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Shakespeare's family consisted of Anne Hathaway his wife, Susanna his daughter, and twins Judith and Hamnet.Shakespeare and Anne got married to each other in November of 1582 and remained married till Shakespeare's death in 1616.When growing up Shakespeare had 7 other siblings totaling to 8 children his parents had. Gilbert, Joan, Joan, Margret, Richard, Edmand, Richard, and of course William Shakespeare.

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William Shakespeare was the eldest son of John and Mary Shakespeare. John Shakespeare was a glove-maker, who married Mary Arden, the daughter of a farmer from the nearby village of Wilmcote. When William was born, John and Mary were living on Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, in the house now known as Shakespeare's Birthplace. They had eight children in total.

Shakespeare's Parents and Siblings

John Shakespeare was a prominent citizen who served on the town council for many years. He even became a high bailiff in 1568 (the equivalent of Mayor). Aside from his craft as a glover, he traded as a wool dealer and was also involved in money-lending. He was granted a Coat of Arms in 1596, elevating him and his heirs to the official status of gentlemen.

When William was born in 1564, his parents had already lost two infant daughters. Joan died within the first few weeks of her life, and Margaret died a year after she was born. William's younger siblings were Gilbert (1566-1612), Joan (1569-1646), Anne (1571-1579), Richard (1574-1613) and Edmund (1580-1607).

Gilbert was probably based in Stratford for most of his life. There are records that suggest he may have been a haberdasher. He may have spent some time in London as there is a record of a haberdasher with the name in St Bride's London.

Joan was the only surviving daughter of John and Mary Shakespeare and the only one of Shakespeare's siblings to outlive him. She married hatter William Hart in the late 1590's. From 1601 the Harts lived in a cottage within the west part of the Shakespeare house on Henley Street.

It's likely that Richard was named after his paternal grandfather. Anne unfortunately died at the age of eight.

Edmund was the youngest of Shakespeare's siblings, born when William was 16 years old. Edmund became an actor in London, as his brother William did. He died in 1607 and is buried in Southwark Cathedral in London. It is thought that William Shakespeare paid for his brother's burial inside the church and for the great bell to be rung in his memory.

Shakespeare Family Life

At the age of eighteen, William married Anne Hathaway, a young woman from the village of Shottery, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon.

William and Anne Shakespeare had three children. Susanna was born six months after their marriage, followed by twins Judith and Hamnet in 1585. Hamnet died at age 11.

Shakespeare's four grandchildren all died without heirs, so there are no direct descendants of his line today. Susanna and John Hall's only daughter, Elizabeth, married twice but both marriages remained childless. His daughter Judith and her husband Thomas Quiney's three sons all died at an early age, either in infancy or as young adults before having children.

It is possible to claim a relationship to Shakespeare through his sister, Joan. There are many descendants of Joan and William Hart alive today, in both the male and female lines.

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William Shakespeare was the eldest son of John and Mary Shakespeare. John Shakespeare was a glove-maker, who married Mary Arden, the daughter of a farmer from the nearby village of Wilmcote. When William was born, John and Mary were living on Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, in the house now known as Shakespeare's Birthplace.

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Shakespeare lived a rather short life and lived till 52 which was considered a long life in the 1600's. Shakespeare revised and signed his will on March 25, 1616. His presumed birthday on April 23 he died. He was buried at the Holy trinity Church In Stanford. No one knows how Shakespeare died yet his brother-in-law died a week earlier due to an infectious disease so it can be implied that he could have caught it.

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Who was William Shakespeare? What was life like in Stratford-upon-Avon and London when he was alive?

Shakespeare before Sir Thomas Lucy in the hall of Charlecote. Oil on canvas by Thomas Brooks, 1857.

SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE

Very little is known for certain about William Shakespeare. What we do know about his life comes from registrar records, court records, wills, marriage certificates and his tombstone in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.

William Shakespeare was baptised on 26 April 1564 at Holy Trinity in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Traditionally his birthday is celebrated three days earlier, on 23 April, St George's Day.

SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE

John Shakespeare married Mary Arden, the daughter of Robert Arden, a farmer from the nearby village of Wilmcote. In 1556 John bought the main part of the house in Henley Street which is now known as the 'Birthplace' and their family, including William, grew up there (see photo). John's principal business was that of a glover, but he also traded as a wool and corn merchant, and he is recorded in 1570 as being involved in money-lending.

SHAKESPEARE'S PARENTS

William's father, John Shakespeare, was an affluent glove maker, tanner and wool dealer who owned property in Stratford. For a number of years he played a prominent role in the municipal life of the town. He served on the town council and was elected bailiff (mayor). However, around 1576 John Shakespeare was beset by severe financial difficulties and he was forced to mortgage his wife's inheritance.

William's mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a prosperous farmer, Robert Arden, who had left her some land in Wilmcote, near Stratford. John and Mary Shakespeare had eight children: four daughters, of whom only one (Joan) survived childhood. William was the eldest of the four boys.

EDUCATION

William almost certainly went to one of Stratford's 'petty' or junior schools where he would have learnt his letters with the help of a hornbook. From the age of seven or thereabouts, he would have progressed to the King's New School where the emphasis would have been on Latin, it still being the international language of Europe in the 1500s. Shakespeare probably left school at the age of 14 or 15.

