RESEARCH: Research Shakespeare’s life, ensuring you include information about his origins, family, relationships, the world he lived in and questions surrounding his work.

Birth and childhood

William Shakespeare was probably born on about April 23, 1564 but we don't know his exact birthdate, he was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, on April 26, 1564. 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. Shakespeare attended Stratford's grammar school.

Marriage 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. When they married, Anne was 26 and William was 18.  They spent the rest of their lives in Stratford. In early 1585, the couple had twins, Judith and Hamnet.  Shakespeare worked a lot in London, while his family spent their lives only in Stratford.

London theatre

the first definite mention of Shakespeare was in 1592 as an established London actor, playwright and a partner in a leading acting company.  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 theatre 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 theatre 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

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. 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. There was a memorial bust made for him at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, it was built and approved by people who knew him.

http://www.folger.edu/shakespeares-life

What sense do you get of what life was like in Elizabethan England? Try to include information on: The population, entertainment, religion, superstition, money, jobs, medicine, theatre.

Poverty

Elizabethan England consisted of many people that had different lives. During the 16th Century the population rose dramatically and this, added to other economic pressures, as a result of this many families were unable to support themselves. As the standard of living dropped, it sequenced into a high rate of homelessness and this had a big effect on the country.

Elizabeth's government set about tackling this problem, and introduced a series of Acts which acknowledged that the care of the poor was now the community's responsibility, and that each citizen had to play his part. In this respect the Poor Laws lasted for many years. 

There were several reasons for this increase in poverty. During the reign of Elizabeth I, the population rose from three to four million people. This increase was insinuated due to a rise in fertility and a falling death rate and meant, in simple terms, that the country's resources now had to be shared by a greater number of people. Added to this was the problem of rising prices. In the last years of his reign, Henry VIII had debased the coinage which meant that the proportion of gold and silver in the coins was reduced. In 1560 Elizabeth's government took steps to remedy this by replacing all debased coins with new ones, thus restoring the country's currency to its proper levels. This move served to combat the problem of inflation in the early years of her reign.

London streets

 London was by now the biggest city in Europe with between 130,000 and 150,000 inhabitants. The streets were filled with alehouses, gambling dens and brothels, London was filthy but intriguing, lively but dangerous. And, in addition to its own poor, the city acted as a magnet for beggars, thieves and tricksters from across the country.

They brought in important advancements such as private charity to welfare state, where the care and supervision of the poor was embodied in law and integral to the management of each town. But problems remained. Those who were scraping a living did not qualify for help and continued to struggle. And, as the years wore on and the population continued to increase, the provisions made to care for the poor became stretched to the limit. Steps had been taken by previous monarchs to provide care for those who washed up on London's streets. Edward VI had supplied one of the royal palaces to serve as a house of correction for the poor, known as Bridewell. Here, rather than being punished, vagrants and criminals were given useful tasks to perform as part of their cure. This was an enlightened approach and houses of correction were established in other cities to re-integrate these individuals back into society. During Elizabeth's reign, houses of correction once again served a useful purpose in maintaining social order and keeping vagrants off the streets.

 the public was entertained by street performers, playhouses, and spectacles such as bear baiting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/poverty_01.shtml

Here are some of the notes I gathered by watching the video:

- During the Elizabethan times the rich and powerful were dominate

- A vast majority of the people that lived in the countryside were very poor

- in 1558 Elizabeth was crowned queen

-  Up to 7-8 people would live in a small thatched cottage that was very dark inside and the only light that would be reflected into the cottage was from the windows; the windows are open and as a result of this this meant the cottage was unable to retain heat

- There was an option of buying candles to produce heat but back then candles were very expensive

- depending on what class you were born into you would be divided from the opposite class to you

- looking for a job in the countryside was very limited

- Families would usually drink ale as the water back then was polluted

- It was a struggle to survive for the poor especially if you had a family because of the financial state they were experiencing

Elizabethan Entertainment

Elizabethan Entertainment was extremely important to people who lived in the Elizabethan era. Elizabethan entertainment was popular whenever there was something to celebrate. But the poor people enjoyed entertainment from acting troupes, tournaments, dancing, trained animals, mummers (dancers), mystery plays, jugglers and strolling players. Tournaments, Games, Sports, Gaming and Gambling also played an important part in Elizabethan entertainment.

