Elizabethan Culture: Theatre and the Arts
The rise of Shakespeare and the importance of propaganda in royal portraiture.
Key Questions
- 1How did Shakespeare's plays reflect the political concerns of the time?
- 2Why did the authorities view the theatre with suspicion?
- 3How did the "Rainbow Portrait" communicate Elizabeth's power?
National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Suggested Methodologies
Ready to teach this topic?
Generate a complete, classroom-ready active learning mission in seconds.
More in The Elizabethan Golden Age
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement
How Elizabeth attempted to create a "Middle Way" to bring stability to England.
3 methodologies
Mary Queen of Scots and Catholic Plots
The threat posed by Mary Stuart and the network of spies led by Francis Walsingham.
3 methodologies
The Spanish Armada
The conflict with Spain and the reasons for the English victory in 1588.
3 methodologies
Global Exploration: Drake and Raleigh
The beginnings of English seafaring power and the first attempts at American colonisation.
3 methodologies
Poverty and the Poor Laws
How the Elizabethans categorised and dealt with the growing problem of the "wandering poor".
3 methodologies