Expert Circles

Topic 2:

Elizabeth I : Who was she?

-Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen reagent of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Bloeyn. She is also known as The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess. Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty.

What were England's international relations like during Elizabeth's reign?

-Due to the fact that Queen Elizabeth 1 was a Protestant, this caused her much trouble with other countries because of her strong belief. However, England had an alliance with Netherlands during Elizabeth's reign.

What was Shakespeare's relationship with Elizabeth I?

-Shakespeare’s relationship with Elizabeth I was an employee-employer relationship. Elizabeth also often watched Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare was ardently attracted to Elizabeth and her Court, and proved a faithful servant to his royal mistress.

Compare Elizabeth I to Portia from The Merchant of Venice. How is Portia's character a tribute to Elizabeth I?

-Portia:

Lead female in Merchant of Venice play.
A heroine who saves the day.
An independent woman.
A Strong headed woman

Elizabeth:
Same as Portia.
Tribute paid to Elizabeth who was a patron of Shakespeare’s work
Famous of the defeat of the Spanish Armada
Strong woman like Portia.
Gave England Identity

Topic 3:

What was personal hygiene like during the Elizabethan era? -Only the wealthy people bathe and use soap. They think that washing their hair is unhealthy. The notion of cleanliness had a different meaning for the Elizabethans. During that period, when Queen Elizabeth ruled and Shakespeare wrote, personal hygiene as we practice it was virtually nonexistent.

Diet?- Poor diets consisting of sugary candy, which were favored by the wealthy, resulted in rotten teeth. The wealthy feasted on a variety of meats and breads. The lower class subsisted on fish, cheese and bread. Both rich and poor alike ate few fruits and vegetables, resulting in a prevalence of scurvy.

Recreation? Recreation during the Elizabethan Era encompassed spectator/blood sports, team sports, simple games, and individual amusement activities. Queen Elizabeth enjoyed hunting--at age 67 she was occasionally found on horseback loving the "thrill of the chase".

Accommodations? Rich had country mansions Tudor manors were remodelled to be lived in. The poor lived in ghettos in mud houses within the towns and cities in London, the rich lived in the West while the poor lived in the East, where modern day Fleet Street is.

Dress/clothing? Bright colours, elaborate trimmings, and excessive padding are the most notable characteristics of Elizabethan dress. Padding was so full that all outward semblance to the human form was completely lost, both to men and to women.

Topic 4: The (historical and cultural) Setting of Venice

* What was Venice like during the 15th and 16th century? Comment especially on its demographics and culture.

Venice in the 14th and 15th century was fighting and acquiring islands and various territories on the way to the Middle East. Venice started declining in the 16th century after various attacks like the Kingdoms of France and Spain. However, Venice flourished and was an important trading centre and art centre due to its stable political climate. There were over a 100,000 people living in Venice in the 15th and 16th century. Venetian craftsmen produced various decorative arts, including sculptures, lace, glassworks, paintings and ceramics. Merchants traded wool and silk and various other products. At the beginning of the 16th century, theatres appeared and were welcomed. Groups of actors performed in the houses of nobles and even they charged admission.

* Why was Venice important during the 15th and 16th century?

Venice was a centre for Renaissance culture in the 15th and 16th century. Architecture, art, music and literature flourished in Venice. The printing of books in the Italian language was initiated in Venice and contributed to the Italian Renaissance. The Venetian School polychoral compositions were famous throughout Europe in the late 16th century. Trading was also very important in Venice as it was along one of the main trading routes during the Renaissance. More is mentioned in my response to the previous question. - What was the dominant religion in Venice? How were Jews treated and regarded? The dominant religion in Venice was Roman Catholicism. Jews were evicted from England in the 1290s and were forced out of many countries in Europe in the 15th and 16th century. They were allowed in only certain countries like Venice because they had value and were beneficial to the country. Jews were discriminated by the Christians in the 16th century in Europe, especially in England and Venice. Christians saw Jews as a threat to Christianity and that they were inferior and were excluded from society. In Venice, Jews were restricted from working in certain sectors like in manufacturing. They were not allowed to be bankers, lawyers, doctors or merchants and could only be moneylenders, which were important to the Venetian economy. However, in 1516, there was a set-up of a Jewish ghetto in Venice where several thousands of Jews were crammed into the small walled area and were restricted from moving to other parts of the city.

* How is Venice is an appropriate setting for the plot of The Merchant of Venice?

Candidates for Shakespeare authorship including de Vere visited Italy and the personal travels to Venice allowed Shakespeare to gain a better understanding of life in Venice. The Merchant of Venice had to be set in a place where Jews were allowed, and could not be in countries where Jews were forbidden to live in (most countries in Europe). Venice, however, allowed Jews and there were many instances where those who borrowed from Jewish moneylenders fail to repay their loans. Trading was also common in Venice with Antonio being the merchant.

Topic 5: Jews vs Christians

* What was the dominant religion in England and Venice in the 15th and 16th century? The dominant religion in England during the 15th century were the Catholics frist then it changed to the Christians. Venice dominant religion would be the Jews.

* Why was there such animosity between Jews and Christians? The Jews and the Christians got off with a bad start with the Jews trying to exterminate the Christians. This was shown in the Acts and the letters of Paul. But, the Jews failed to exterminate the Christians, which led the Christians to treat the Jews badly. It was to the point of the Christians, just giving the Jews enough to survive. This resulted in the animosity between the Christians and the Jews. A couple more reasons to add on to this animosity would be theological differences, competition between Church and Synagogue, the Christian drive for converts.

* In what ways did the Christians discriminate against Jews in 15th and 16th century Europe? -In 1396, 100,000 Jews were expelled from France
-In 1421 thousands were expelled from Austria. Many of the expelled Jews fled to Poland
-Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion from Spain in 1492,
-The expulsion from Portugal in 1497,
-various pogroms, the Dreyfus Affair,
-the Holocaust by Nazi Germany.
-In countries that did not ban Jews from their country, were heavily discriminated and they had many restrictions. They were only limited to jobs, land ownership and residential areas that made them seem inferior from the other citizens.

Topic 6: Shakespeare's Theatre

• * In what sort of building were Shakespeare's plays performed? central part had no roof
• depended on sunlight- no electricity
• contained stage and yard
• like a mini football stadium-circular
• audience who paid higher prices get to sit on the seats around the stage 2-3 stories higher up
• above back of stage contained machinery
• trapdoors were used to walk in and out

* How did the physical constraints of the theatre affect the language of Shakespeare's plays? have to describe the scenes vividly because of open air.

* What sort of people acted in plays? What sort of people went to see them? actors and young actors. Women were not deemed fit for work in the theatre

* How was "The Theatre" viewed by Elizabethan society? the authorities of London disliked the public performance of plays. However the Queen was a frequent patron of the plays.

* Compare the modern-day Globe Theatre in London with the theatres that Shakespeare worked in.