What was daily life like in Elizabethan England and Wales, and why did theatre and exploration flourish?
Daily life in Elizabethan society: the social hierarchy, rich and poor, the problem of poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of theatre (Shakespeare, the Globe and opposition to it), and the age of exploration (Drake's circumnavigation, Raleigh and early colonisation), including the Welsh context.
A focused answer on Elizabethan daily life, covering the social hierarchy, poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of theatre and opposition to it, and the age of exploration, including the Welsh context.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers daily life in Elizabethan society, the golden age of theatre and the age of exploration. You need to explain the social hierarchy, the problem of poverty and the Poor Laws, the rise of theatre (Shakespeare, the Globe and opposition to it), and exploration (Drake's circumnavigation, Raleigh and early colonisation), including the Welsh context. As a Unit 1 depth study, weigh why culture and exploration flourished.
The social hierarchy and daily life
Poverty and the Poor Laws
The golden age of theatre
The age of exploration and the Welsh context
Try this
Q1. What did the 1601 Poor Law do? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. It made each parish responsible for its own poor, funded by a local poor rate, giving relief to the deserving poor and work or punishment to the able-bodied "undeserving" poor.
Q2. Explain one reason the theatre flourished in Elizabethan England. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Noble and royal patronage protected acting companies and gave them prestige, while purpose-built playhouses such as the Globe and popular playwrights such as Shakespeare drew large, mixed audiences despite Puritan opposition.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC Wales (Unit 1)4 marksDescribe two features of how Elizabethans dealt with poverty.Show worked answer →
The describe question (AO1). Reward two distinct, developed features, each with one supporting detail.
Feature one. Elizabethans distinguished the "deserving" poor (the old, sick and orphaned) from the "undeserving" or "sturdy" beggars seen as lazy, who could be whipped or punished.
Feature two. The Poor Laws, brought together in 1601, made each parish responsible for its own poor, funded by a local poor rate, providing relief for the deserving and work or punishment for the able-bodied.
Top marks. Two distinct features, each developed with precise detail.
WJEC Wales (Unit 1)8 marksExplain why the theatre flourished in Elizabethan England.Show worked answer →
The explain question (AO1 and AO2). Reward a developed analysis of reasons, each supported and linked to the outcome.
Reason one. Royal and noble patronage: companies of actors were sponsored by nobles and performed at court, giving theatre protection and prestige.
Reason two. Purpose-built playhouses such as the Globe (1599) gave permanent venues, and popular playwrights such as Shakespeare and Marlowe drew large, mixed audiences.
Reason three. Theatre was cheap, popular entertainment for all classes, from the "groundlings" who stood for a penny to the wealthy in galleries.
Top band. Link each reason to why theatre flourished, despite Puritan opposition, and judge which mattered most.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE History (Wales) specification (3100) — WJEC (2017)