Life in the Era of Elizabeth Essay Example

turns to you and says, “I’m leaving you for Lord Francis, he can offer me a better life and more attractive children,” she then walks out to a carriage where Lord Francis is waiting. You feel a tinge of sadness, but then you remember the play you just watched and think to yourself that the world isn’t all bad. You pick yourself up, go hug your children (plague and all), and promise each and every one of them that you will give them what you never had, and make their lives as enjoyable as possible. You end up as one of the richest men east of the Mississippi and your children all go to top-tier schools. And to top it all off, you get married to the most beautiful, kind, and intelligent woman that you have ever met. “What made all of this possible?” you may ask. Well, if it weren’t for that fateful day at the theater, one might think you would have ended up in a very, very different place.

A day at the theater in Shakespeare's time would have been a very enjoyable experience; it was a new and exciting form of entertainment, was inexpensive, and provided an escape from the hardships of everyday life. These are just three of the many things that made going to watch plays in Shakespeare’s time (A.K.A. the Elizabethan Era) worthwhile.

First off, the theater was a new and exciting form of entertainment; this was a huge part of what made it so enjoyable. Up until around 1580, the options for entertainment were slim and many were only available to the more high class citizens. Some examples were

banquets, fairs, sports, games, hunting, festivals, and dancing. These were all amusing things to do, but had been mostly the same for centuries and didn’t offer anything new. Of course, there had been plays in existence for quite some time, but it wasn’t until 1576, that theater really began to get experimented with. In 1576, James Burbage had the idea to build a new, permanent theater in London. The theater was “a multi-sided structure with a central, uncovered ‘yard’ surrounded by three tiers of covered seating and a bar, raised stage at one end of the yard” (Shakespeare’s Theater).

Later on, there were also indoor theaters that were built and offered more frequent showing times. In the typical outdoor theater, there were three different areas that spectators could watch the play from. The cheapest was an unsheltered yard, where one would stand on the ground, the stage being at about eye level; these spectators were called groundlings. The next seating option was a balcony seat that was sheltered and known as the galleries. The most expensive seating option was the higher up galleries that had the very best view of the play, this is where the richest people would usually sit (Shakespeare's Audience and Audiences Today). In an indoor theater, because there were less seats, tickets cost more and were harder to afford, especially for the poorer people.

During the play, spectators had the chance to eat a variety of different snacks and even drink alcohol. A few examples include nuts, ale, and oysters! The stage during Shakespeare’s time was generally quite bare and only used props when it needed to. For example, a grave or a

bed would be necessary for certain plot events. Also, characters could come from below, through a trap door, or above, by descending from above the stage. Indoor theaters offered more, including artificial lighting. Not only did this let the plays be performed at night, but they created a more emotional setting. But other than that, there weren’t many options when it came to stage related effects.

Actors in Shakespeare’s plays were very theatrically talented. This meant that along with being great actors, they could sing, play instruments, perform dances, and even fence every once in awhile! Here’s a fun fact, until about 1660, basically every role was played by a male (the women being played by young men usually). The costumes worn on stage were visually appealing, but for the most part not historically accurate. The main actors would instead wear modern clothing that was very fashionable and maybe even worn by nobles at one point or another. Seating, snacks, stage setting, and actors; all these elements contributed to making the experience of going to watch a play at the theater extremely enjoyable.

Secondly, going to the theater during the Elizabethan Era was inexpensive (for the most part). As was said earlier, when it came to seating arrangements at outdoor theaters, there were three options. Standing on ground level, sitting in the lower balcony seats, and sitting in the highest balcony seats. The cheapest, standing on the unsheltered ground level, could be afforded by anyone and only cost a penny. It’s hard to find the exact value of a penny back at the end of the 16th century, but it’s thought to have been able to buy

you a loaf of bread or a bottle of ale (Shakespeare's Audience and Audiences Today). A seat at the lower balcony seats (galleries) cost two pennies which was also pretty cheap. A seat at the upper galleries cost three pennies which weren’t exactly cheap, but wasn’t impossibly expensive.

Indoor theaters on the other hand were much more expensive and tickets started at six pennies. Consequently, going to the theater would’ve been a very enjoyable outing because you wouldn’t be stressed out knowing that you just spent your weeks salary on a three hour play. Instead, you could spend a couple of cents to go to an awesome play and not break your wallet (excluding the indoor theater).

Third, going to the theater would be an enjoyable experience because it provides an escape from the hardships of everyday life. Although rich people don’t have perfect lives by any means, this goes more for the lower class citizens. The majority of people during Shakespeare’s time were uneducated, poor, overworked, underfed, and prone to illness. “Poor children usually began working at very young ages and had neither the time to receive an education nor the money to pay for it.” (Daily Life in the Elizabethan Era) Even though education is important, it’s nowhere near as important as food and water. Meat was hardly ever eaten and the general diet was that of bread, eggs, and dairy products. Even worse than that is the fact that they rarely had clean water to drink! “Elizabethans rarely drank water because it was impure and could lead to sickness. Instead, people of all ages and classes drank wine, flat beer, or weak ale, even

with their morning meal.” (Daily Life in the Elizabethan Era) Perhaps the worst part of being in the lower class was the chance of contracting the Bubonic Plague.

The Bubonic Plague is a disease mostly spread by smaller fleas on certain rodents, especially rats. The Bubonic Plague was said to have wiped out close to half of the population of Europe from 1347-1351. This event was later known as the black death. “A rough estimate is that 25 million people in Europe died from plague during the Black Death” (Black Death). So it was no surprise that when it started resurfacing during the Elizabethan Era people were scared.

Although it wasn’t near as bad, it still claimed the lives of many men, women, and children during Shakespeare’s time, including his two sisters Joan and Margaret. “Margaret only lived for one year. The cause of death has not been documented, but was believed to be due to the Bubonic Plague. Joan died at the age of just two months old. The cause of death was believed to be the Bubonic Plague.” (The Brothers and Sisters of William Shakespeare). As one can see, times were by no means easy back in Shakespeare’s day, especially for poor people. What the theater provided a temporary escape route from all the hardships of people's lives, wealthy or poor.

In conclusion, a day at the theater in Shakespeare’s time would have been more than an enjoyable experience! It was a new and exciting form of entertainment, was inexpensive, and provided an escape from the hardships of everyday life. Compared to the usual entertainment options such as sports, festivals, and fairs, theater offered a different

way to entertain and was new and exciting. Considering what was just said, one might assume that it would be a money consuming activity. Nothing could be farther from the truth. With just one penny (a loaf of breads worth), a person can go enjoy hours of fun. In the Elizabethan Era, fun was something that didn’t happen every day. So it was no surprise when people were drawn to the theater to get away from all the terrible things happening to them everyday. “Would a day at the theater be enjoyable?” you may ask. In the words of Shakespeare, “One man in his time plays many parts.” (William Shakespeare) Many people have chosen their path and went and enjoyed a day at the theater. They did not regret it!