HISTORICAL CONTEXT- What sense do you get of what life was like in Elizabethan England?

Under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, Elizabethan England was an era of discovery, political and religious changes and the introduction and shift of many key points of traditional English society.

Queen Elizabeth I
Daughter of Henry VIII, Elizabeth succeeded the throne after the death of her sister Mary in 1558. Although she has many suitors, Elizabeth never married, instead proclaiming that she was married to her country. Her defeat of the Spanish Armada and her harmonious solution to the Catholic vs Protestant war has put her down in history as a wise and just leader. She ruled for a total of 44 years.

Protestant vs Catholic
Elizabeth's predecessor, her sister Mary, had earned the nickname Bloody Mary due to her execution of many Protestants; a consequence of her strong Catholic preference. Historically the reigning monarch dictated the official religion that would be taught in school and carry with it severe punishment if not practised. However Elizabeth brought a peaceful outlook to the Protestant vs Catholic debate. Although a Protestant herself and reinstating Protestantism as the official religion, she believed Catholics should be free to practise their religion with no threat of repercussions. Of course there were radical Catholics who plotted against Elizabeth, hoping to replace her with the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots.

Martin Luther and those who shared his beliefs, formed the Protestant religion, with them gaining their name after 'protesting' against the traditional Catholic teachings and traditions. The differences between the two religions were as follows: Catholics believed the Bible should stay in Latin, whereas the Protestants thought modern English could make it accessible to the people. Catholic priests were the people's link to God whereas Protestant followers could access God without a priest. In the Catholic church, priests could forgive sins if suitable payment was given, whereas in the Protestant church they believed only God could forgive sins. Catholic churches were ornate and grand compared to the plainer Protestant churches.

Superstitions
Superstitions from this era date back to beliefs in the magical qualities held in herbs and animals. Other superstitions within words, omens, names and numbers date back to as early as the Greek's, with the connotations arising from their Gods and Goddesses. There is also a strong religious link to the superstitions, with God fearing people cautious that some actions would lead the wrath of God in all its glory.

One of the biggest superstitions in Elizabethan England, was the belief that some women had magical powers, known commonly as witches. Out of the 270 Elizabethan witch trials, 247 were women and 23 were men. Unexplained illness, unfruitful harvests and mystery fires were all blamed on witches. Some of the other suspicions related to witches were:

• Witches could fly, vanishing after the scene of a crime, with the image of a broomstick appearing due to it being a commonly used household object by women at the time. 
• Witches were painted as old hags, with old women, especially widows, often being accused as they had no man to defend them. 
• Witches had animal companions. 
• Witches lived alone, in hovels in the woods.  
• Witches had an extensive knowledge of plants and herbs. 

Other superstitions included:

• Saying bless you, as opening your mouth leaves room for the devil to enter you. 
• Pinning bay leaves to your pillow on the eve of St Valentine's day allowed you dream of your future husband. 
• Touching wood to ward of bad luck, dating back to the Celtic superstition that trees held magical powers. 
• Spilling salt and pepper was bad luck, as it was very expensive.

Jobs

There were many different jobs in Elizabethan England many of them being occupations still around today. Some of the most interesting were:

Watchmen- the name is rather self explanatory; a group of men who watched over the city. I think this is an interesting job to record due to their appearance in our play- these comedic figures would've been actual men.

Minstrel- minstrel's were a big part of Elizabethan entertainment, especially at court. They sang and played musical instruments, mainly about grand adventures and heroic quests.

Keeper of the Wardrobe- the Keeper of the Wardrobe was in charge of everything within the wardrobe room; tailors, dressmakers, laundresses, anyone and everyone that were part of making and maintaining the clothes in the wardrobe room.

Apothecary- this was someone who made and gave out herbal and plant based remedies and medicines. Priests or monks often held this post. As doctors were very expensive, this was the last resort for the sick and poor.

What I have observed by the above research is the obvious observation- how different our lives are when compared to that of those living in Elizabethan England. Their beliefs and customs seem almost alien and yet are the foundations of the society we know. It was a richly cultured place and an extreme turning point in both English and worldwide history, both politically and socially: on one hand you had a new, female queen on the throne bringing a relaxation of the tensions between Catholics and Protestants and travels to new, exciting worlds and yet you still had a country based on values, superstitions, almost afraid to move with the times. I perceive it to be a place of two extremes; a changing world, morphing into a place that leaves a mark on the world we know and a place of traditional, harsh belief that was not changing any time soon.

Notes from 'What was life really like for the poor in the countryside of Elizabethan England?' 

• Although Elizabethan England was controlled by the rich, they were the minority, with most people being very poor. 
• The poor led a hard life, living mostly in woodland areas such as moors, hills and wastelands. Although this may seem a scenic location, woods, without roads, were very dangerous places to be. 
• They lived in thatched cottages: a one room home, with an earth floor, a fire in the middle, some pots, some utensils, a basket and if you were lucky a thin straw mattress. There is a small hole in the roof to stop you from suffocating. The whole room would be filled with smoke and be very dark. Candles were expensive so natural light was the only option. However windows remained small so as to not let the heat out. Therefore you would wake and go to sleep in darkness. However the cottage would only be used for sleeping, with you spending most of the daylight hours outside. In such a place your senses are heightened; you can hear the fire, the rain and wind and every sound those around you make. Such a home sometimes fit 7-8 people. 
• There were 3 types of workers: Yeoman who owned or rented land and employed people to work on it, Husbandman who rented the land and worked on it and Labourers who worked on other people's farms. 
• When it came to looking for work, most people went from farm to farm asking for work. If you were lucky you were able to be employed on a casual basis and live in the barn. The work was very hard, starting at dawn and ending after the sun has set. You were paid 1 groat/fourpence which could buy you: a loaf of bread, a bit of butter and cheese each day or 4 small pieces of meat and 3 pieces of fish per week and some ale (water was polluted.) This approximated 6000 calories per day which a husband and wife could live on, but it left no money for anything or anyone else, making raising a family considerably harder.