Topic 4 - Popular Culture Flashcards
What were Theatres like?
- At the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign. Many people enjoyed ‘miracle plays’, which were performed on carts and showed scenes from the Bible. These were banned because they were seen as a Catholic tradition.
- Roaming actors faced the risk of being arrested as vagabonds, only settled and established acting companies, with a noble patron (supporter) were secure.
- The first purpose-built playhouse called ‘The Theatre’ opened in Shoreditch in 1576.
- in 1599, ‘The Theatre’ was dismantled and rebuilt on Bankside as ‘The Globe’. This is where some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays were performed.
What was the ‘golden age’ in Elizabethan England like?
- In Elizabeeth, in times, they were significant developments in art, literature and music but developments in theatre, overshadowed the other achievements.
- The most celebrated dramatist was William Shakespeare, who created many plays that were popular in their time, and are still performed and praised today.
- Theatre was ‘popular culture’. An outing to the theatre was affordable for all, it was enjoyed by all sections of society, theatres were lively, bustling places.
- The themes of Elizabethan plays had something for everyone, kingship, magic, superstition, love, cruelty, violence, exploration, the renaissance.
What were London theatres like?
- Plays were performed in the afternoon as there was no artificial lighting.
- The balcony was used by musicians, but also used by actors for some scenes.
- The galleries were covered seating for 2000 richer people who paid extra to sit there.
- A trumpeter and flag warned people, the performance was about to begin.
- The heavens contained hoisting machines for props and special effects was produced there.
- The tiring house was the actors dressing room.
- The stage was 2m above ground and surrounded by a pit.
- The yard or pit was where poor people known as groundlings paid a penny to stand to watch the play.
Why and how did London authorities oppose the Theatres?
- They feared that the theatres attracted rogues, thieves and prostitutes, who they believed would commit crime and spread plague.
- They feared that disorder in the suburbs of Bankside and Shoreditch, just outside the city boundaries, might spread into the city.
- They claimed that servants and apprentices were being enticed away from their work.
- They wrote many times to the privy council, asking for the closure of theatres but with little success.
Why and how did Puritan preachers oppose the Theatres?
- Puritanism was strong in London.
- Theatres were seen as a pagan (a non-Christian set of beliefs).
- Theatres also reminded puritans of Catholic miracle plays.
- They thought that theatregoing and plays encouraged sinful behaviour, particularly sex outside of marriage.
What were Parish feasts (parish ales)?
- Festivals to celebrate the saint of the local parish church.
- There would be a procession, plays, dancing, bull-baiting, cock-fighting and much eating and drinking.
What were alehouses?
- The centre of the village life for the middling sort and labouring poor.
- The number of alehouses in towns also increased after 1580.
- Beer, sing-songs, good company, gambling and prostitutes were all available at the alehouse.
What sports were there?
- Violent and cruel sports were popular.
- Football was the most popular sport but was very different from today. Players fought for possession of the ball which they kicked across the countryside. There were no pitches, few rules and many injuries.
- Bare-knuckle boxing, wrestling, and cudgel fighting with sticks.
- The bear, bull and badger baiting involves tying an animal to be attacked by dogs. People bet on the outcome.
- ‘Throwing at cocks’, where a Cockrell was tied up and sticks or stones were thrown to kill the bird, was also common.
What were the Calendar customs?
Christmas - 12 days of feasting, singing and dancing with ‘mumming plays’.
Shrove Tuesday - a day of feasting before lent.
Whitsun - a popular time for ‘parish ales’ and ‘rush-bearing’ when rushes were spread on the floor of the parish church.
May Day - when maypoles were erected on village greens for May games.
Midsummer’s Eve - when bonfires were lit and a lot of ale was drunk.
Harvest Home - at the end of the farming year in August. A time of drinking, feasting and dancing.
Why did merrymaking decline?
- Some areas continued their traditional festivities, but by the end of Elizabeths reign many places had fewer parish feats, May games, plays, and morris dancing.
- The main reason was the rise of Puritanism.
- Puritans, thought these activities were wrong. Puritan ministers condemned them in their preaching, and in pamphlets.
- Puritan ministers, worked together with local gentry to ban these events.
- The greatest decline in popular festivals happened, where Puritans were in charge of local government.
Why did the Puritans curb popular pastimes?
Protecting the Sabbath: Puritans, thought, the Lord’s day should be set aside for rest and prayer, not dancing and drinking.
Keeping control: Some festivals were unruly and disorderly behaviour took place.
Stopping Catholic practices: Some popular customers were linked to superstitious, catholic beliefs and traditions.
Stopping pagan practices: Some festivities can be traced back to pagan times, and puritans felt this was inappropriate in Christian communities.
Preventing unwanted pregnancies: Sex outside, marriage was seen as a great sin. May games were a traditional time for love-making.
Why did people believe in magic in Elizabethan England?
- Supernatural beliefs helped people to cope with the challenges of daily life.
- People might use magic to try to find out the sex of unborn child, cure an illness or recover stolen goods.
- People known as ‘cunning folk’ or ‘wise women’ were thought to have special magical powers that they had inherited.
- People often relied on the specialist knowledge of herbs and spells to cure illnesses.
What did the law in 1563 that made witchcraft a criminal offence do?
- Supernatural powers could’ve been dangerous and a witches curse could make someone ill or damage property.
- An accused person could be brought to court, and if found guilty of using witchcraft to kill someone could be hanged.
- Witches who harmed people or damaged property could be imprisoned.
How did people blame others for using witchcraft?
Anyone could accuse another of bewitching them so anything that went wrong in your life like the death of your child could be blamed on witchcraft. Witches were said to use small animals known as familiars to commit their evil acts.
What was the social explanation for increased witchcraft accusations in Elizabethan times?
- Poverty was a big problem, so people were less willing to help the poor neighbours which led to tensions in village life.
- accusations often followed a dispute between neighbours.
- A typical case started with an old woman asking a neighbour for help, which was refused. The old woman cursed the neighbour and then, if the neighbour had a problem, they accused the old woman of witchcraft.
