Sport, Pastimes and the Theatre

Question 1

What were 5 popular pastimes enjoyed by lords and the gentry?

Answer 1

• Smoking tobacco
• Singing madrigals
• Reading classical texts
• Hunting stags
• Fencing

Question 2

What were 5 popular pastimes enjoyed by working people?

Answer 2

• Singing ballads
• Hunting rabbits
• Gambling on sports like bear-baiting
• Cards and dice
• Drinking in the local inn/tavern

Question 3

What were 4 pastimes enjoyed by all classes?

Answer 3

• Celebrating feast days
• Theatre-going
• Fishing
• Archery

Question 4

Why did the theatre develop in the Elizabethan times?

Answer 4

• At the start of Elizabeth’s reign, the most common type of plays were mystery plays; plays about the Bible and saints’ stories
• This was believed by Protestants to be another way for Catholics to control how the Bible was interpreted
• This was seen as a potential cause of violence, so Elizabeth’s government banned it
• Secular plays began to be shown instead, and they were more popular as their endings were not known

Question 5

What 3 effects did the development of theatre have?

Answer 5

• More theatre companies were formed around England, funded by the nobility, such as Leicester’s Men (funded by the Earl of Leicester)
• In 1583, the Queen established the Queen’s Men
• Purpose-built theatres were constructed for the first time, such as the Theatre in 1567, which was just outside of London, and the first

Question 6

How popular was theatre?

Answer 6

• It was popular among all classes
• Well-known actors attracted large audiences
• Sometimes there queues of 2000 people to see a performance
• Poor people could pay 1 penny to stand in the pit
• Seats were very expensive
• The most expensive seat was right above the stage, for the purpose of being seen rather than seeing the play