Shakespeare's plays reveal a detailed knowledge of the curriculum taught in such schools which were geared to teaching pupils Latin, both spoken and written. The classical writers studied in the classroom influenced Shakespeare's plays and poetry; for example, some of his ideas for plots and characters came from Ovid's tales, the plays of Terence and Plautus, and Roman history.

It is not known what Shakespeare did when he left school, probably at the age of 14, as was usual.

MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN

In 1582, when he was 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was 26. Anne was the daughter of a well-to-do farmer, Richard Hathaway of Hewlands Farm in nearby Shottery. Their first child, Susanna, was born in May 1583. Twins, Hamnet and Judith, were christened in February 1585. Anne's home, now known as Anne Hathaway's Cottage, still stands in the village of Shottery.

From 1585 until 1592, very little is known about Shakespeare. These are generally referred to as 'The Lost Years'. But by 1592 we know that he was in London where he was singled out by a rival dramatist, Robert Greene in his bitter deathbed pamphlet, A Groats-worth of Witte.

WRITING AND ACTING

Plague broke out in London in 1593, forcing the theatres to close. Shakespeare turned to writing poetry. In 1593 Shakespeare published an erotic poem, Venus and Adonis, dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, Third Earl of Southampton, a young courtier and favourite of Queen Elizabeth.

Shakespeare's earliest plays included Henry VI Parts I, II & III, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Titus Andronicus. The sonnets were also written about this time, though they were not published until 1609.

In 1594, Shakespeare became a founding member, actor, playwright and shareholder of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Richard Burbage was the company's leading actor. He played roles such as Richard III, Hamlet, Othello and Lear. Under James VI/I, the company was renamed The King's Men. They performed at court more often than any other company.

DRAMA IN SHAKESPEARE'S STRATFORD

In Shakespeare's youth, Stratford was often visited by travelling troupes of professional actors. These players probably sparked his interest in the stage, and he may have entered the London theatre world though contacts made with them in Stratford.

We don't know when or why Shakespeare left Stratford for London, or what he was doing before becoming a professional actor and dramatist in the capital. There are various traditions and stories about the so-called 'lost years' between 1585 and 1592, a period for which there is virtually no evidence concerning his life.

WEALTH

Whereas John Shakespeare had lost a fortune, his son managed to amass great wealth in his lifetime.

In 1597, he bought New Place, one of the largest properties in Stratford. In 1598, he is listed as a resident of Chapel Street ward, in which New Place was situated. In 1601, when his father died, he may also, as the eldest son, have inherited the two houses in Henley Street.

In 1602 Shakespeare paid £320 in cash to William Combe and his nephew John for roughly 107 acres of land in Old Stratford.

He also bought a cottage and more land in Chapel Lane. In 1605, for £440, Shakespeare bought a half-interest in a lease of many tithes which brought him an annual interest of £60. When he died in 1616, he was a man of substantial wealth.

LAST YEARS

Shakespeare's elder daughter, Susanna, married a physician, John Hall in Stratford in 1607. Their only child, a daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1608, the year in which Shakespeare's mother died. Judith Shakespeare, his younger daughter, married a vintner, Thomas Quiney in 1616. They had three sons: Shakespeare Quiney, who died in infancy; Richard (1618-139) and Thomas (1620-1639).

Sometime after 1611, Shakespeare retired to Stratford. On 25 March 1616, Shakespeare revised and signed his will. On 23 April, his presumed birthday, he died, aged 52. On 25 April, he was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

Shakespeare's widow, Anne, died in 1623 and was buried beside him. Shakespeare's family line came to an end with the death of his grand-daughter Elizabeth in 1670.

In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death, John Heminge and Henry Condell (two actors from The King's Company) had Shakespeare's plays published by William Jaggard and his son, Isaac. This first folio contained 36 plays and sold for £1.

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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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Queen Elizabeth the first and her monarchy.

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Queen Elizabeth the first and her monarchy.

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Queen Elizabeth the first was the longest reigning Tudor in her family. As the youngest born she actually was never suppose to be queen. Many of the queen subjects thought that women were inferior to men in every respectable way. Her single state became a cornerstone in her success placing her as the Virgin Queen. She always put her country before her own needs. Her long reign had many achievements such as overseas expansion, military victories, and more

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Download documents and transcripts
Teachers' notes

This collection of documents introduces students and teachers to the reign of Elizabeth I through the original State Papers held at The National Archives. They have been selected and introduced by eminent historian of the period, Tracy Borman. Students and teachers can use the documents to develop their own questions and explore their own lines of historical enquiry on different aspects of Elizabeth's reign including the marriage question and succession, her style of monarchy, religious and foreign policy, or her relationship with Mary, Queen of Scots.

The documents offer students a chance to develop their powers of evaluation and analysis and support their course work. Alternatively, teachers may wish to use the collection to develop their own resources or encourage students to 'curate' their own 'exhibition' of the most significant sources on the topic. All documents are supported with some contextual information. Transcripts are provided and more difficult vocabulary is explained in square brackets.

Introduction
By Dr Tracy Borman
Elizabeth I is one of the most celebrated monarchs in British history. She was also the longest-reigning Tudor. Yet, as the younger of two daughters born to Henry VIII, she was never supposed to be queen at all.