Elizabethan Entertainment consisted of:

-          Sports and Tournaments

-          Games, Gaming and Gambling

-          Bear and Bull Baiting

-          Hawking and Hunting

-          The Plays and the Theatres

-          Fairs, Festivals, Banquets and Feasts

The Names and Types of Elizabethan Entertainment were as follows:

Jesters - A fool or buffoon at Elizabethan courts

Mummers - A masked or costumed merrymaker or dancer especially at a festival

Minstrels - Travelling musician who sang of legends (declined in the Elizabethan era)

Troubadours - Travelling musician who sang of courtly love (declined in the Elizabethan era)

Acting Troupes - Travelling actors

Jugglers - Also used tricks, deception, or fraud

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-entertainment.htm

Religion

The two major religions in Elizabethan England were the Catholic and Protestant religions. The convictions and beliefs in these different religions were so strong that they led to the executions of many adherents to both of these Elizabethan religions.

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/religion-elizabethan-england.htm

Superstition

There are still Elizabethan superstitions that we follow today:

• don’t walk under a ladder – they are bad luck because they are linked to gallows (the wooden frame for hanging people)
• say ‘Bless you’ when someone sneezes – this is to stop the Devil entering your body through your mouth
• don’t spill salt – salt was very expensive in Elizabethan times, so spilling it was very bad luck
• black cats are unlucky – they were associated with witches

And some ones we don’t:

• if you can touch a condemned man, that’s good luck
• losing your hair suddenly was a sign of bad luck to come

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zmjnb9q/revision/3

Elizabethan Witches and Superstitions - flying, broomsticks, familiars, potions and old crones

Elizabethan Superstitions - Sneezing, Eclipse and the 7th son,of a seventh son, Peacock Feathers, Shoes, Spilling Salt and Pepper, Touch wood, Ladders and Black cats

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-superstitions.htm

Money

Farthing	1/4 penny
Half penny	1/2 penny
Threefarthing	3/4 penny
Penny	1 penny	1d
Half groat	2 pennies	2d
Groat	4 pennies	4d
Sixpence	6 pennies	6d
Shilling	12 pennies	1s
Half crown	30 pennnies	2s 6d
Quarter angel	30 pennies	2s 6d
Crown	60 pennies	5s
Half angel	60 pennies	5s
Angel	120 pennies	10s
Half pound	120 pennies	10s
Ryal	180pence	15s
Pound	240 pence	20s	£1
Fine Sovereign	360 pence	30s	£1 10s

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-period-money-and-currency.htm

Jobs

Here are a list of jobs:

Blacksmith- lowly occupation, but they were the only people who can make amors and weapons.

Butler - in charge for the castle cellar.

Bower - Bow maker.

Candlemaker - the name implies

Carpenter - They were the today's engineer that helps to build house and castle. They are known as elite tradesmen.

Chamberlain - responsible for the entire jobs that has something to do with the Chamber.

Chaplain - They help religious ceremony.

Clothier - They made clothes for Lord and Royal family.

Cook - Chef or cook for certain family.

Cordwainer - Shoes seller during Elizabethan era.

Cottar - known as one of the lowest occupation.

Gardener - They kept taking care of flowers and grasses in the castle.

Gond Farmer - term used for dung.

Harker - they declare announcements given by the queen.

Herbalists - People who planted medical plants.

Jester - Private clown for King's family.

Knight - They fought for their Lord and Royal family.

Messenger - Postman or mail carrier during Elizabethan era.

Moneylender - they were the today's banker.

Page - a work than includes a very young man, usually 7 years old. They are tasked to wait at the table and oversee the Lord's clothes as well as assist in dressing.

Painter - King and royal family hired them for pictures and decoration for their castle.

Physician - They were the today's doctor. They cure sick people.

Potter - They were making plates or cups which were made by clay amd ceramics.

Scribe - unmarried woman.

Steward - assists in the household administration.

Squire - a junior to the knight. They should know what is Code of Chivalry.

Watchman - They look upon the outer side of castles for security.

https://shakespeares2.wikispaces.com/Employment+During+Elizabethan+Era

Medicine

Elizabethan Medicine - tobacco, arsenic, lily root and dried toad.

Elizabethan Medicine was extremely basic in an era when terrible illnesses such as the Bubonic Plague (Black Death ) were killing nearly one third of the population. The underlying cause of many of the Elizabethan illnesses was the lack of sanitation, especially in large towns or cities such as London. There were open sewers in the streets which were also filled with garbage. This was occasionally removed and waste was dumped into the nearest river such as the Thames. Diseases were easily spread in this unsanitary environment where fleas, lice and rats all flourished. There was no running water, this was obtained from water pumps (a main cause of the spread of typhoid ).

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-medicine-and-illnesses.htm

Theatre
The Elizabethan Theatre was a booming business. People loved the Theatre. The Elizabethan plays and theatres were as popular as the movies and cinemas of the early 20th century. Vast amounts of money could be made. The inn-keepers increased their profits by allowing plays to be shown on temporary stages erected in the yards of their inns (inn-yards). Soon purpose-built playhouses and great open theatres were being constructed.
http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-theatre.htm