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Born in mid April to John and Mary Shakespeare

Married to Anne Hathaway

He was an actor, a playwright, and a partner in a leading acting company, in which he became both prosperous and well-known

Died on April 23, 1616

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William Shakespeare: A biography

Since William Shakespeare lived more than 400 years ago, and many records from that time are lost or never existed in the first place, we don't know everything about Shakespeare's life. For example, we know that he was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, 100 miles northwest of London, on April 26, 1564. But we don't know his exact birthdate, which must have been a few days earlier.

We do know that Shakespeare's life revolved around two locations: Stratford and London. He grew up, had a family, and bought property in Stratford, but he worked in London, the center of English theater. As an actor, a playwright, and a partner in a leading acting company, he became both prosperous and well-known. Even without knowing everything about his life, fans of Shakespeare have imagined and reimagined him according to their own tastes.

Looking for more in-depth information? Need something you can cite? Read an essay about Shakespeare's life from the Folger Shakespeare Editions. Read essay

Early life: Birth and childhood

William Shakespeare was probably born on about April 23, 1564, the date that is traditionally given for his birth. He was John and Mary Shakespeare's oldest surviving child; their first two children, both girls, did not live beyond infancy. Growing up as the big brother of the family, William had three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard, and Edmund, and two younger sisters: Anne, who died at seven, and Joan.

Their father, John Shakespeare, was a leatherworker who specialized in the soft white leather used for gloves and similar items. A prosperous businessman, he married Mary Arden, of the prominent Arden family. John rose through local offices in Stratford, becoming an alderman and eventually, when William was five, the town bailiff-much like a mayor. Not long after that, however, John Shakespeare stepped back from public life; we don't know why.

Shakespeare, as the son of a leading Stratford citizen, almost certainly attended Stratford's grammar school. Like all such schools, its curriculum consisted of an intense emphasis on the Latin classics, including memorization, writing, and acting classic Latin plays. Shakespeare most likely attended until about age 15.

A horn book in the Folger collection, similar to one that Shakespeare might have learned to read from

Marriage (to Anne Hathaway) and children

A few years after he left school, in late 1582, William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was already expecting their first-born child, Susanna, which was a fairly common situation at the time. When they married, Anne was 26 and William was 18. Anne grew up just outside Stratford in the village of Shottery. After marrying, she spent the rest of her life in Stratford.

In early 1585, the couple had twins, Judith and Hamnet, completing the family. In the years ahead, Anne and the children lived in Stratford while Shakespeare worked in London, although we don't know when he moved there. Some later observers have suggested that this separation, and the couple's relatively few children, were signs of a strained marriage, but we do not know that, either. Someone pursuing a theater career had no choice but to work in London, and many branches of the Shakespeares had small families.

Shakespeare's only son, Hamnet, died in 1596 at the age of 11. His older daughter Susanna later married a well-to-do Stratford doctor, John Hall. Their daughter Elizabeth, Shakespeare's first grandchild, was born in 1608. In 1616, just months before his death, Shakespeare's daughter Judith married Thomas Quiney, a Stratford vintner. The family subsequently died out, leaving no direct descendants of Shakespeare.

London theater

For several years after the birth of Judith and Hamnet in 1585, nothing is known for certain of Shakespeare's activities: how he earned a living, when he moved from Stratford, or how he got his start in the theater.

Following this gap in the record, the first definite mention of Shakespeare is in 1592 as an established London actor and playwright, mocked by a contemporary as a "Shake-scene." The same writer alludes to one of Shakespeare's earliest history plays, Henry VI, Part 3, which must already have been performed. The next year, in 1593, Shakespeare published a long poem, Venus and Adonis. The first quarto editions of his early plays appeared in 1594.

For more than two decades, Shakespeare had multiple roles in the London theater as an actor, playwright, and, in time, a business partner in a major acting company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (renamed the King's Men in 1603). Over the years, he became steadily more famous in the London theater world; his name, which was not even listed on the first quartos of his plays, became a regular feature-clearly a selling point-on later title pages.

