Week 1 Life In Elizabethan England

Elizabethan England had a tremendous financial divide, it was heavily dominated by the rich and powerful upper class. This was a period which was only enjoyed by a selective few, most of the country however endured difficult lifestyles. One quarter of the country was Barron wilderness made up of hills heath and vast moors. Many citizens lived and worked in the country and struggled to survive. large families of seven or eight people lived among these primitive wastelands, this was due to lack of protection as well as relying on their children to help work and earn money and later looking after them when they grow older. These families lived in incredibly basic housing constructed of mud, stone and thatched roofing. The conditions of these primitive abodes were dark and cramped as these families could not afford to sustain light for too long. Due to  the poor construction of these homes, inhabitants were left vulnerable to the cold weather and disease.

an illustration displaying the English countryside in the Elizabethan era 

During the Elizabethan period job opportunities were not brilliant. In the country most people worked in agriculture as laborers, working long hours on various farms. As jobs were limited many people living in rural areas had to float from place to place, searching for farms which would employ them on a daily or in most cases casual basis. Laborers daily salaries would be a 'Groat' also known as a four pence. This was not nearly sustainable for families with children. The rich however lived very different lives. Their homes were far more grand, they enjoyed extravagant feasts and joyous dancing however there were a group which may had less wealth but far more power, this group were known as the gentry. The gentry held positions of upmost importance such as magistrates, sheriffs and MPs, together they practically ran the entire country. The rich had the presence of servants in their household, the richer the household, the greater number of servants. Cleanliness was a vital part of culture and sophistication. Due to most water being contaminated, clean water was reserved for parts of the body which show such as face and hair. Therefore the rock kept themselves clean by washing their clothes and applied perfume to improve the smell of clothes, bodies and hair.

Typical horse and carriage

The poor during this period would travel entirely on foot. The rich however traveled by coaches pulled by horse. This craze took the country by storm and soon the amount of coaches dramatically increased. The greater number of coaches meant that the price dropped therefore even lower reaches of the gentry could travel in this way. At the time the queen had many enemies due to her being a Protestant ruler. As a result of this she had a large network of spies which reported any treachery among the ranks of the gentry. The rich may of been far better off than the poor majority of the population however they certainly were not untouchable.

Entertainment was a very prevalent to people in Elizabethan society. Life was hard for both the poorest and the wealthiest at times. The morality rate was high due to frequent outbreaks of horrific diseases such as the Bubonic Plague and life expectancy was disturbingly lower than it is today. Feasts, jousts and extravagant banquets were common occurrences among the rich. For the poorer members of the population means of entertainment included acting troupes, lower level jousting and tournaments, dance, trained animals and animal sports stretching from cock fighting to bear fighting. The poor population also enjoyed mystery plays (re-enacting stories from the bible) strolling players and jugglers. The upper class also followed sport such as archery, bowling, tennis and dice, hammer throwing, quoits, wrestling and quarter- staff contests which were duels fought with staffs. Gambling, hunting and hawking were also forms of entertainment during Elizabethan England particularly with the wealthy upper class.

a depiction of a hanging

Public executions were a common occurrence. These public displays of cruelty were effective ways of reminding the public of the government's power and means of social control. However for the masses public executions were incredibly popular as a form of entertainment. Huge crowds flocked to these demonstrations of violence Most law breakers were hung by the neck until dead however noble offenders were allowed to be beheaded as oppose to hanging. Traitors of the crown were punished by being hung, drawn and quartered this was the most grisly and painful punishment which was rarer than the other forms of execution however when it did occur crowds lapped it up in their masses.

The Elizabethan period may be regarded as the "golden age" due to culture and economic growth as well the blossoming of poetry and theatre and the beginning for the British Empire. However there were heightened religious tension between Protestant and Catholic Christian beliefs. This was down to the country's recent exit from the Roman Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England, initiated by King Henry VIII, Elizabeth's father. After Henry's heir Edward VI died of tuberculosis at a very young age, Mary I took over and ruled for 5 years. Unlike Henry Mary was a devout Roman Catholic and was very cruel to believers of the opposing religion. She burned over 300 Protestant heretics. She believed any belief opposing that recognized by the crown was treachery and punishable by death. Earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary". In 1554 she married king Phillip of Spain and finalizing the country's transition to a Catholic state. The couple beared no children and the queens half sister Elizabeth succeeded her in 1558.

a portrait of queen Elizabeth 

Elizabeth just like her father was a Protestant therefore the throne reverted back to Protestantism. Elizabeth was not as cruel as her half sister and allowed freedom of religion for Catholics as long as they abided by her laws which did hinder practicing Catholics to worship openly. Due to the country's switch back to heightened political tensions with European countries with Catholic crowns such as Spain. Catholic fractions in England were backed by catholic countries which tried to cause problems and end her reign. Elizabethan England was a Christian nation however the two forms Protestant and Catholic clashed at every turn. Some Elizabethans were puritans which was a much stricter form of Christianity.


