and kayles.

Question 11

Who enjoyed tennis?

Answer 11

The lower classes enjoyed hitting a small ball to and fro either with the palm of their hand or a racquet.

Question 12

Who enjoyed football?

Answer 12

Very rough
No proper rules
No pitch
No goals
No set number of players
Fights often broke out
Enjoyed by the poor

Question 13

Who enjoyed archery?

Answer 13

Men over 24 in the upper classes were expected to practise archery on a Sunday after Church using a longbow or crossbow.

Question 14

What was different about rich sports?

Answer 14

Required money and time
A trainer or tutor
Specialised equipment

Question 15

What were bands of rolling players?

Answer 15

Wandering bans or players toured the country to perform for townsfolk, tradesmen, women and children.
Perform in the courtyard of an inn or a market square where they could set up a portable stage to be seen front and side.
The wealthier landowners would have private showings in their homes.
Common theme was Robin Hood where poor triumphed over rich.
Theatre companies performed, also performing for the Queen at Court. Permanent theatres were constructed.

Question 16

Why were bands of strolling players banned?

Answer 16

Encouraged people to rebel
The large gatherings of crowds helped to spread disease
In 1572 a law passed banning strolling players unless they had been granted a licence by the Lord Chamberlain.

Question 17

What happened to the number of theatres during Elizabeth’s reign?

Answer 17

No theatres -> 7 by 1600
Theatres all over the country by 1603
Golden Age of theatre

Question 18

What was theatre like?

Answer 18

Each theatre could hold a large audience
Theatres were round or octagon shaped
The rear part of the stage had a roof to protect the performers
The back panels of the stage were painted but there was no scenery
A canopy above the stage symbolised God
The cheapest tickets in the pit could be afforded by the poor

Question 19

Who enjoyed the theatre?

Answer 19

Rich, poor, nobles, all classes
Sat according to class with the cheapest seats exposed for the poor and higher seats with cushions for the rich
Queen Elizabeth I

Question 20

Why was theatre popular?

Answer 20

Gripping storylines with colourful characters
Good vs evil
Social event for rich
Cheap
Opportunity to dress up and be noticed
The Queen was a patron
Event in social calendar
Nobles could show off wealth, status and power
Opportunity to gossip and see who is there
Playwrights improved
Hope and escapism for poor

Question 21

What were theatre companies?

Answer 21

Had the financial support and patronage of wealthy noblemen or the Queen
Developed from bands of strolling players
Given licenses to perform by the Lord Chamberlain
Could perform for the Queen and her Court
Sponsored by Queen, nobles and wealthy gentry
Banned religious and political themes
Plays only performed a few times
E.g The Queen’s men est 1583

Question 22

What was the design of theatres?

Answer 22

Octagonal or round
Plain walls and thatched roof
Roof supported by pillars over rear stage
Colourful but no scenery
Doors and trapdoors for actors to enter through
During daylight
Signalled by cannon or flag
Time and money could be spent on quality of plays not travelling

Question 23

What was the Globe?

Answer 23

No full roof, circular
2,000 capacity
3 tiers
Other notable theatres include The Rose, The Swan and The Theatre (1st to open)

Question 24

What is the timeline of theatres?

Answer 24

1572 - only nobles could be patrons
1574 - all theatre companies required a license
Controlled themes of plays

Question 25

Who was Christopher Marlowe?

Answer 25

Led the development of tragedies

Question 26

Who was Thomas Kyd?

Answer 26

Wrote revenge tragedies - Spanish tragedy

Question 27

Who was Thomas Dekker?

Answer 27

Wrote comedies

Question 28

Who was William Shakespeare?

Answer 28

Wrote plays in a range of genres, at least 37 plays with different themes

Question 29

Who performed in plays?

Answer 29

Men and boys played all roles
Actors were required to play more than one role.
Required to act, sing, dance and sometimes play a musical instrument
Richard Burbage was an actor and part owned a theatre

Question 30

What was opposition to the theatre from religious groups?

Answer 30

Plays discouraged people from church
Players lacked decency and morals and included corrupt gestures
Encouraged false religion, prostitution and uncleanliness
Plagues were caused by sin and plays were sinful
Theatre was the work of the devil - encouraged people to be sinful rather than living a pure, simple life.

Question 31

What was opposition to the theatre from authorities?

Answer 31

Encouraged idleness and stopped people from working
Large crowds could lead to disorder and fights
Mixed crowd, theatre also attracted pickpockets and beggars
Pickpockets - increase in crime because rich us3 theatres to show off wealth and expensive jewellery
Plays could spread disease
Hid pickpockets
Wanted new theatres built outside city centre
Increase in population

Question 32

How many people could the Bear Garden Arena host?

Answer 32

1000

Question 33

What made cruel sport popular?

Answer 33

Gambling