After Mary I died, Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England. Fairly quickly, she began changing the way she dressed and how courtship worked. Elizabeth developed a love of the arts and a sense of fashion distinct among monarchs. Her reign transformed Elizabethan culture and impacted modern culture and life throughout. Under the Elizabethan Era (1558-1603), theatres became permanent establishments, influenced by playwrights the likes of Shakespeare. Elizabeth influenced the fashion through various changes such as the introduction of the farthingale and a new preference towards exposure and immodesty. Music, too, saw emergence of the great composers and the introduction of new instruments.
Theater
As one of the most highly regarded playwrights of all time, Shakespeare was a gem of the Elizabethan theatre. Shakespeare’s influence is wide but was rooted primarily in his appeal broad appeal. Perhaps his most prominent accomplishment was Shakespeare’s ability to have plays that could be appreciated by both the aristocrats and the commoners. In many playhouses and theatres, the audience was composed of diverse social classes ranging from lawyers and tradesmen to servants and whores (Pritchard 180), where his challenge became appealing to the subtle sense of humor of the upper-class and flavors of drama and violence preferred by commoners (Kosters). Shakespeare also featured a wide range of genres from comedy to tragedy. His plays would leave people with memorable and vivid characters who spoke with colorful vocabulary and dialogue. The audience was described by Leonard Digges, a contemporary poet, who observed “O’ how the audience/ Were ravished! With what wonder they went thence!” (66 Hinds). His skill as a playwright influenced theatre with its contributions to character development, plot, and theme.
The transformation of traveling groups into permanent theatres laid the foundation of an entertainment industry that models the modern movie business
Another significant contribution to English theatres was the establishment of an entertainment industry. Before the Elizabethan Era, most performances were held at large inns. However, by the end of Elizabeth’s reign multiple public and private theatres were constructed (Singman 150). The first public theatre was named, simply, ‘The Theatre’ and was built by an actor, Richard Burbage (Pritchard 180). Public theatres like the Globe or the Rose followed and other ‘private’ theatres such as the Blackfriar and the Whitefriar theatres were soon constructed (Evans 51). The transformation of traveling groups into permanent theatres laid the foundation of an entertainment industry that models the modern movie business. Thematic content of these theater productions also shifted dramatically. Pre-Elizabethan era plays would have religious themes, which then shifted towards more secular themes related to love, betrayal, etc. as playwrights such as Shakespeare and Marlowe became popular (Swisher 48).
Fashion
As an article of fashion, the farthingale is one of the most iconic pieces of Elizabethan fashion and represents one of the fashion trends that occurred of its time. Elizabethan fashion emphasized size at the lower-body while the top was flattened. One of the main fashion pieces used to emphasize the bottom was the farthingale. The farthingale was a structure used to expand the size of a skirt to make the desired shape (Picard 133). Both working-class women and aristocratic women would wear the farthingale, however, the working-class typically wore more comfortable and mobile farthingales in order not to prohibit movement (Singman 99). While the farthingale represented a change in itself, it also represented a grander trend in English fashion.
The broader theme of Elizabethan vogue was greater exposure and immodesty in the clothing. Before Elizabeth’s reign, fashion was mainly moderate and conservative (“Upper Class Fashion”). However, through Elizabeth’s influence, the neckline was relatively low at the beginning and ends of her reign (Singman 97-98). This was explicitly seen in Elizabeth’s portraits in which during her early years, she dressed very modestly and had a high neckline. However, towards the end and beginning of her reign, she wore very low necklines that were highly revealing for her time. Some contemporaries such as William Harrison were vocal critics of this new fashion and described it in vivid detail. He argued that their galligaskins ‘to bear out their bums and make their attire to fit plum round about them” were meant for “light hussies” (immoral girls) yet became a habit for matrons (Harrison 71-73). Other impartial sources commented that the fashion at the time called for more seductive and feminine looks for women (“Upper Class Fashion”). This profoundly influenced the greater trend of a move towards more revealing clothing and a break from the modest and concealed clothing of the past.
Music
In terms of music, the Elizabethan era made waves through composers such as William Byrd. During his career, Byrd composed hundreds of pieces with a wide range of genres with many contributions. He became one of the first great keyboardists, laying the foundation for usage of the instrument in music. His pieces utilizing vocals was also a significantly advanced vocal music. Pieces such as “Psalms, Sonets & Songs” were part of his works with vocals and helped develop the genre. Byrd also influenced genres such as the Anthems through pieces such as “Great Service” and the three “Cantiones Sacrae” which were quite popular during his time (“William Byrd”).
Also among musical influences was the popularization and invention of new instruments. Early forms of the violin or viola, the viol, became popular under the Elizabethan era and allowed for growth in the string instruments. Yet other instruments such as the virginal were early forms of the keyboard that influenced the development of the piano (Singman 152). One particularly popular instrument was the lute, similar to a guitar, and is sometimes regarded as the most popular instrument of the time (“Elizabethan Instruments”). Many of these new instruments allowed for much more refined sounds, ushering a flourishing popularity for music to the point to where it became a social necessity to be able to continue songs (Singman 151-152).
The Elizabethan Era made great contributions to English culture. Its improvements in theatre, fashion, and music are immensely influential and play a key role in the shaping of England as a nation and as a people. As one of the most influential periods in English history, it is only expected for people to use it for inspiration, and there is nothing wrong with this. However, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to say that people can stop performing the same Shakespearean plays every other show.
written by Lucky
References
- “Elizabethan Music.” Elizabethan Entertainment, http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-music.htm.
- “Elizabethan Musical Instruments.” Elizabethan Entertainment, http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-musical-instruments.htm.
- “Elizabethan Upper Class Fashion.” Elizabethan Entertainment, http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-upper-class-fashion.htm.
- Evans, G. Blakemore. Elizabethan-Jacobean Drama: The Theatre in Its Time. New Amsterdam Books, 1990.
- Hinds, Kathryn. The City (Life in Elizabethan England). Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2008.
- Koster, Jo. “Shakespeare, The Theatre.” Victorian Period Overview, faculty.winthrop.edu/kosterj/engl203/overviews/shakespeareantheatre.asp.
- Picard, Liza. Elizabeth’s London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2005.
- Pritchard, R. E. Shakespeare’s England: Life in Elizabethan & Jacobean Times. Sutton, 1999.
- Singman, Jeffrey L. Daily Life in Elizabethan England. Greenwood Press, 1995.
Swisher, Clarice. Elizabethan England: Primary Sources. Lucent Books/Thomson Learning, 2003. - “William Byrd.” Classical Net, http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/byrd.php.
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