Final years and death

Shakespeare prospered financially from his partnership in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men), as well as from his writing and acting. He invested much of his wealth in real-estate purchases in Stratford and bought the second-largest house in town, New Place, in 1597.

Among the last plays that Shakespeare worked on was The Two Noble Kinsmen, which he wrote with a frequent collaborator, John Fletcher, most likely in 1613. He died on April 23, 1616-the traditional date of his birthday, though his precise birthdate is unknown. We also do not know the cause of his death. His brother-in-law had died a week earlier, which could imply infectious disease, but Shakespeare's health may have had a longer decline.

The memorial bust of Shakespeare at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford is considered one of two authentic likenesses, because it was approved by people who knew him. The other such likeness is the engraving by Martin Droeshout in the 1623 First Folio edition of Shakespeare's plays, produced seven years after his death by his friends and colleagues from the King's Men.

Timeline

View a timeline of Shakespeare's life with links to key supporting documents on Shakespeare Documented.
View timeline

The bust of Shakespeare in the Folger Reading Room is a copy of the statue at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Shakespeare leave his wife his "second best bed"?

William Shakespeare wrote in his last will and testament, dated March 25, 1616, "Item I gyve unto my wife my second best bed with the furniture" (furniture is used to refer to the curtains and bedcover which formed part of the complete bed).

This was not an unusual bequest, nor was it likely to have been intended as a snub. The best bed was usually regarded as an heirloom piece, to be passed to the heir rather than the spouse. It is also probable that the best bed would have been reserved for guests, meaning the "second best" was the bed that William and Anne shared.

What did Shakespeare's son die of?

We don't really know how Shakespeare's young son Hamnet died. He had a twin sister named Judith, who lived to adulthood and married, but Hamnet died at the age of 11 and a half. Child mortality was high in the 16th century; there were no antibiotics and many childhood diseases might therefore prove fatal, such as scarlet fever, whooping cough, diphtheria, and even measles. He was buried on August 11, 1596.

What is the inscription on Shakespeare's grave?

GOOD FREND FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEARE,
TO DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED HEARE:
BLESTE BE Ye [the] MAN Yt [that] SPARES THES STONES,
AND CURST BE HE Yt [that] MOVES MY BONES.

Did Shakespeare have a coat of arms?

Yes, William's father, John Shakespeare, was granted a coat of arms in 1596. It was disputed in 1602 by York Herald, Ralph Brooke, saying that the arms were too similar to existing coats of arms, and that the family was unworthy. However, the challenge was unsuccessful, as the Shakespeare coat of arms appears in later heraldic collections and on William Shakespeare's funeral monument in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Does Shakespeare have descendants?

William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway had three children. The eldest, Susanna, was baptized on May 26, 1583, and married John Hall in 1607. They had one child, Elizabeth, in 1608. Elizabeth was married twice, to Thomas Nash in 1626, and to John Bernard in 1649. However, she had no children by either husband.

William and Anne also had twins, Judith and Hamnet, who were baptized on February 2, 1585. Hamnet died at age 11 and a half. Judith married Thomas Quiney in 1616, and the couple had three sons: Shakespeare Quiney, who died in infancy, and Richard and Thomas, who both died in 1639 within a month of each other. Since neither of the boys married, there is no possibility of any legitimate descendants from Shakespeare's line.

It is possible, however, to claim a relationship to Shakespeare through his sister, Joan. She married William Hart some time before 1600, and there are many descendants of this marriage alive today, in both the male and female lines.

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Shakespeare's life | Folger Shakespeare Library

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Learn about Shakespeare's life and family: birth in Stratford-upon-Avon, marriage to Anne Hathaway and their children, work in London theaters, and death.

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William Shakespeare’s life and times | Royal Shakespeare Company

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Discover more about the life and times of William Shakespeare, from his birth in 1564 through to his death 52 years later in 1616.