Elizabeth was just two years and eight months old when her mother, Anne Boleyn, was convicted for treason and executed. Her parents' marriage had been annulled prior to Anne's execution, which rendered Elizabeth illegitimate. The birth of her half-brother Edward the following year made her prospects of inheriting the throne even more distant. But thanks to his premature death in 1553 after just six years as king, followed by the short and disastrous reign of her half-sister Mary, Elizabeth at last came into her inheritance in 1558.

There was great rejoicing across the kingdom upon Elizabeth's accession. Church bells were rung and bonfires were lit, and thousands of people gathered to drink and make merry. Beneath the euphoria, however, lay the deep-seated prejudice against female rulers that had existed for centuries. The vast majority of Elizabeth's new subjects believed that women were naturally inferior to men in every respect. They had neither the intelligence nor the strength of character to make their own way in the world. Even Elizabeth's closest adviser, William Cecil, was furious when one of the queen's messengers discussed with her a dispatch for her ambassador in Paris, exclaiming that it was 'too much for a woman's knowledge.'

Whereas Mary Tudor had confirmed such prejudices during her brief but turbulent reign, Elizabeth set out to confound them. Although she shared her male subjects' views on the inferiority of women, she saw herself as an exception and was determined to stamp her authority upon all aspects of her court and government. She started by refusing to marry - a deeply shocking concept in an age when it was universally accepted that a woman (let alone a queen) could not make her way in the world without the guidance of a husband. But Elizabeth was adamant: 'I will have but one mistress here, and no master', she told her courtiers. Although she encountered fierce resistance to this at first, over time her single state became one of the cornerstones of her success: it secured her place as the Virgin Queen of legend.

Another part of Elizabeth's strategy to win over her misogynistic new subjects was to refer to herself time and again in masculine terms. She was a 'prince' who led her people with just as much authority as her formidable father, Henry VIII. But she also knew exactly when to flaunt her femininity. She created a court based upon the principles of chivalric love, with herself at the centre - at turns delighting, frustrating and enslaving the male courtiers who flocked to pay her homage. She would also use her womanly 'weaknesses' as an excuse not to take action. When under intense pressure to sign the death warrant of Mary, Queen of Scots, she told a parliamentary delegation that 'my sex doth not permit it.'

Elizabeth's first biographer, William Camden, claimed that she had 'surprised her sex'. This implies that she triumphed in spite of being a woman, whereas in fact she triumphed because of this. Her feminine traits enabled her to stand out in a world dominated by men - and to dominate these men in turn.

The other keynote of Elizabeth's queenship was her extraordinary self-discipline. She always put the interests of her country ahead of her own private hopes and fears - including the love she bore for her long-standing favourite, Robert Dudley. Her long reign witnessed a number of notable achievements: a new, moderate religious settlement, overseas expansion, great military victories like the Armada and a flowering of cultural life epitomised by Shakespeare. Little wonder that it has been described as a 'Golden Age'.

But there was another side to the story too. Seen by most of Catholic Europe as a heretical and (thanks to her infamous mother Anne Boleyn) illegitimate usurper, from the very beginning of her reign Elizabeth was beset by rival claimants. The most deadly of them all was Mary, Queen of Scots, who was a thorn in the English queen's side for almost 30 years. Elizabeth also courted opposition thanks to being notoriously parsimonious when it came to supplying and paying her troops - notably the sailors who won her most celebrated victory in 1588. A succession of failed harvests and economic hardship during the later years of her reign added to the climate of dissatisfaction, and prompted Elizabeth to introduce two new poor laws.

Despite all of this, Elizabeth won widespread adulation among her people as 'Gloriana' and 'Good Queen Bess', and transformed their attitude towards female rulers. It was a legacy that all subsequent queens had cause to be grateful for - none more so than her namesake, our current queen.

Dr Tracy Borman is a best-selling author and historian, and is also joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces. She is a specialist on the Tudor period, and her books include: 'Elizabeth's Women: The hidden story of the Virgin Queen' and, most recently, 'The Private Lives of the Tudors'.

External links

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Elizabeth I's monarchy - The National Archives

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Clothes in the Elizabethan Era were much more elaborate then clothes in other eras. With the queen being dedicated to fashion, clothing was a way of showing your status. Stockings, long thick dresses, and collars were worn on those with higher statuses. The commoners who didn't have enough money to copy the designs exactly used cheaper material to try and copy the higher ups. The people often reused and recycled their clothing trying to use it as most as possible.

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Clothes in the Elizabethan era (1558-1603 CE) became much more colourful, elaborate, and flamboyant than in previous periods. With Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE) herself being a dedicated follower of fashion, so, too, her court and nobles followed suit. Clothing was an important indicator of status so that those who could afford it were careful to wear the correct colours, materials, and latest fashions from Continental Europe. Heavy brocade, stockings, tight-fitting doublets, long billowing dresses embellished with pearls and jewels, knee-length trousers, stiff linen collars or ruffs, and feathered hats were all staple elements of the wardrobes of the well off. The commoners, meanwhile, attempted to follow the new designs as best they could using cheaper materials, but those who tried to dress beyond their station had to beware the authorities did not fine them and confiscate the offending item.

The Historical Record

Reconstructing what exactly people wore and when has its problems. Cloth, of course, is not a very good survivor at the best of times. There are a few rare surviving examples such as a woollen shirt and breeches set belonging to a man who died after falling into a peat bog on the Isle of Shetland. However, these are few and far between. In addition to the ravages of time, the Elizabethans typically repaired and then cut and reused their clothes to get the longest life from them. The shabbiest clothes would then have been used as rags. Consequently, our knowledge of Elizabethan fashion often comes from secondhand sources such as written descriptions, sumptuary laws, and representations in art.

