Entertainment In The Elizabethan Era

“ I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” (Oscar Wilde) Many people, much like Oscar Wilde, share the love of theatre. Theatre, or other play like performances, have been around since the beginning of time. They first evolved from simple storytelling, to huge productions, much like the Broadway Theatre. This form of entertainment first gain traction in popularity, in the Elizabethan era. Drama had hit its peak when the first public theatres were built in England and became a popular form of entertainment for both upper and lower classes. Most public theatres were often the ever notorious, amphitheatre. An amphitheatre could hold up to three thousand people. Most of the commoners sat or stood, depending on available seating, in the area called the “pit” and the noble sat …show more content…
Where American football and baseball are common sports now, Hunting and Hawking were common forms of entertainment for the upper class, in the Elizabethan era. Bull and Bear fighting and Fencing were also popular sports for these times. The popular sport Hawking required a trainer to capture and tame a wild bird. The lower class did not participate in this event because they could not afford to train the birds. Tournament sports were an often fan favorite of both the upper and lower classes. Although also considered a tournament sport, archery contained skills used in battle ( Alchin ) . Since most the lower class consisted in the army, these people often participated in the archery events ( Maxwell, Carey ). Dog and chicken fighting was also a favored sport amongst these people. Even though some of the sports in the Elizabethan era are different than those of today, there are a few that still remain today. Bowling, for example, is still a well - known sport to this very day ( Marotous