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It is called Elizabethan Era because that was the time period of when Queen Elizabeth I’s reign was(1558–1603)

Important people during this time include Queen Elizabeth, Captain Arthur Barlowe, Eleanor White Dare, Shakespeare, and many others

Social class played a very important role in Elizabethan England in many aspects of life

The government of Elizabethan England was centralized, organized making it efficient due to it being a personal monarch with ministers.

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The Elizabethan Era history is depicted in The Lost Colony drama. The term, “Elizabethan Era” refers to the English history of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (1558–1603).

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The Elizabethan theater was different from other theaters because it had a main platform, inner stage, and upper stage level.

The theater was open, and plays had to be done in daylight when it was bright outside.

Men played all parts, including female characters.

When a play was about to happen, a flag would be set up at the top of the theater.

There were usually lots of violence in the plays.

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Elizabethan Theatre, sometimes called English Renaissance theatre, refers to that style of performance plays which blossomed during the reign of Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603) and which continued under her Stuart successors. Elizabethan theatre witnessed the first professional actors who belonged to touring troupes and who performed plays of blank verse with entertaining non-religious themes.

The first purpose-built permanent theatre was established in London in 1576 and others quickly followed so that drama simply to entertain became a booming industry. Theatres showing plays daily led to permanent acting companies which did not have to tour and so could invest more time and money into wowing their audience of both sexes and all social classes. The most celebrated playwright of the period was William Shakespeare (1564-1616) whose works were performed at the famous Globe Theatre in London and covered such diverse themes as history, romance, revenge, murder, comedy and tragedy.

Elizabeth I & the Arts

The Elizabethan age saw a boom in the arts in general but it was the performance arts that perhaps made the most lasting contribution to English and even world culture. The queen was herself an admirer of plays, performances, and spectacles which were frequently held at her royal residences. Elizabeth carefully managed her image as the Virgin Queen who had sacrificed her personal life to better concentrate on the good of her people. Theatre was, therefore, just one of the media she used to project her own glory and that of her family, the Tudors. The queen actively sponsored artists and playwrights.

Naturally, the Elizabethans did not invent theatre as plays have been performed ever since their invention by the ancient Greeks of the 6th century BCE. Medieval England had witnessed the performance of morality plays and mystery plays, there were even dramas performed by actors during religious ceremonies and holidays. There were also Masques, a type of mime where masked performers sang, danced, and recited poetry, wearing extravagant costumes, and stood before painted scenery. Finally, towns across England had long funded public shows, which involved musicians, acrobats, and jesters, and these continued even as theatre became popular.

The Elizabethan period saw these public performers become a professional body of entertainers. The first professional troupes of actors were sponsored by the queen, nobles, and anyone else who had the money for such entertainments. Plays were performed which, perhaps thanks to the English Reformation, were now entirely free from religious themes and not connected to public holidays or religious festivals. Secular plays presented a new challenge, though, and the influence of popular art on politics and public minds was recognised by Elizabeth, who banned performances of unlicensed plays in 1559. In the 1570s, religious play cycles were also banned. The royal control of theatre continued in 1572 when only nobles were permitted to sponsor professional acting troupes. From 1574 all troupes had to be licensed, too.

Even the most popular plays were only performed a handful of times each year as theatres strived to entertain regular theatre-goers.

The move away from divisive religious topics had led writers to explore other themes, and their imaginations knew no bounds. Historical topics were especially popular with the new playwrights in a period when a sense of English nationalism was developing as never before. This combined with a Humanist interest in Greek and Roman antiquity. Royal patronage of theatre would continue during the reign of Elizabeth's successor, James I of England (r. 1603-1625) who funded three professional actor companies (aka playing companies).

