Life in Shakespeares Time

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• Life in Shakespeares Time

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Cool Stuff About Shakespeare

• Shakespeare invented over 1,700 of our common
  words by changing nouns into verbs, changing
  verbs into adjectives, connecting words never
  before used together, adding prefixes and
  suffixes, and by creating completely original
  words.
• He wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. He died at
  age 52. (1564-1616)
  
• He married Anne Hathaway who was eight years
  older than him.

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16th Century Life in Elizabethan England

• People did not know about germs yet and were
  extremely dirty compared to todays standards.
  
• Everyone was expected to believe in God.
• The average life expectancy was half that of
  ours. (30-35)
  
• The 16th Century is part of the Renaissance
  period, which was a time of educational growth
  and general economic prosperity, especially in
  the arts and music.

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Fashion

• Womens Fashion
• Women dressed to show their societal position
  (ruffles and jewels meant wealth).
  
• Women wanted their waists to look very small.
• They wore several layers of clothing.
• Mens Fashion
• Men wore tights, make up and jewelry.
• Ruffles or ruffs were also popular with wealthy
  men.
  
• Boots were the rage, especially long boots made
  of fine leather.
  
• Despite the ruffles and jewels, men were known
  for their quick tempers and most walked around
  with swords, knives, and rapiers hanging from
  their belts.

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Hygiene

• People bathed only once or twice a year.
• Soap was invented in the 1500s, but was very
  expensive. Most of the royals who could afford
  soap did not use it.
  
• People only washed their clothes a few times a
  year, if at all.
  
• When the wealthy were done with their clothes,
  they would donate them to their servants or have
  them burned.
  
• People would rinse their mouths with wine and
  water and chew herbs, such as parsley and mint to
  kill bad breath and clean their teeth.

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Whats that Smell?

• London had a very ineffective sewer system that
  consisted of open ditches running underneath and
  in front of homes. The waste was dumped into the
  River Thames, which also provided the citys
  drinking water).
• The sewage often overflowed into houses, markets,
  and churches and seeped through walls.
  
• Sudden death was common due to methane explosions
  and lack of oxygen.
  
• Workers, including children, were hired as sewer
  cleaners and would often die from asphyxiation.
  
• The sewage problem lasted well into the 1800s.

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Plague

• The Bubonic Plague exploded in the 1300s
  (originating in China) and recurred through the
  1600s.
  
• 25 million died in the 1300s due to the disease.
• In 1563, a horrible case of the disease struck
  London and surrounding areas, killing an
  estimated 80,000 people.
  
• The disease closed theaters and other public
  places.
  
• Red crosses would be placed on the front doors of
  those who had been afflicted with the disease as
  a warning to others to stay away.
  
• Queen Elizabeth I and other royalty would flee to
  country homes during outbreaks.
  
• Most towns would not allow travelers to enter
  during outbreaks.
  

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Other Interesting Facts

• Medicine
• Food
• Games
• Astrology
• Religion
• Education
• Music
• Crime and Punishment
• Social Order

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• Work Cited