English · Year 7 · Shakespeare's World: The Play's the Thing · Spring Term

Life in Elizabethan England

Students explore the social, cultural, and political context of Shakespeare's time.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: English - Context of Literary Texts
• KS3: English - Shakespeare

About This Topic

The Elizabethan Playhouse provides the essential historical and social context for understanding Shakespeare's plays. Students explore the physical layout of the Globe Theatre, from the 'groundlings' in the pit to the wealthy patrons in the galleries. This topic examines how the lack of modern technology, like artificial lighting, microphones, and elaborate sets, forced Shakespeare to use language to create time, place, and atmosphere.

This topic connects to the KS3 English standards for the context of literary texts and Shakespeare. It helps students realize that Shakespeare's plays were not 'dry' academic texts but popular entertainment for a rowdy, diverse audience. Understanding the controversy surrounding the theater in Elizabethan London adds a layer of social history to their literary study. This topic is best taught through collaborative problem-solving where students must 'solve' staging issues using only Elizabethan resources.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how daily life in Elizabethan England influenced the themes and characters in Shakespeare's plays.
2. Explain the social hierarchy of the Elizabethan era and its reflection in dramatic roles.
3. Compare the entertainment options available in Shakespeare's time to those of today.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how Elizabethan social structures, such as class and gender, are represented in Shakespearean characters and plotlines.
• Compare the staging conventions and audience experience of an Elizabethan playhouse with those of a modern theatre.
• Explain the economic and political factors that influenced the development and popularity of theatre during the Elizabethan era.
• Synthesize information about daily life in Elizabethan England to create a short monologue from the perspective of a theatre patron or performer.

Before You Start

Introduction to Dramatic Conventions

Why: Students need a basic understanding of theatrical elements like character, plot, and setting before exploring how historical context shapes them.

Social Structures and Hierarchy

Why: Prior knowledge of different social classes and their roles is essential for understanding the Elizabethan social hierarchy and its reflection in plays.

Key Vocabulary

Groundlings	The audience members who stood in the open yard of the theatre, the 'pit', paying a penny to watch the performance. They were typically of lower social standing.
Patronage	The system where wealthy nobles or royalty supported artists, including playwrights and theatre companies, often for prestige or political influence.
Repertory	The collection of plays that a theatre company regularly performed. Elizabethan companies often performed a different play each afternoon.
The 'Wooden O'	A term used to describe the typical polygonal or circular shape of Elizabethan public playhouses, like the Globe Theatre.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Shakespeare's plays were only for rich, educated people.

What to Teach Instead

Explain that the Globe was a 'classless' space where anyone with a penny could attend. Using a 'Role Play' of the audience helps students see that the plays had to appeal to everyone from laborers to royalty.

Common Misconception

The plays were performed in the dark for night scenes.

What to Teach Instead

Clarify that plays were performed in the afternoon in natural light. Shakespeare used 'word pictures' to tell the audience it was night. A 'Simulation' of staging night scenes helps students identify these linguistic cues.

Active Learning Ideas

Simulation Game: The Globe Architect

Groups are given a floor plan of the Globe and a list of scenes (e.g., a night-time ghost encounter). They must decide where to place actors and how to use the 'heavens' or 'hell' (trapdoor) to make the scene work without modern lights.

40 min·Small Groups

Role Play: The Rowdy Audience

While a small group performs a short scene, the rest of the class acts as 'groundlings' who can cheer, boo, or eat (pretend) food. This helps students understand the high-energy environment actors had to contend with.

20 min·Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Theater Controversy

Display 'primary sources' (quotes from Puritans, city officials, and theater-goers). Students walk around and categorize the arguments for and against the theater, then discuss why it was seen as a 'dangerous' place.

30 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Museum curators specializing in early modern history, like those at the Folger Shakespeare Library, reconstruct Elizabethan costumes and stage props to accurately represent historical performances.
• Modern theatre companies sometimes stage Shakespeare using historically informed practices, such as all-male casts and minimal sets, to explore how audiences might have experienced the plays originally.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with three images: one of a modern theatre, one of an Elizabethan playhouse, and one of a medieval pageant wagon. Ask them to write one sentence for each explaining how it differs from the others in terms of audience or staging.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'If you were an Elizabethan theatre owner, what rules would you implement for your audience to ensure a successful and profitable performance, considering the social classes present?' Facilitate a class discussion where students justify their rules based on historical context.

Exit Ticket

Ask students to write down two ways the social hierarchy of Elizabethan England might have affected the types of characters or stories presented in plays, and one way the lack of modern technology influenced Shakespeare's writing style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who were the 'groundlings'?

The groundlings were the poorest members of the audience who paid one penny to stand in the 'pit' at the front of the stage. They were known for being loud and interactive during the performance.

Why didn't the Globe have any roof over the center?

The Globe was an 'open-air' theater to allow for natural light, as there was no electricity. This meant that performances were often at the mercy of the English weather.

Why were women not allowed to act in Elizabethan times?

In Elizabethan England, acting was not considered a respectable profession for women. Female roles were played by young boys whose voices had not yet broken, which influenced how Shakespeare wrote his female characters.

How can active learning help students understand the Elizabethan theater?

Active learning, like theater simulations and role plays, helps students experience the physical constraints of the space. By 'staging' scenes themselves, they understand why Shakespeare's language is so descriptive and how the theater's layout influenced the drama.