Professional Actors & Theatres

The first professionally licensed troupe of actors belonged to Elizabeth's court favourite Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (l. c. 1532-1588). Called 'Leicester's Men' they gained their license in 1574 and toured the country's stately homes giving performances. Naturally, actors needed a suitable stage on which to impress and so the first purpose-built theatres soon arrived. In 1576 London received its very first purpose-built and permanent playhouse, founded by James Burbage (c. 1530-1597), himself an actor, and simply known as the Theatre (although there were earlier adapted buildings with temporary scaffolding such as the 1567 Red Lion). Located on Holywell Street in Shoreditch, the Theatre was a wooden enclosed building with no roof in the centre, and it welcomed audiences of both courtiers and commoners. The Theatre was such a success that other theatres were built, starting with the Curtain. Burbage opened a second theatre in London, Blackfriars Theatre, by converting a disused Dominican monastery. There was also the Rose (1587) and the Swan (1595) as the theatre business positively boomed and Elizabeth's encouragement of her nobles to stay at court and have residences at the capital guaranteed a ready audience. Other towns soon followed the fashion and acquired theatres, too; early adopters being Bath, Bristol, Norwich, and York. By the time of the Stuart kings, many theatres were offering a performance of a different play every day, typically in the afternoons, to a knowledgeable audience of men and women expecting to see novel entertainment. Even the most popular plays were only performed a handful of times each year as theatres strived to entertain regular theatre-goers.

Further, as theatres developed so actors and playwrights were freed from the obligations and restrictions that sponsorship by nobles brought. It was the Theatre, though, which was to become world-famous, especially after 1599 when it was relocated to the south bank of the River Thames and given a new name: the Globe Theatre.

The Globe Theatre opened for business in 1599 and was owned by Burbage's sons and some members of the professional acting company known as Chamberlains' Men. One of these investors was William Shakespeare, and he and other actors and playwrights shared half of the profits from the theatre while the other half went to pay secondary actors, musicians, costumes, and maintenance costs. Crucially, then, the establishment of theatres meant that previously travelling actors could now form a more solid financial base which allowed them to produce more plays and give them a much higher production value. Theatre companies could boast twelve or more permanent main actors and a number of bit-part players, boys and apprentices. Also on the staff were musicians, writers, artists, and copyists.

In 1592 William Shakespeare joined Chamberlain's Men & became an important member of the Globe Theatre's Permanent staff.

The Globe Theatre was made of wood, more or less circular in form, and open to the skies in the centre. Rising to a height of 12 metres (40 ft.) and measuring 24 metres (80 ft.) across, inside were three tiers of seating providing a capacity of around 2,000. The theatre got its name from the globe on its roof, which carried the legend in Latin of Shakespeare's famous line 'All the world's a stage.' The Globe's own stage was rectangular, measured some 12 metres in length and was protected by a thatch roof. Around 12 actors could perform on the stage at any one time. Behind the stage was a gallery which could seat more viewers or be used as an important part of the play (e.g. Juliet's balcony in Romeo and Juliet). The audience could be surprised by such technical tricks as lowering actors on wires or having them appear or disappear through a trapdoor in the stage floor.

In the second half of the 17th century, some important developments arrived. Women played women parts (previously boys had done this) and large flat painted scenes, often with perspective incorporated into them, were moved on sliding rails on and off stage. Another change was that now plays had extended runs with the same performance being repeated each day, a development that actors with short memories must have greatly welcomed. The pattern of performance plays was set and would remain in place right up to the present day.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare has become one of the most celebrated authors in any language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, it was not until 1592 that William became known in theatre circles. Two years later he joined Chamberlain's Men and then, as mentioned above, became an important member of the Globe Theatre's permanent staff, a position he held throughout his writing career. William produced on average two plays every year, writing 37 in all. The dating of Shakespeare's works is problematic as none have surviving original manuscripts and so historians have looked to their content and other documentary evidence. The plays are usually divided into four groups and illustrate the broad scope of Elizabethan theatre in general. These categories are: comedies, romances, histories, and tragedies. The works, like many plays of the period, combine wordplay and in-joke references to contemporary politics with tales of love, dark deeds of revenge and murder, historical events, historical fiction, and a big dollop of jingoism.

