Essay on The Entertainment In The Elizabethan Era

The Elizabethan era took place between 1558 and 1603 where Queen Elizabeth I was in power. Many historians believe this time period to be the golden age in English history. Entertainment changes over time and since the Elizabethan era it has changed a lot. People would pay to watch people play sports as well as hunt. The entertainment actually played a huge role in government as well. A lot of the activities they partook in, we still participate in today. Hunting and sports in the Elizabethan era included hunting, sports, and laws that influenced way of life.

During the Elizabethan era, hunting was viewed more as a sport. There were two types of hunting in Elizabethan England which included hunting for the upper class and for the lower class. “Hunting had always been enjoyed by the English Nobility as it provided training for war because of the tracking skills, weapon usage, horsemanship, and courage that were all required” (Siteseen 1). Most of the lower class would not participate in hunting as a sport, but participate in it to get food. Some of the upper class partook in hunting for food as well. “Hunting and Hawking were other forms of sports. It was not just for fun all of the time, because often people would bring home there catch for food later that night” (Elizabethan Museum 3). There were different types of hunting, which were therefore more suited to either men or women. The Bow and Stable Hunts were the less strenuous forms of hunting. “The Bow and Stable hunts were designed for women or less active, or infirm, men active men” (Siteseen 3). Back in English life, there was a lot of misogynistic ideas which included the bow and stable hunting which they created just for women or less active men. Hunting in the Elizabethan era was similar to how we participate in it today.

Sports was another form of entertainment in the Elizabethan era. Fencing was one of the most important sports in Elizabethan England. A requirement of all upper-class nobility was to be skilled in fencing. “Again, it is mainly for the upperclass and nobility to enjoy” (Elizabethan Museum 4). There is a pattern that most things in English life were meant to be enjoyed buy upper-class and nobility. Football was another sport English people played. It was rough, dangerous, and risky. “This sport does not relate to the common football we have today in America, or soccer. Although it is somewhat similar to soccer, it is called football because the men would run on there feet, instead of riding on horses.” (Elizabethan Museum 5). Football had its similarities and its differences between modern football. “In the early 1500s football became a popular sport in England. It was a very different game from the one played today. The two sets of goal posts were placed about a mile apart. There was no limit to the numbers that took part and players could kick, throw or pick up the ball in an attempt to put it between the opponent's goalposts” (Ancient History 5).

In Elizabethan England, laws influenced how sports and hunting was done. “Sumptuary laws (the Forest Law) related to gaming and hunting. The Forests of England were normally owned by the reigning monarch. In Elizabethan times there were an estimated sixty nine royal forests. Only the monarch or his servants hunted in the forests. Permission to hunt in forests could also be gained by the granting of a royal licence” (Siteseen 5). Laws included the government owning certain forests which only the rich upper class can hunt in. Similarly, sports were also government-controlled. “In Tudor times sport was strictly controlled by the government. For example, only the upper classes were allowed to take part in tournaments” (Ancient History 1). In the Elizabethan era, the lower class was mostly left out of sports and hunting due to certain English laws. 

Cleary, entertainment in the Elizabethan era was very different than how it is now but is also similar in some ways. We still play the same sports and use similar hunting techniques. It is different because of the technology advances that we have compared to the Elizabethan era. Although there isn’t many articles or textbooks written about the Elizabethan era, we can conclude that entertainment was similar in many ways.