The Elizabethan Era By: Alex Bastian

The Elizabethan Era
By: Alex Bastian
Overview
– This power point is a brief description of the
important aspects of the Elizabethan era. It
includes the social, political, religious, and
artistic implications of this time period, while
thoroughly discussing the Literature aspect of
it as well. It includes many important people
from this period, and many important facts
that are necessary to know in order to fully
understand the Elizabethan Era.
The Queen
• Queen Elizabeth I was
daughter of King Henry VIII.
She was ruler during the
Elizabethan era. She
reigned for 45 years, from
1558-1603. During her
reign, the period was known
as the Golden age because
of the many achievements
made during the
Elizabethan era.
Facts about the Queen
• Queen Elizabeth was born from King Henry VIII and
Anne Boleyn.
• Her mother was beheaded when she was a baby,
because she was accused of adultery and incest.
• During her reign, there was an increase in literacy rates
and fine arts.
• The Queen was highly intelligent, and could speak
several languages including Latin, Spanish, Welsh, and
French.
Elizabethan Literature
• Literature was extremely important during
this time. It was a form of entertainment as
well as a form of education.
– Romanticism: Literature this time that focused
on philosophical and artistic writing.
– Realism: Literature this time that focused on
every day life.
Literature Continued
• During the Elizabethan era, Poetry and
plays were a major part of writing. Many
people enjoyed viewing plays from
theaters such as the Globe Theater.
Sonnets was the form of poetry that was
most commonly heard during this era.
The Globe Theater
The bottom/ ground level
was for poor commoners
The first level cost a
penny more and had
seats.
The 2nd level was for
rich and royalty. The
seats were
cushioned.
Facts about the Globe
• William Shakespeare built the Globe
Theater.
• It was once torn down, then rebuilt.
• Women were not allowed on stage at the
Globe.
• The ceiling above the stage is beautifully
decorated, while everything else is plain
inside it.
William Shakespeare
Getting to know Shakespeare
• Shakespeare was born April 23,1564, and died
April 23,1616.
• At 18, he married Anne Hathaway.
• He was one of the few fortunate boys to attend
grammar school.
• He began working as an actor and a playwright
when he was in his teens.
Shakespeare’s Writing
• Shakespeare wrote several famous plays and
book-length poems.
• Historians have been led to believe that the
majority of Shakespeare’s writing was not
published, and is somewhere, lost forever.
• His plays were grouped into 3 different
categories
– Tragedy (ex. Romeo& Juliet)
– Comedy (ex. A Midsummer Night Dream)
– History (ex. Richard V.)
Elizabethan Art
• Elizabethan art came in all shapes and
sizes. It was in the form of writing,
sculptures, paintings, and music. During
this era, art had advanced. Much of the
artwork had been textiles, cloth weaving,
and tapestry. Stone, silver, and wood was
used in most of the sculptures. Queen
Elizabeth loved and very much
appreciated art.
Elizabethan Art Examples
Elizabethan Society
• Social classes and rankings were a huge
part of society during the Elizabethan era.
Royals and Nobles were the highest
ranked. The merchant class, however,
began to grow in ranking and size. The
merchant class became extremely
important during the Elizabethan era.
Social Past times
• No matter what social class ranking you
were in, you still enjoyed religious
festivals, tournaments, games, and
watching plays. Festivals were always
held by the Protestant church.
Tournaments included jousting, fencing,
and bull baiting.
Elizabethan Politics
• England was ruled by a monarchy during
the Elizabethan era. The Queen and the
parliament controlled the laws and how the
country was run. The parliament consisted
of two houses: The House of Lords and
The House of Commons. They came up
with the majority of the laws, and the
Queen approved them
Elizabethan Religion
• Religion was an important part of
Elizabethan life. The rise of Puritanism
and the acceptance of Protestant
Reformation took a toll on the Elizabethan
era. The Roman Catholic church had been
outlawed and several laws and provisions
were made that dealt with church and
religion.
Religion Continued
• It was illegal to attend a Catholic service,
also known as Mass. You were fined if
done so.
• You had to attend a church service at least
once a month.
• All festivals were held based on the church
calendar.
Random Facts
• The Elizabethan era was known for its scientific
discoveries in physics and astrology. Sir Isaac
Newton was born in this time period.
• Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world.
• Superstitions such as stirring a pot counter
clockwise and spilling salt were apart of
everyday lives.
• The main meal was eaten at 11 o’ clock and
lasted for 3 hours every day.
Pictures