The pictorial record for the Elizabethan period is, fortunately, a very rich one in terms of portraits and so for the higher classes we have ample information on the type of clothing worn, at least on special occasions. Illustrations in contemporary books are another valuable source, especially for the poorer classes. To modern eyes, Elizabethan clothes seem rather stiff and heavy but we should remember that in 16th century CE England and in the absence of adequate indoor heating just about everywhere, the best way to keep out the cold was one's wardrobe.

As the Elizabethan period wore on, regions like East Anglia & Kent saw the arrival of immigrants (especially Dutch & Italians) with cloth-manufacturing skills.

The increasing population of England in the 16th century CE stimulated a corresponding growth in the cloth and clothing industries. Wool was the main material and there were four sheep for every person in England in the 1550s CE. At the same time, an increased contact with northern Europe saw new ideas and fashions spread, creating a demand for brighter colours and lighter materials. Unworked and undyed cloth was England's most important export, especially to Antwerp. However, inflation and disruptions to international trade caused by the Anglo-Spanish war led to a decline in the second half of the 16th century CE.

The manufacture of clothing for the domestic market became more sophisticated with a greater use of small machines to help in some stages of the process. These included the Dutch loom and stocking-frame knitting machine. The once staple wool, felt, and worsted clothing was now supplemented with lighter fabrics - especially cotton, linen, fustian (cotton and linen), and sometimes silk - while even the traditional materials became finer in quality and texture. Yarnspinners, weavers and dyers all worked independently and usually in their own homes. There were, as yet, no factories, even if workers were semi-professionals and many diverse households might produce for a single large-scale dealer, known as a clothier.

The Welsh borders, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Hampshire had long-enjoyed a reputation as the best places for English cloth manufacture. As the Elizabethan period wore on, regions like East Anglia and Kent saw the arrival of immigrants (especially Dutch and Italians) with cloth-manufacturing skills, which greatly increased the quality of local production. Hybrid fabrics lighter than the traditional English ones were produced which created new demand and, because they wore out quicker, increased sales in the longterm. The new varieties of cloth or 'new draperies' went under many names such as bays, says, serges, perpetuanas, shaloons, and grosgraines.

The Aristocracy
Men's Clothes
For men, linen underclothes (shirt and long shorts) were often embroidered and given lace decoration. Outer clothing was made of all the materials mentioned above. Additional options worn only by the aristocracy because of their expense included velvet, damask (an elaborately woven fabric of diverse material), and silk. Trousers were knee-length ('Venetian breeches') or thigh-length (trunkhose), and were often billowed out over the upper thighs and hips; later versions had pockets. Trousers often featured a codpiece which was a padded covering of the crotch. Sometimes of impressive proportions (but less so than during Henry VIII of England's reign, 1509-1547 CE), the codpiece could be unbuttoned or untied separately from the trousers when required. By the end of the century, they were replaced by the button or tied fly.

The most common upper garment for men was the doublet, a short, stiff, tight-fitting jacket which was made of wool, leather, or thick fabric. Just as today, minor changes became a sign of fashion such as the lower hem of the doublet, which started off straight but then developed into a deep V-form pointing downwards at the front. A curiosity of some doublets was the peascod - extra padding over the abdomen to imitate armour but which ended up making the wearer look as if he was strutting like a peacock. Such padding, known as 'bombast', consisted of wool, cotton or horsehair and was used in other areas to create fashionable shapes to outer clothing. Detachable collars and cuffs were highly fashionable too and were made from stiffened linen or lace. As the century wore on the ruffs became ever-more outlandish and required wire supports.

The doublet might have sleeves which could be detachable and it was closed using hooks, laces, or buttons. The shoulders could have wings and decorative tabs hanging at the waist known as 'pickadills'. On top of a doublet in colder weather, a man might wear a jerkin waistcoat and on top of that a coat which could be of any length, cut, and material. Cloaks and semi-circular capes were also worn. Trousers and upper garments were often slashed vertically in places so that underclothing or a lighter lining material could bulge through the gaps in a decorative way.

Some dyes were expensive to produce such as scarlet & black & so these were another indication of wealth & status.

Leather was popular for some outer garments, belts, gloves, hats, and shoes. Leather was sometimes made more decorative by tooling it. Shoes for men were typically square-toed and without a noticeable heel. Earlier types of footwear were slip-on, but laces and buckles came into fashion by the end of Elizabeth's reign. Courtiers often wore fancy slipper-like shoes made from silk or velvet. Leather boots were worn when riding.

Colours often contrasted in the same outfit. All colours came from natural dyes and so the most common for the aristocracy were red, blue, yellow, green, grey, and brown. As natural dyes tend to fade relatively quickly (although outer clothes were rarely washed at all but were only brushed), wearing the brightest colours clearly showed one had the newest of clothes. Some dyes were expensive to produce such as scarlet and black and so these were another indication of wealth and status. Buttons, typically small in size but large in number, were a similar badge of wealth with the cheapest using wood, bone or horn and the more dazzling made using gold, silver, or pewter. Similarly, instead of buttons a garment might be closed or joined to another by tying a ribbon through matching holes. These ribbons were known as 'points' and the ends could be decorated with pieces of metal. In the absence of pockets, both men and women wore belts or girdles from which were suspended purses, daggers, and rapiers for men, and mirrors, grooming kits, and fans for women.

