The Elizabethan 'Golden Age' and Theatre

Historians call Elizabeth's reign a "Golden Age" because of the wealth, confidence and cultural achievement of the period. The label covers several developments:

• Rising prosperity — growth in trade, farming and land ownership.
• Grand houses — wealthy families built showy country mansions.
• Fashion — elaborate, expensive clothing displayed status.
• Theatre and literature — a boom in drama and poetry led by writers like Shakespeare.
• Exploration — voyages by sailors such as Drake brought wealth and prestige (covered in a later lesson).

But the term needs care. The "Golden Age" was mainly the experience of the wealthy. For the majority of ordinary people, life was hard, and poverty was rising at the same time (the subject of the next lesson).

Treat "Golden Age" as an interpretation, not a fact. A strong answer notes both the genuine achievements and the poverty that the glittering picture leaves out.

Beneath the monarch and nobility, a class of landowners called the gentry grew rapidly in wealth and influence. Several factors fed their rise:

Source of wealth	How it worked
Land	The earlier dissolution of the monasteries had released huge amounts of land, much bought by the gentry
Farming	Rising food prices and new methods made land more profitable
Trade	Growing overseas and cloth trade enriched merchants
Royal favour	Patronage — offices, titles and monopolies — rewarded loyal families

The wealthy displayed their success by building grand "prodigy houses", designed to impress and often to host the Queen on progress. Famous examples include:

• Hardwick Hall (Derbyshire), built by Bess of Hardwick in the 1590s, famous for its huge windows ("more glass than wall").
• Longleat (Wiltshire) and Burghley House (built by Lord Burghley).

These houses show off the confidence and money of the age, but they belonged to a small elite.

At the start of Elizabeth's reign, plays were performed by travelling companies in inn courtyards and marketplaces. By the end of the reign, they were staged in purpose-built theatres — a major cultural change.

Key developments:

• The Theatre — England's first purpose-built playhouse, opened in Shoreditch in 1576 by James Burbage.
• The Globe — built in 1599 by the company that included William Shakespeare; timber from The Theatre was reused to build it.
• Other London playhouses followed, such as the Rose and the Swan.

Going to the theatre became a social event for all classes. The way the space was arranged reflected the social hierarchy:

Area	Who sat/stood there	Cost
The pit (groundlings)	Poorer spectators, standing	1 penny
Galleries (seated)	Wealthier spectators	More expensive
"Lords' rooms"	The richest and highest-status	The most expensive seats

Elizabethan drama was driven by talented playwrights and actors whose work is still performed today.

• William Shakespeare — the most famous playwright, writing histories, comedies and tragedies.
• Christopher Marlowe — a leading dramatist, author of plays such as Doctor Faustus.
• Richard Burbage — the age's most celebrated actor, who performed leading roles.

The theatre thrived partly because it enjoyed royal and noble support. Elizabeth approved of plays and enjoyed performances at Court. Nobles used their patronage to sponsor acting companies, which protected them from being treated as vagabonds under the poor laws. In 1583 the Queen's Men was formed as a leading royal company.

The plays also reflected their age. They gave voice to newly educated townspeople, questioned older ideas, and dramatised the discoveries — geographic and scientific — of a changing world.

Exam link: the June 2024 paper asked students to "Explain what was important about the theatre in Elizabethan England." The mark scheme rewarded points about the Golden Age, royal patronage, the Queen's Men, the social mix of audiences and Puritan opposition.

The theatre was popular, but it was also controversial. Different groups reacted in very different ways.

Support:

• The Queen and nobility enjoyed and sponsored plays.
• Ordinary Londoners flocked to performances as cheap entertainment.

Opposition:

• Puritans condemned the theatre as sinful and immoral, and objected that people went to plays instead of church on Sundays.
• The City of London authorities feared theatres spread crime, disorder and disease (plague spread easily in large crowds).

Because of this hostility, the Council of London banned plays within the city limits in 1574. This is why the great theatres — including The Theatre and later the Globe — were built outside the city, in areas such as Shoreditch and Southwark, beyond the reach of the City authorities.

The clash over the theatre is a useful example of tension in Elizabethan society: royal and popular enthusiasm on one side, Puritan and civic anxiety on the other.

1. Treating the 'Golden Age' as true for everyone

The prosperity, fashion and culture were mainly enjoyed by the wealthy. Balance the picture by noting that poverty was rising at the same time.

2. Getting theatre dates wrong

The Theatre opened in 1576; the Globe was built in 1599. Confusing these dates, or placing the Globe before purpose-built theatres existed, weakens an answer.

3. Ignoring opposition to the theatre

The theatre was not universally loved. Puritans and the City of London opposed it, and plays were banned within the city limits in 1574. Mentioning this shows balanced understanding.

4. Forgetting why theatres were built outside the city

Theatres were pushed into the suburbs of London because the City authorities banned plays within the city limits. Link the location to the cause rather than just stating it.

5. Naming only Shakespeare

Shakespeare was central, but strong answers also name Christopher Marlowe (playwright) and Richard Burbage (actor), and mention royal patronage and the Queen's Men.