Superstitions lingered around society during the Elizabethan era. A combination of ignorance and fear of the unknown allowed superstitions to develop. Due to inadequate medical and technological advances many people clung to superstitions to piece together awful or unexplained events. Fear of unstrung forces and the act of god as well as the strong religious presence allowed superstitions to become a segment of day to day life. One of the most renowned supernatural superstitions in Elizabethan England was witchcraft. The bubonic plague was a very prevalent ordeal in this era which caused the deaths of up to 30-60% of Europe's total population. Ineffective medical care and medicine triggered people into relying on witchcraft as a scape goat. Other events such as unpleasant illness, strange deaths,unsubstantial harvests, various crop failures, fires and other disasters, deaths of animals were all believed to be the work of witches. Women were mostly targeted and accused of being witches, the perfect suspect for townsfolk would be an old, poor, unprotected, independent single woman, normally widows, if they kept a pet it was a bonus. The extreme fear of witchcraft birthed the following superstitions which still play a part today in the idea of witches. A witch would mostly if not always be portrayed as an old grotesque hag. Witches were often thought to keep various animals as pets such as the cat, frog, raven, bat, crow, wolf etc.
Witches were believed to brew magic and insidious potions over a cauldron. Wise woman were often targeted as their knowledge of various herbs aroused suspicion. Finally witches were also known to live alone and independently therefore old widows often became suspects.

People in Elizabethan England were terrified of unnatural forces and the power of religious idols that some bizarre theories were crafted over very mundane events. Many of the following superstitions still come into play in today's society. The tradition of saying "bless you" following a sneeze derived from the belief the devil could enter your body when opening your mouth to let out a sneeze. the words "god bless you" would act as a blessing to prevent this from happening. The superstition that walking under a ladder is thought to bring about bad luck came from the Elizabethan era. walking under ladders was avoided as ladders in those days were associated with the gallows and various other executions. Putting new shoes on the table was thought to bring imminent death. Spilling salt or  pepper was seen as bad luck as these spices were tremendously expensive. Contrasting to the famous superstition in today's society, the event of a black cat crossing your path was deemed incredibly unluckily. This idea spawned from the theory, the colour black was associated with dark magic. Cats were also thought to be kept by witches. The phrase "touch wood' derived from the Celtic superstition that a specific tree contained magical powers which would defend you against bad luck.

Medicine during the Elizabethan era was extremely basic. During this period there were many illnesses that thrived due to lack of sanitation. This was the case in larger towns and cities. There were sewage streams that flowed through the streets. Sometimes the sewage was removed and dumped into rivers for example in the Thames. Creatures such as fleas, rats and lice see these environments as a haven for contracting and spreading filthy diseases. The bubonic plague also known as the black death took the lives of many elizabethans, killing nearly a third of the population. Physians had little understanding in what caused these various diseases. The black plague was spread by being carried by fleas and transmitted by rodents.



Physicians wore some pretty strange garments as seen in the picture the entire body is covered, the face by a bird-like mask, the beak filled with bergamot oil, they wore long robes and their feet and arms were protected by large boots and gloves. Although these outfits looked ridiculous they prevented the physicians from obtaining the disease from their patients. The strange mask prevented the user from breathing the same air as the victim.

Medicine could only be received depending on your wealth or class. The ministrations of the average Physician would be worth 10 shillings, which was far too expensive for most Elizabethans. The Bubonic plague itself was treated with many basic remedies such as a warm poulice of butter,tobacco,onion, garlic, lily root and dried toad. Remedies for head pains included sweet smelling herbs, for example rose, lavender, sage and bay. Stomach pains were combated with mint, balm and wormwood. For wounds vinegar was used as a cleansing agent and letting blooded was carried out by using leeches.

a diagram depicting the interior of the globe

When theatres were introduced plays were not allowed to be performed within the capital. Therefore theatres were established outside of the city, across the Thames in Southwark. Plays were mostly performed in the courtyards of various inns or sometimes in nobleman's households. Nobles had to be careful if any of the material is politically controversial, or challenges the crown which could get them in trouble with the monarch. The first ever theatre was constructed in 1576 called simply 'the theatre'. It was built in Shoreditch. After the construction of 'the theatre' further open theatres were established around london, for example the Rose in 1587, the Hope later in 1613. The most renowned playhouse was the Globe which was constructed in 1599 by Shakespeare's company. These impressive theatres could house several thousand spectators. Most stood in the pit in front of the stage, however nobles and wealthy Elizabethans could afford to watch the action on stage unfold from the comfort of a chair, located at the side of the actual stage. Due to the fact there was no artificial lighting, performances took place in the afternoon to obtain natural lighting. Woman were allowed to attend plays, wealthy ladies usually wore luxurious, well crafted masks to hide their identity. All roles were played by men, even female characters which were usually played by young feminine looking boys.