An introduction to the Elizabeth Era

Artistic In these modern times, we perceive art as the mere expression of deep feelings and beliefs by an artist. In the Elizabethan times, however, artists were tasked to entertain and glorify the queen. This explains why most of the art was shaped by and revolved around the queen. It was impossible for an artist to support oneself through art and this made most artists depend on entertaining individuals for financial tips. These individuals were known as patrons or sponsors, and they financed artists if they got flattered or impressed by their work. Architectural decoration and art of the time entailed sculptures, confined shrines and tombs. Arts in the Elizabethan era were greatly influenced by the European Renaissance ideals which introduced a unique sensation to artwork in general.

Elizabeth herself was a significant influence, and her image was often invoked both in painting and in literature. She also appreciated music, dance and pageantry and this resulted in the uplifting of their level of artistry. Queen Elizabeth I, just like most English people, could not distinguish popular entertainment from higher level arts. These individuals were wealthy and powerful and worked with the highly intelligent men of the times. The queen headed the council and had a membership of below 20 people chosen by the queen. The members used to meet three to five days a week. The roles of the council included, but not limited to; • Foreign policy • Home policy • Elizabethan policy • Military and security matters • Religion • People and events in the Elizabethan era ii) The Star Chamber Located at the royal palace, the star chamber was constituted by the members of the privy council and was tasked with judging the noble and the wealthy.

The nature of the cases heard by this court included; heresy, libel and treason. When England and Rome separated, England established the Church of England and stopped being answerable to the pope. The Queen herself was a Protestant while her sister Mary was a Catholic and upon Mary’s death, the state religion reverted to Protestantism. Religion was a mandatory practice during this era, and people had to attend church every Sunday. To avoid the Catholic-Protestant clashes that were otherwise inevitable, the Queen gave some concessions to Catholic sympathisers to amuse them. So severe were religious affairs to the Queen that in 1570 she commanded the hanging of 800 people among them Catholic sympathisers; Edmund Campion and Robert Persons. ” Social Social stratification marked society at this time in England's history with elaborate social classes seen in society.

The categories ranged from the nobility class, the gentry class, the Yeomanry and lastly, the labourers. The noble class was comprised of members of the royal family, and they controlled a lot of resources belonging to the state. Membership to this class was through birth or, rarely, by appointment. The other social levels were of the ordinary man and rose from one class to another was determined by material possession. They led basic lives, and a slight misfortune landed them into poverty. vi) Labourers Consisted of carpenters, peasants and other small wage-earning workers like shoemakers. They had little means of supporting their families. The social classes dictated a lot of aspects of life in the society like marriage. Marriage between classes was rare as marrying a partner from a lesser class was frowned upon.

Queen Elizabeth had four strategies in bringing back the Economy to life; 1. She increased the number of monopolies to widen the economy and ensure regulated prices. The relief legislation for the poor served two purposes; the poor were given a soft-landing to shield them from the unfavorable economic climate. Secondly, the law separated and distinguished able-bodied people who would work and fend themselves from those who were genuinely poor or old or sick and thus, could not toil for themselves 3. She restructured and planned the economy by putting in place economic programs that helped a majority of the people in the society. tnstate. edu/smcurtis/Elizabethan%20Economy. htm. Accessed 9 Mar 2018. Alexander, Peter. "Reviews: Historians, Reflections on the Marxist Theory of History, Political Culture in Later Medieval England, Writing under Tyranny: English Literature and the Henrician Reformation.