Women's Clothes

Aristocratic women often wore long dresses which had not changed very much since the Middle Ages. The kirtle dress was fitted and very long so that the feet of the wearer were almost hidden. On top of this other garments were worn. Skirts were free-flowing early in Elizabeth's reign, but there then developed a fashion for rigid skirts in the shape of a bell or cylinder. These forms were created by a series of hoops inside the material or in an undergarment. This latter construction was known as a wheeled farthingale and it had a padded roll around the waistline to push the exterior garment outwards so that the material of the dress then fell perpendicular.

An alternative to the kirtle was wearing a series of light skirts (petticoats) combined with a bodice which was usually a stiff garment made from wool and which emphasised a narrow waistline. Bodices gave support to or even constricted the upper body. They were given rigidity by inserting thin pieces of whalebone, wood or metal. Finer bodices were closed using buttons or hooks. Sometimes a reinforcing piece of wood called a 'busk' was inserted at the front of the bodice and held in position using a ribbon in the centre of the chest (which survives to this day in some undergarments). The bodice could be fastened at the front, side or back. As with the hemlines of men's waistcoats, the neckline of women's bodices varied in cut. In the mid-16th century CE, the cut was low, then rose over time and finally became low-cut again by the end of the century. Aristocratic women wore sleeves to their bodice if it were worn as an outer garment.

A third alternative was to wear a gown which was essentially a skirt and bodice attached together and worn over undergarments. These were the most extravagant of the Elizabethan garments and were typically worn with false sleeves and decorated with pearls, jewels and gold brocade.

Children of the wealthy were typically dressed as if they were miniature adults. In addition, boys up to the age of five or six were often dressed as the girls were with plenty of frilly lace and brocade.

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The Commoners

Commoners wore similar clothes to the aristocracy but made along much simpler lines and with cheaper materials. Workers obviously did not wear restrictive clothing when doing their daily tasks. Materials such as cheaper linen, linen canvas, hemp canvas, and lockram (from coarse hemp) were all used for everyday working clothes that needed to be durable to wear and weather. For this reason, hems were sometimes made of more durable material so that they could take the extra wear and tear and be easily replaced if necessary to give the garment a longer life. Aprons of thick fabric or leather were worn to protect clothes, too. For a special outfit, an affordable luxury was satin (about ten times cheaper than damask). As some dyes were expensive, grey and brown shades were the most common colours in the clothing of the poorer classes.

Travelling salesmen and local mercers would have sold simple clothes like stockings and underclothes. For more elaborate outerwear, a specialised tailor or seamstress would have made the clothes on demand. Hose or loose-fitting stockings remained popular with men, although fashionable aristocrats would have preferred trunkhose. Shorter stockings tied with a garter and ribbon at the knee were popular with all classes. Lower class women sometimes wore sleeveless bodices and fastened them using laces, something upper-class women did not do. A wool or linen cap or flat hat was commonly worn, even indoors. Hats for the rich were sometimes made with fur (especially beaver) while commoners might use straw, felt, or leather. Shoes were as mentioned above but workers sometimes wore ankle-boots made of leather.

Silk, ribbons, and lace were luxury items but could be easily added in moderation to even plain clothes to make them more attractive. This was especially so as the English followed the fashion trends set by the French and Italians whose upper classes favoured more ostentatious clothing. The trend for elaborate decoration then trickled down to all classes.

Controlling Fashion

Elizabeth was the last monarch to impose sumptuary laws (notably in 1559 and 1597 CE) to curb extravagant spending on clothing and ensure the elite remained the only ones with the finest clothes. There was genuine concern that young men, in particular, outspent their inheritances in trying to keep up with the fashions set by the richer members of society. Consequently, there were strict rules on who could wear certain types of clothes, certain materials, and certain colours. There were other reasons to limit dress such as the religious views of Protestantism that called for more austere clothing, and the fact that finer and more dazzling clothes typically came from abroad and so hurt the sales of plainer home production.

Examples of restrictions included only earls or higher ranks being able to wear gold cloth. Only royalty could wear purple and only peers and their relations could wear wool garments made abroad. Servants of anyone lower than a gentleman could not wear fur of any kind, and commoners were banned from wearing stockings made from material costing more than a certain price per yard. Anyone caught breaking these sumptuary laws risked various degrees of fines and having the article of clothing confiscated. The fact that such fines were in place illustrates, though, that many Elizabethans of all classes were willing to pay any price to wear the finest fashions of the day.

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Clothes in the Elizabethan era (1558-1603 CE) became much more colourful, elaborate, and flamboyant than in previous periods. With Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE) herself being a dedicated...

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London and its living conditions during Shakespeare time

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London and its living conditions during Shakespeare time

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London in the 1600's was home to around 100,000 people. These people were mixed with migrants from other European countries and people who were born there. The streets of London were very crowded bringing many diseases to one who may just be walking on the street. Thieves were common to due to the overcrowding. Plague a disease that is well known would strike London every summer in the 1600's with about 10,000 being killed every summer. Besides the sidewalks there was really no open roads. Due to the overcrowding homes were being built on every piece of land that was open.