Shakespeare's first play is usually cited as Henry VI Part I, written around 1589. His most popular plays include A Midsummer Night's Dream (c. 1596) which revolves around the wedding of the Greek hero Theseus and the Amazon Hippolyte, Henry V (1599) which includes a fictionalised version of that king's rousing speech at the Battle of Agincourt of 1415, Hamlet (c. 1601) which tells the revenge of the Danish prince of that name against his evil uncle, and (1606), titled after the Scottish king who descends into madness after embarking on a rampage of murder.

Other Playwrights & Actors

Under the Stuart kings, it became fashionable and profitable to print the scripts of plays, even if they were always originally written with performance in mind. Some 800 play scripts survive from the 16th and 17th century, although this is only a small proportion of those produced at the time. After Shakespeare, the next most celebrated Elizabethan playwright is Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593). In 1587 his first play was performed, Tamburlaine the Great. The play was a smash hit and told the epic tale of Timur, the founder of the Timurid Empire in central Asia (1370-1507). Other successes followed such as The Tragedy of Dido, Queen of Carthage but, like many playwrights and poets of the period, Marlowe was prone to drinking bouts, and it was a brawl in a tavern that ended in his death. As Marlowe also worked as a spy for the government, some have speculated that his death was actually an assassination.

The third great playwright of the period was Ben Jonson (1572-1637). Escaping an early career path as an apprentice bricklayer, Jonson's first play, Isle of Dogs (1597), was successful but got him into trouble with the authorities who regarded it as inciting rebellion. After a short term in prison, Jonson soon found himself back in confinement after he killed an actor in an argument. Out for a second time, Jonson concentrated on what he was good at and wrote a string of hit plays, many of which were performed at the Globe Theatre. Jonson's other works included poetry, masques, and a huge body of literary criticism.

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Accomplished actors, of course, made a name for themselves in the new genre. One famous figure was the comic actor Richard Tarlton (d. 1588) who was also a court jester who made Elizabeth I titter until his jokes went too far and ridiculed some of her noble favourites. Multi-talented, Tarlton co-founded the Queen's Men company and wrote many successful plays, his most popular being Seven Deadly Sins (1585). Tarlton's most famous character was a little Chaplinesque: a small man with baggy trousers and carrying a large stick.

Challenges & Legacy

The new theatre was not without its critics. Puritans, who were ever-more prominent in Elizabethan society from the 1590s, objected to such frivolous entertainments as plays. They considered their subject matter - especially plots with vengeance, murder, and romance - unsuitable for commoners and likely to corrupt their minds, much like some modern critics of violent cinema proclaim. In addition, Puritans thought of theatres as wholly undesirable places where only the idle, immoral, and criminal elements of society gathered.

Local residents were often not happy to have a theatre in their neighbourhood because of the noise and low class-associations with such a venue; this was one of the reasons why the Theatre was moved to become the Globe Theatre. Even some business owners deplored the theatres as their employees went to watch the plays which were usually held during the daytime and so working hours. This concern led to petitions being sent to mayors who then lobbied Members of Parliament to restrict the theatre performances. It also explains why the early theatres were built in city suburbs away from the direct jurisdiction of the mayors. Drama was very cheap (starting at 1 penny a ticket, about $1 today) and very popular, though, and so very difficult to repress even when the Puritans gained prominence in the mid-17th century and temporarily closed all places of public meeting from 1642. In 1660, with the return of the monarchists, theatres opened up again and acting companies were immediately reformed.

Another challenge was public health. When a new wave of the Black Death plague hit London in 1592, all theatres were closed for a year. Many mayors sought to avoid public gatherings and even paid acting companies not to perform if a new outbreak of plague was present. Theatres, being wooden structures, were also susceptible to devastating fires. The Globe Theatre, for example, had to be rebuilt in 1614 when a cannon shot fired during a performance for dramatic effect set fire to the thatch roof.

Despite the threats, Elizabethan theatre seems to have quickly established itself as an important and lasting part of England's popular and literary culture. As early as 1623, for example, 36 of William Shakespeare's plays were collected together in print in the First Folio. More editions would be printed throughout the 17th century and a first properly edited collection was published in 1709. Shakespeare continues to be read across the world, of course, and his works continue to interest modern filmmakers. As fellow author Ben Johnson noted in his preface to First Folio, the star of Elizabethan theatre was "not of an age, but for all time" (Wagner, 275).

