Theatre-Elizabeth Golden Age!

Question 1

Why is Elizabeth I’s reign known as the Golden Age?

Answer 1

Elizabeth I’s reign is known as the ‘Elizabethan Golden Age’ as art, trade and culture flourished, and due to her wise decision-making, England enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace and stability.

Question 2

Why did theatre become increasingly popular?

Answer 2

The increasing popularity of secular theatre was a result of religious plays, a strong part of Catholic Curches, getting banned during the English Reformation.

Question 3

What did wealthy nobles?

Answer 3

Wealthy nobles would employ troupes of travelling actors to provide them with entertainment.

Question 4

Describe London’s first public theatre.

Answer 4

London gained its first public theatre, built in the London suburb of Shoreditch and called The Theatre, in 1576. It lay safely outside the city of London, where theatre had been banned.

Question 5

Describe how different the theatre was during the Elizabethan period compared to today.

Answer 5

Theatre during the Elizabethan period was different, with food and drinks sold at stalls, and plenty of interaction between the audience and the actors.

Question 6

Elizabeth I enjoyed what?Elaborate.

Answer 6

Elizabeth I enjoyed theatre. The best performances in London’s public theatres would be transferred to perform at the royal court.

Question 6

What are some things audiences would do?

Answer 6

Rowdy audiences would cheer, boo, and pelt poor performers with food.

Question 7

Who was the most famous playwright of this period?

Answer 7

There were many famous playwrights of this period, but none more so than William Shakespeare.

Question 8

Describe the plays Shakspeare wrote.

Answer 8

Shakespeare wrote 38 plays between 1590 to 1613, including comedies such as Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, tragedies like Hamlet and Macbeth, and histories such as Henry V and Richard III.

Question 8

What do we know about Shakespeare’s life?

Answer 8

Though we don’t know much about Shakespeare’s life, it is thought that he went to a grammar school in Stratford-Upon-Avon before going to London to work as an actor.

Question 9

What are some phrases that originated from Shakespeare that we still use today?

Answer 9

Some phrases that we still use today such as “vanished into thin air’, ‘tongue-tied’, and ‘the game is up’ originated from Shakespeare.