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In this fact sheet, students will learn about London, the place where Shakespeare spent most of his working life and the people and places which may have influenced him.
A printable version of this Fact Sheet is available in the downloads section below.
Shakespeare's London
Although William Shakespeare worked in London theatres, plays were performed outside London; there was a theatre in Bristol, for example. Theatre companies also toured the all over the country, performing outdoors and in town halls. But Shakespeare spent most of his working life in London.
Why London?
London was the biggest and richest city in England; it was the home of the first permanent playhouses. Wealthy traders and manufacturers - and their workers - lived there. They had the money to go to the theatre. By 1600, London's theatre-goers numbered 20,000 per week. London was also home to royalty and much of the nobility. Rich noblemen became patrons of theatre companies, giving financial and legal support. Royalty also supported the theatre. From 1603 to 1613, Shakespeare's company played at the court of King James about 15 times per year.
What was London like?
London wasn't just big; it was also growing fast, mostly due to migrants from the countryside and from Europe. Between 1550 and 1600 it is estimated the city grew from around 50,000 residents to over 200,000. Inside the city's old medieval walls, every available space was being built on. Outside, the suburbs grew steadily into the countryside.

London was a bustling, overcrowded city. In 1599, a Swiss visitor said, "one simply cannot walk along the streets for the crowds". Another visitor called the crowded streets "dark and narrow". The dark attracted thieves and the overcrowding brought disease. Plague struck most summers; in 1593 about about 10,000 people were killed and all the theatres were closed. In 1607, John Donne called it "London, plaguey London, full of danger and vice".

Part of a panorama of London by Claes Van Visscher, 1616, showing London Bridge spanning across the Thames.
What were the city's landmarks?
St Paul's Cathedral was the biggest of London's 120 churches. It had a tower almost 300 feet tall; people could climb to the top. Inside, as well as worship, crowds gathered to socialise or do business - which attracted pick-pockets and prostitutes. Outside, the cathedral was used as a market and it was London's centre for bookselling. There was also an outside pulpit, where, Baron Waldstein said weekly "open air services...last nearly 3 hours".

The Tower of London was London's old medieval fortress. By 1600 it housed rooms for the royal family, a treasury, a prison, a weapons store, a zoo and the royal mint, where nearly all England's coins were made.

London Bridge was the only bridge in London. It joined the City of London, on the north bank of the Thames, with Southwark on the south bank, where the Globe Theatre was. It was about 800 feet long and supported by 20 pillars, through which the river rushed. There were houses and shops either side of the bridge. John Stow, a historian from the time, said that "it seemeth rather a continual street than a bridge". London Bridge wasn't the only way to cross the Thames. People who were in a rush, or had money, could pay to cross the river by boats called 'water taxis'. In Shakespeare's time there were around 3,000 of them!
Where did Shakespeare live and work in London?
Shakespeare lived and worked in London from about 1590 to about 1613. But where exactly?

St Helen's: In the mid-1590's, Shakespeare lived in the London parish of St Helens, just north of London Bridge and close to The Theatre and The Curtain playhouses. We know he was twice assessed for taxes there - and failed to pay both times.

Paris Gardens: From about 1598-1602, he seems to have lived in the Paris Gardens area of Bankside south of the river near The Globe, where he worked.

Silver Street: From about 1602, Shakespeare rented lodgings in the Silver Street house of the Mountjoys, a family of French immigrants who made expensive hats.

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In this fact sheet, students will learn about London, the place where Shakespeare spent most of his working life and the people and places which may have influenced him.A printable version of this Fact Sheet is available in the downloads section below.Shakespeare's LondonAlthough William Shakespeare worked in London theatres, plays were performed outside London; there was a theatre in Bristol, for example.

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London in the early 1600's was driven by violence. The separation of classes and the fact that food prices were getting to expensive for a commoner to afford fueled London's commoners. Many protests for food shortages that was becoming famine ended with violence due to the fact having money solves all the upper classes problems. In the 1590's Queen Elizabeth attempted to limit challenges and duel yet her trying to stop it made people want to do it more. The rate jumped from 5 recorded duels in the late 1500's to 20 a decade later. Brawling did start to decline due to the rates of duels

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Fights, brawls, feuds and duels in Romeo and Juliet and Elizabethan England

What's the first thing you think of when someone says Romeo and Juliet? It's probably 'love'. But it might surprise you that its original audiences were just as likely to have regarded violence as the leitmotif of the play - in the form of civil brawls, street fights and family discord.

Violence was an insistent reality for the Elizabethans, a constant danger but also a sensational experience when performed on stage. The Curtain playhouse in Shoreditch, where Romeo and Juliet wasprobably first performed, was an unfortunate centre for street violence. The scholar Chris Fitter, in an article about quarrels on the streets of London, notes a large-scale brawl taking place outside the Curtain in 1584. 1590s London was driven by violence, fuelled by class conflicts and the anxiety caused by cripplingly high grain prices. One can imagine what resonance Benvolio's words 'For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring' (3.1) had for the audience watching Romeo and Juliet, many of whom had memories of the riots of June 1595, when Londoners took to the streets to protest a food shortage that was fast becoming famine.

Shakespeare's first audiences were also wearily familiar with upper-class gang feuds, like that between the Montagues and the Capulets.