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Elizabethan theatre, sometimes called English Renaissance theatre, refers to that style of performance plays which blossomed during the reign of Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603) and which continued...

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At the beginning of the 16th century many plays were based upon religious themes. These were called 'morality plays' and showed good and bad conduct. Others, called 'miracle plays' showed scenes from the Bible.

The main exception to this were the plays put on by wandering groups of actors, known as 'strolling players'. The plays put on by these groups were often far from religious and the authorities tried to ban them.

The themes of plays changed during Elizabeth's reign and English playwrights began to write comedies and tragedies . By the end of her reign playwrights such as Marlowe, Johnson and Shakespeare were writing the plays for which they are now famous.

As the watching of plays became more popular, theatres were built instead of using the courtyards of inns. The popularity of stage plays led to the building of the Rose , Swan and Globe Theatres in London between 1587 and 1598.

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The Elizabethan theatre - Popular entertainment - WJEC - GCSE History Revision - WJEC - BBC Bitesize

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Learn and revise about popular entertainment during Elizabeth I's reign WJEC GCSE History Unit 1 Elizabethan Age with BBC Bitesize.

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Tragedy:

Characters in Shakespearean Tragedy have flaws.

Characters also face immense pressure such as their fate and other manipulative characters.

The tragic stories give a sad and gloomy feeling to the audience.

Comedy:

Shakesperean comedy often has fun wordplay that gives off a positive vibe to the audience.

Often revolves about romance, in which the characters get married at the end.

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Shakespeare comedies are generally identifiable as plays full of fun, irony and dazzling wordplay. Shakespeare comedy plays also abound in disguises, mistaken

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The Elizabethan Era.
The English Elizabethan Era is one of the most fascinating periods in the History of England. The Elizabethan Era is named after the greatest Queens of England - Queen Elizabeth I. The Elizabethan Era is not only famous for the Virgin Queen but also for the era itself - Great Explorers, such as Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh. The era of the very first Theatres in England - William Shakespeare, the globe Theatre and Christopher Marlowe!

Elizabeth Ist Queen of England

The people of the era - the Famous Figures who featured in the history of this era such as the Queen's love Robert Dudley, the sinister Dr. John Dee, the intrigues of the spy-master Sir Francis Walsingham and the Queen's chief advisor Sir William Cecil (Lord Burghley). Religion - Politics - Executions - Crime and Punishment all played their part in the Elizabethan era. And so did the commoners.
Click here if you need detailed facts and information about Medieval Times and Life of the
Middle Ages or additional info about The Tudors and Henry VIII the Globe Theatre
or William Shakespeare

The Golden Age of the Elizabethan Era What was their life like? Entertainment, clothes, food, drink, sports, music, education, language, medicine and marriage customs and culture of the era. Facts and information about all of these subjects and the history of the era are covered as detailed in the sections below. The Elizabethan Era Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Elizabethan Era.

England during the Elizabethan Era
The section and era covering Elizabethan England provides the History, Facts and Information about the Religion, Laws, Tortures and Punishments including executions in the Elizabethan Era.

Crimes and Punishments

Executions

Tortures

Religion

Politics, spies and intrigue

The Law - the Poor Law

The Tower of London

Queen Elizabeth I and the Elizabethan era
The section and Queen Elizabeth I provides the History, Facts and Information about the life of Queen Elizabeth. The Biography and Timeline of Queen Elizabeth covers her family, her childhood, the scandals and danger that surrounded her as a young Princess and her succession to the throne of England and the commencement of the Elizabethan era. The court, her favorites and the dangerous politics of the Elizabethan era.

Elizabethan Times and Famous Elizabethans

The section and era covering Elizabethan Times provides the History, Facts and Information about the life and times of the famous people who lived during the Elizabethan Era. The Famous Elizabethan Women of the era and the famous men. There are Biographies, Pictures and Timelines about the life of famous Explorers, Courtiers, Politicians, Dramatists and Poets who lived during the Elizabethan era.

