LibGuides: Shakespeare: Shakespeare's Times

William Shakespeare Within the Times He Lived

Shakespeare lived from 1567 to 1616. Scholars and historians often refer to him being a part of the Elizabethan Era, the period of English history during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, which lasted from 1558 - 1603, and was itself part of the larger Tudor Period. Shakespeare's life also overlapped with the Jacobean Era (1603-1625). Queen Elizabeth was a fan of theater and did see Shakespeare's plays performed. Her Successor, King James I, was also a fan of the arts and theater.

Life in Shakespeare's London

Life in Shakespeare's London
Excerpt from "Shakespeare's London"
Henry Thew Stephenson.

Articles And Websites About the Elizabethan Era

The Fashion & Culture and of the Elizabethan Lifestyle
This website gives a brief overview of the food, fashion, arts, weapons, medicine, and culture of Elizabethan England.
New World Encyclopedia: Elizabethan Age
Sections include Highlights, Fashion and the Domestic Arts, Elizabethan Festivals, holidays, and Celebrations, and Notable Elizabethans.
Elizabethan Era
Section include theater, music, clothes, food and recipes.

Videos About the Elizabethan Era

London in Shakespeare's time (5:02)
HarvardX
April 19, 2017
Video discusses various entertainments in London.
Horrible Histories: What to Eat to Avoid Disease in Shakespeare's Time (1:23)
CBBC
April 19, 2016
"Want to keep disease away? Then eat none-a-day! Health advice from Shakespeare's time."
The Jigge Is Up: Dance in Shakespeare's Time (8:34)
The Met
August 3, 2010
From the New York Historical Dance Company, Baroque Chamber Ensemble, Flying Forms.
Music of Shakespeare's Time (44:31)
CCBC TV
March 17, 2017
Brian Kay performs music of Shakespeare’s time.
Shakespeare and Music (3:16)
Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press)
July 7, 2016
Joseph M. Ortiz, Associate Professor of "Liberal Arts at the University of Texas, El Paso, explains how music was experienced and understood in Shakespeare’s time . . . "

Performance at the Time

Globe Theatre: Performance During Shakespeare's Time (9:16)
HarvardX
April 19, 2017
"At the reconstructed Globe theatre in London, Professor Stephen Greenblatt explores how Shakespeare’s plays would have been performed in his own time."

Other Entertainment

Drinking, Dancing, Fencing, and Bear-Bating: Entertainment in Elizabethan England
Bear-bating - having large dogs fight bears in an area - was a very popular pastime. Shakespeare actually references bear-bating in Macbeth and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Sports and Pastimes in Popular Use in Shakespeare's Day
Alphabetical list of games, sports, and other pastimes from the era.

Art from Victorian editions of Shakespeare

Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive by Michael John Goodman
The Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive contains over 3000 illustrations taken from the most significant illustrated editions of Shakespeare’s plays in the Victorian period, and is searchable by category, character, concept, and through a word cloud.