Shakespeare's first audiences were also wearily familiar with upper-class gang feuds, like that between the Montagues and the Capulets. The social historian Lawrence Stone records bloody battles in Fleet Street and the Strand, which often escaped the authorities. The Tudor monarchs all issued proclamations against fighting in public. In the 1590s, Elizabeth attempted to limit elite violence to the less destructive private confrontation of the duel. As a result, the number of recorded duels and challenges jumped from just five in the 1580s to nearly twenty a decade later. However, the street fights didn't cease. Elizabethan violence seemed untameable, even if aristocratic brawling did decline in the face of climbing duelling rates.

Duels generally caused less damage and were bound by etiquette and rules, unlike street fights. Italian fencing manuals were popular among young men, and Italian fencing instructors thrived in London in the 1580s and 90s (when Shakespeare was writing Romeo and Juliet). The Italian vocabulary seeped through to the language of violence of Romeo and Juliet as well. Mercutio uses Italian fencing terms, such as 'alla stoccado', 'passado' and 'punto reverso' (different kinds of rapier thrusts), which mild-natured Benvolio fails to understand.

However, it was not only the Italian fencing language and the new weapons that fueled dueling in England. An underlying and more significant reason was a crisis in masculine honour among aristocracy. Jennifer Low, in Manhood and the Duel: Masculinity in Early Modern Drama and Culture, argues that the practice of duelling was so central to the notion of the courtier that its meaning helped to define the aristocracy of the period as a whole. Offending a gentleman's honour could easily provoke a duel - and these so-called honour duels worked to publicise and enhance the masculinity of the gentlemen involved. Viewed in this light, Romeo and Juliet seems very much a play of its age, offering what Jill Levenson calls 'a panoramic view of violence in Elizabethan England'.

FINIS.

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These violent delights have violent ends | Blogs & features

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Fights, brawls, feuds and duels in Romeo and Juliet and Elizabethan England What's the first thing you think of when someone says Romeo and Juliet? It's probably 'love'. But it might surprise you that its original audiences were just as likely to have regarded violence as the leitmotif of the play - in the form of civil brawls, street fights and family discord.

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Queen Elizabeth was very fond of the theater and many playwrights got their start under her rule. Many playhouses were built for her to view plays in private. She was a huge fan of literature and had many plays written by Shakespeare preformed in her private theater. Many businessmen wanted to close the theater due to workers sneaking off mid day to see plays. Yet the Queen liked theaters and they couldn't go in the way of the Queen.

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Playwrights Flourishing Theater Playwrights like Shakespeare, Marlow, Fletcher, Middleton, and Johnson got their start under Queen Elizabeth's reign. sometimes, she even was willing to try out their new works in her private theatre. Secular Drama At the beginning of Elizabeth's

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The original globe theater was built in 1599 but was destroyed in a fire in 1613. It was rebuilt many years later but was forced to close down. While the original was being built their landlord refused to renew the lease while all the timbers was still on the land. Shakespeare and the company sneaked on the land with weapons and got the timbers back. Shakespeare was in fact a shareholder of the theater having a share of 12.5 percent. Only paying 10 pounds for his share.

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Situated on London's Bankside, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre reconstructs the open-air playhouse where the playwright penned his greatest work.

Many people ask, What was the name of Shakespeare's Theater?

The Globe Theatre is it's official name!

Take a look at our 10 dramatic Shakespeare's Globe Theatre facts, including...

The remarkable story of the first Globe Theatre

And how it burnt down

The remarkable story of the new Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

And how they've tried to protect it from burning down like the last one

And much more

1. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Stands 400 Years and Only Yards Away From the Original

Completed in 1997, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is third Globe Theatre to have been built on the Southbank of the Thames. The original Globes were located just a street further back from the river. The original globe theatre was built in 1599, and was destroyed by fire in 1613. It was rebuilt a year later, but turned into tenement buildings in 1644 after puritanical fears about stage plays meant London theatres were forced to close in 1642.

2. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Was Rebuilt to be as Similar to the Original Globe as Possible

The Third Globe-what is known as Shakespeare's Globe Theatre-was designed to be as close to Globes One and Three as possible. A great deal of research went into the shape and layout of the original theatres, and the type of wood and building techniques used. It is made of the same wood-green oak-the original builders would have used, and the timbers are fixed together using wooden pegs. Of course, modern health and safety measures had to incorporated into the design, including the lining of the thatched roof with fire-retardant material.

3. Building the Original Globe Was a Drama in Itself

The original Globe was built by the theatre company Shakespeare was in, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later known as the King's Men). It was erected using timbers recycled from The Theatre in Shoreditch, the first playhouse to put on Shakespeare's work. Their old landlord, a Mr Allen, wouldn't say 'recycled'. He'd prefer the word 'stolen'.

The story goes that Mr Allen refused to renew their lease for the land The Theatre stood on. So the company-including Shakespeare-armed with daggers and cudgels, snuck onto Allen's land while he was away for Christmas. They took all the main timbers and stored them in a yard north of the Thames.

4. Shakespeare Was Part-Owner of the Theatre

The family of Richard Burbage, the company's leading actor, had built The Theatre at Shoreditch, but didn't have the money to lease a site for the new playhouse. So they asked for investment from some members of the company. William Shakespeare became a 12.5% shareholder in the Globe Theatre, paying £10 for his share. Now they just needed someone to write some hugely popular plays so they could get bums on the seats and returns on their investment...

