Livin' the LIfe
Of course if anyone living today was dropped into the early 1600's, they'd be a little confused. Things have changed drastically, everyday life was a completely different experience then than it is today. While this is true in many aspects, there are also many similarities between our modern lifestyle and the lifestyle in the 16th century. Let's take a look!
William Shakespeare just happened to live in the time of the Renaissance. In other words, change was occuring virtually everywhere, and in all aspects of life. Religion was being questioined and altered, which was extremely controversial. Devoted Catholics would strive to keep the religion the same, but some priests took advantage of the disorder were even trying to make money by selling indulgences to followers. People like John Calvin and Martin Luther disagreed with how the Catholic Church was going about things, and protested. From Calvin derived Calvinism and Protestants, and Lutheranism from Martin Luther.
Obviously, throughout the Elizabethan era, Queen Elizabeth I was queen. She was born on the seventh of September in 1533 to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her reign lasted from 1558 through 1603, when she died of blood poisoning. While the Church of England had been started by her father, she established it. Also, the Spanish Armada was defeated during her reign.
FOOD! Everyone loves food! But food of the Elizabethan era was a little bit different. They generally liked sweeter foods. Even things like steak were cooked with fruits. Chocolate and vanilla didn't exist yet; almond was the most common sweetener in food. Sugar was available, but was extremely expensive. In order to support the fishing industry, meat could not be eaten on Fridays and Saturdays.
All coins at this time were either gold or silver. Paper money does not exist yet. The different types of currency, were shillings, pounds, and pence. An angel is a gold coin, and it is worth 10 shillings, or half a pound. The most common coin in circulation at the time was the crown, which was worth 5 shillings and was available in both gold and silver. When speaking of money, people commonly referred to pence and shillings.
How did people spend their free time, you might ask? Well, they loved gossiping. Anywhere at any time, gossip was perfectly appropriate. Tennis was very popular, but the ball was made of leather and hair. Obviously they didn't have the neon green tennis balls we have today. Bowls, or lawn bowling, was also a fairly popular sport. Also, attending theater! Everyone loved a good show. These shows had to be attending during the daytime hours, because there obviously wasn't any electrical lighting, only natural lighting was available.
William Shakespeare just happened to live in the time of the Renaissance. In other words, change was occuring virtually everywhere, and in all aspects of life. Religion was being questioined and altered, which was extremely controversial. Devoted Catholics would strive to keep the religion the same, but some priests took advantage of the disorder were even trying to make money by selling indulgences to followers. People like John Calvin and Martin Luther disagreed with how the Catholic Church was going about things, and protested. From Calvin derived Calvinism and Protestants, and Lutheranism from Martin Luther.
Obviously, throughout the Elizabethan era, Queen Elizabeth I was queen. She was born on the seventh of September in 1533 to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her reign lasted from 1558 through 1603, when she died of blood poisoning. While the Church of England had been started by her father, she established it. Also, the Spanish Armada was defeated during her reign.
FOOD! Everyone loves food! But food of the Elizabethan era was a little bit different. They generally liked sweeter foods. Even things like steak were cooked with fruits. Chocolate and vanilla didn't exist yet; almond was the most common sweetener in food. Sugar was available, but was extremely expensive. In order to support the fishing industry, meat could not be eaten on Fridays and Saturdays.
All coins at this time were either gold or silver. Paper money does not exist yet. The different types of currency, were shillings, pounds, and pence. An angel is a gold coin, and it is worth 10 shillings, or half a pound. The most common coin in circulation at the time was the crown, which was worth 5 shillings and was available in both gold and silver. When speaking of money, people commonly referred to pence and shillings.
How did people spend their free time, you might ask? Well, they loved gossiping. Anywhere at any time, gossip was perfectly appropriate. Tennis was very popular, but the ball was made of leather and hair. Obviously they didn't have the neon green tennis balls we have today. Bowls, or lawn bowling, was also a fairly popular sport. Also, attending theater! Everyone loved a good show. These shows had to be attending during the daytime hours, because there obviously wasn't any electrical lighting, only natural lighting was available.
Sources
Maggie Secara. Life in Elizabethan England. 11th Edition. Spring 2011. Web. November 1st, 2012.
( http://www.elizabethan.org/compendium/home.html )
Linda Alchin. Elizabethan Era. July 2012. Web. November 1st, 2012.
( www.elizabethan-era.org.uk )
( http://www.elizabethan.org/compendium/home.html )
Linda Alchin. Elizabethan Era. July 2012. Web. November 1st, 2012.
( www.elizabethan-era.org.uk )