BYCAMERON LESTANSKY, DAVID PONTRY, AND JEROME NIDOH

Shakespeare’s Culture

An Average day started with the Angelus Bell at 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning, which gave a few hours to shop for goods in the market before breakfast which was at about 9 or 10 am. At this time the merchant class erupted and was growing rapidly despite the recent outbreak of the Black Death.

A Day in Town

Morning was the most active part of the day, it was quite calm in the afternoon, ands most shops closed at 3 pm. Few kept open till dusk, and others such as barbers and blacksmiths were open until the curfew bell. Foreign merchants has to wait 2 or more hours before they could enter the market, which gave locals the best business.

Market Hours

If a fugitive reached a church they could claim their right of sanctuary for a period of 40 days. This meant someone had to be on duty to watch the fugitive to make sure he did not escape. The towns themselves can even be fined if one escaped. At any one time an estimated one thousand were in sanctuary in England.

Sanctuary

Curfew bell rang usually at 8 or 9 pm, it indicated the time for smiths, brewers, and taverners to cease their working day. Anyone outside after that had to carry a lantern and have a good reason to be out after curfew. Wearing masks was prohibited after an attempt on Henry IV life by some nobles disguised as Christmas singers.

Curfew Bells

Sanitation was a constant concern, because open drain channels ran along the sides of streets. Stables were open onto the streets and muck heaps were found on streets. Dirty water was often thrown out windows in the direction of the drains. The only incentive to keep the house clean was the outbreak of the plague or a visitation of the King.

Cleanliness

Constables were the main law enforcements in town, and could call upon citizens to form a night “watch”. If a citizen was asked to help, but did not they could risk being fined or forced to help. Although, the penalty for the criminal was higher. A thief found in possession of stolen goods was hanged.

Law Enforcement

Nobility and knights were at the top of the social ladder. Often the richer of the social classes, and always honored by those below them. Unfortunately for them most positions were unpaid they had to pay for any guests they entertained. Ambassadors expected to maintain a household of as many as 100 attendants.

Knights

With nobility of knights in Shakespeare's day there was distinction of the old families and the new families. Most of the old families were Catholic, while most new families were Protestant. Upper classes were exempt from new oaths of allegiance to the Church of England.

Nobles Old and New

Apprenticeship lasted from 2-7 years, after this was completed the apprentice was then considered a journeyman. Journeymen were paid by a days work. After a few years as a journeyman he could submit a piece of his best work to the guild and if it was good enough he was then considered a master of his workmanship and was then free to go off and start his own shop.

Apprentices, Journeymen, and Master

Latin at this point was still a main and prominent language spoken and used in literature. Plays were usually performed in the courtyards of inns, which influence the creation of playhouses such as the Globe. Notable playwrights at this time were Christopher Marlowe and obviously William Shakespeare.

Literature

Many medieval tournaments included bowls, paume, tilting at the quintain, bull and bear-baiting and cockfighting. Tournaments were later replaced by masques that sometimes had fireworks afterward. Knowledge and use of a longbow was encouraged and were more accurate and reliable than early guns which proved useless in the rain or wet weather.

Medieval Tournaments

"Elizabeth I and Elizabethan life in England." UK travel and heritage - Britain Express UK travel guide.Web. 2 Apr. 2012.<http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Elizabet han_l ife.htm>.

"Medieval England - Medieval towns."UK travel and heritage - Britain Express UK travel guide. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://www.britainexpress.com/History

Works Cited