5. It's Always Been a Midsummer Destination

Because of its open-air aspect, The Globe has always been a fair-weather destination for watching a performance. Back in Shakespeare's time, the company would move indoors to perform during winter. The same is true today, with winter performances taking play in the adjoining Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. But tours of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, which offer a wealth of insights into the theatre as it was in The Bard's time and as it operates today, are available year round. They are free with a London Pass. You can also check out other fascinating things to do in London in our write up.

6. Shakespeare Referenced The Globe in His Work

Henry V mentions "this wooden O," in the play of the same name. Prospero speaks of "the great globe itself," in a pivotal moment during The Tempest. It makes sense that he would. Firstly, as a tribute to a place that was so important to him. Also, there's something particularly engaging and inclusive about someone on stage referring to the place where all the players and the crowd are assembled-"Good evening, Glastonbury!"

7. And Might Have Paraphrased Its Motto

It is said-although sources are pretty thin on the ground-that the motto of the Globe was Totus mundus agit histrionem, meaning 'The whole world is a playhouse.' This is remarkably similar to the famous phrase from As You Like It: "All the world is a stage."

8. They Used to Flag Up the Genre

Different flags were used to signpost what kind of play was being performed that day. Flying high above the theatre, they were a good way of advertising the genre of the performance, or notifying prospective theatre-goers of a last-minute cancellation. This was true of many Elizabethan theatres. Black flags were raised for tragedy plays. Red ones announced history plays. Comedies were signalled by the flying of white flags. So that's why they didn't put on my one man show, The Tragic Life of a Very Funny Person Who Lived a Billion Years Ago. It wasn't that it was a steaming pile of pretentious nonsense. It was a question of flags. Of course!

9. They Built It Along the Lines of the Coliseum in Rome (Just a Bit Smaller)

Many Elizabethan playhouses were. The tiered seating areas ring around the stage. In the past, they could hold up to 3000 spectators, but now spectators get a little more wiggle room for when legs start twitching around Act Four.

Those watching from 'The Pit', the standing area at the foot of the stage, were (not very respectfully) nicknamed 'groundlings'. These were the cheaper than cheap seats. So cheap that they weren't seats at all. But you could watch plays from the pit for just a penny. In Shakespeare's Globe Theatre-the theatre that stands today-this is still the most affordable place from which to watch a performance. Nowadays, you can get tickets for as little as a fiver.

10. Henry VIII Burnt Down Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Woah! You clicked on it! A history-related bit of clickbait. AHAHAHA GOTCHA! Alright, sorry, this site doesn't work like that. It wasn't that Henry VIII burnt down Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He did a lot of terrible things in his time. But he was dead near 20 years before Shakespeare was born.

On June 29th, 1613, during a performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, some small cannons were fired, with no balls inside them, but using real gunpowder. The thatched roof caught alight. The whole thing burned down in around an hour. No one was hurt. But one man's trousers caught fire. Luckily, someone close to him threw some beer over the flames.

So, those were our Shakespeare's Globe Theatre fun facts. But before you exit this blog (pursued by a bear), take a look at our guide to taking the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre tour here.

It's free with The London Pass.

So Let's Wrap up the Important Points Below:

The Globe Theatre's Famous Beginnings

The Globe Theatre, intimately tied to William Shakespeare, stands as an icon in the world of theater. Built in 1599 and nestled in London's heart, this venue was the birthplace of many Shakespearean masterpieces. A curious detail? The timbers framing this historic theater were sourced from an older playhouse.

Shakespeare's Stage: More than Just a Theatre

The Globe was more than a venue; it was where stories came alive. Although widely acknowledged as Shakespeare's playground, its true identity lay in its name, the Globe Theatre. Sitting by London's River Thames, its distinct round shape became the home for Shakespeare's legendary tales. Most of his plays were performed on this very stage. And for those curious about its capacity? The Globe had space for about 3,000 attendees, who usually opted to stand in its open air yard.

Rediscovering The Globe Today

Thinking of visiting London? Excited to walk where Shakespeare once did? There's good news! A tribute, aptly named "Shakespeare's Globe", stands a stone's throw away from where the original once did. This re-engineered attraction represents Shakespeare's lasting impact. Don't miss out on this amazing experience!

Globe Theatre Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What did Shakespeare do in the Globe Theatre?
A. At the Globe Theatre, William Shakespeare not only penned some of his most iconic plays but also acted and was a shareholder in the theatre's operations.

Q. Does Shakespeare's Globe Theatre still exist?
A. While the original Globe Theatre no longer stands, a faithful replica, known as "Shakespeare's Globe," was constructed close to its original site and stands today as a testament to the Bard's enduring legacy.

Q. Why is Shakespeare's theatre called the Globe?
A. Shakespeare's theatre was named "the Globe" because it symbolized the idea that the theatre looked like a "wooden O" representing the world, as mentioned in the prologue to his play, "Henry V."

Q. What plays did Shakespeare write in the Globe Theatre?
A. While at the Globe Theatre, Shakespeare wrote several of his renowned works, including "Julius Caesar," "Macbeth," "Othello," and "Hamlet," among others.

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Did You Know? 10 Facts about Shakespeare's Globe Theatre | The London Pass®

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Before you visit Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, you'll want to learn your lines. Here are 10 dramatic facts about The Globe.