Sir Francis Drake

Sir Walter Raleigh

Mary Queen of Scots

Sir Francis Walsingham

William Shakespeare

Christopher Marlowe

John Dee

Lord Robert Dudley

And many more.

Elizabethan Age The section and era covering the Elizabethan Age provides the History, Facts and Information about Elizabethan Weapons and the English Navy. It also provides facts and information about Elizabethan architecture including the Elizabethan mansions, houses and the theatre.

Elizabethan Timeline

War

Weapons

The Spanish Armada

The Navy

Explorers

This section covers Elizabethan words, letters, language, education together with an Elizabethan Online Dictionary to help with the translation of literature including the famous play of William Shakespeare. The schools and Universities of the Renaissance era. On a lighter note there is even a dictionary of insults used during the Elizabethan Era!

Elizabethan Period The section and era covering the Elizabethan Period provides the History, Facts and Information about Science and Technology, Inventions, Astrology, Superstitions, Elizabethan Ghosts and Witchcraft and Witches during the Elizabethan era.

Science and Technology

Inventions

Astrology - Dr. Dee

Superstitions

Elizabethan Ghosts

Witchcraft and Witches

Elizabethan Clothing This comprehensive section and era covering the Elizabethan Period provides the History, Facts and Information about Elizabethan Clothing covers all aspects of Renaissance clothes and Fashion. Upper Class Fashion for men and women. Hair styles, Make-up, Jewelry and even Elizabethan Wedding Dress. Read how the Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws dictated what Elizabethans were allowed to wear. And the Meaning of Colors - symbolic, religious and biblical. The Dyes, Materials and Fabrics used in Elizabethan clothes worn during the Elizabethan era.

Elizabethan Theatre

Another comprehensive section covering Elizabethan Theatre providing a Timeline and the History, Facts and Information about the emergence of the Renaissance Theatre. Inn-yards, amphitheatres and playhouses. Facts and information about the Globe Theatre and all of the other famous London theatres of the Elizabethan era. Audiences, Plays and Playwrights, Actors and costumes. The Theatre Companies and Troupes who performed during the Elizabethan era

Elizabethan Theatre History

Elizabethan Theatre Timeline

Elizabethan Theatres in London including the Globe

Audiences

Plays and Playwrights

Actors and costumes

Theatre Companies and Troupes

William Shakespeare

Elizabethan Food The section and era covering Elizabethan England provides the History, Facts and Information about the Food and Drink consumed during the Renaissance Era. The Food and Drink, Feasts and Banquets and Peasant Foods eaten by the people during the era.

Old Elizabethan Recipes
The section and era covering Elizabethan Recipes provides a fascinating insight into Renaissance cooking. The names of the old Renaissance recipes say it all. Pig Pie, Baked Swan and Goose Pudding. The Old Elizabethan Dessert recipes are more to our taste!

The Spanish Armada This detailed account of the events leading up to and the defeat of the 'Invincible Armada. The roles played by the great seamen of the era including Drake, Raleigh, Gilbert and Hawkins. These and other brave men were responsible for ensuring that the Golden Age of the Elizabethan era continued.

The Elizabethan Era
Each section of this Elizabethan Era website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about these great monuments to bygone times. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Elizabethan Era.

Elizabethan Era

The Elizabethan era, period, age and times

Elizabethan Life

Elizabethan Era Clothing

Elizabethan Era Sports

Elizabethan Era Architecture

Elizabethan Era Music

Elizabethan Era Theatre

Elizabethan Era England

Queen Elizabeth I

Famous Elizabethans & their era

Queen Elizabeth's Coat of Arms

Elizabethan Era

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The Elizabethan Era. The English Elizabethan Era is one of the most fascinating periods in the History of England. The Elizabethan Era is named after the greatest Queens of England - Queen Elizabeth I. The Elizabethan Era is not only famous for the Virgin Queen but also for the era itself - Great Explorers, such as Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh.