Shakespeare Theme Park
Ye are summarily charg-ed with the responsibilite for advising ye Teacher on one
important aspect of the new Shakespeare Theme Park.
Essential Question ~ Task ~ Topics/Groups
Questions to Research ~ Other Resources
Proceed thusly, swiftly and truly,
And duly submit thy work timely and fully
At the close of class on assignment day
To the Mistress or Master of ye Classe.
Translation: You are assigned the full responsibility for advising your teacher on one
important aspect of the new Shakespeare Theme Park. You must use the resources assigned
to your task.
Essential Question: What attraction would best teach the history & amuse and interest the
modern visitor?
Task: Theme Park Features - You will be assigned to a group that will develop one of the
below features at the park. Working with your group, you must design on paper/computer and
describe in a PowerPoint presentation your theme park features:
* What will the visitors "see"? Label and describe the visual elements.
* What would the Park interpreter/guide say about this feature? Write and/or record a
speech. Do this in some detail - you may use several slides for this aspect
* In what essential ways is the world portrayed in this feature like & unlike our own? Be
specific and focus upon the main points.
Topics/Groups:
Medicine - Research medicine and dentistry in Shakespeare's time.
The Court - Research life, rules, intrigue, plots at Elizabeth's court.
Crime & punishment - Research both, including "family crimes."
Food - Foods and food preparation of the Court & in the everyday house.
Weddings - Ceremonies, how "matches were made," engagements, divorce.
Music, entertainment & dancing - How did the nobles and the common folk entertain
themselves, and where?
The Plague - Research this disease in England, 1550-1625
Shakespeare and Elizabeth - Research the biographies of both important figures, learn what
was happening elsewhere
Fashion - Research what people wore, when they wore it, at the Court, middle and working
class everyday
Globe Theater - Research the theater where Shakespeare's plays were performed
Education - Research the content of education for the nobles & the commoners
Games - Research games played by all classes of people in Shakespeare's times, including
gambling games
Language, pronunciation, insults - EVERYONE WILL BE DOING THIS
You will be responsible as a group for a printed answer to all of the Questions for your task.
Questions:
Medicine:
1. What are the "humours" and how should we explain them to visitors?
2. What tools used in medicine should we have on display?
3. What "medicine or treatments" did you learn about? Where did they come from? Be
specific.
4. What did "dentists" do during Shakespeare's time?
5. What other interesting things did you learn?
6. What should the "Medicine" section of the Park look like and what props and notices
should it contain?
7. Resources:
* Elizabethan England: www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.htm
* Hospital of the Innocents:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Hospital/HospitalInnocents.html
Weddings:
1. Describe the "engagement."
2. Who decided who you would marry?
3. Describe the wedding ceremony.
4. Describe what the bride and groom might wear.
5. Who else was at the ceremony?
6. What should the "Marriage" section of the Park look like and what "fake actors" and
props should it contain?
7. Resources:
* Medieval and Renaissance Wedding Information Page: www.spu.edu/~kst/bib/bib.html
* Wedding:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Town/Wedding.htmlfeather.gif (1872
bytes)top
Games:
1. What were the games played by children (and known by adults)?
2. What gambling games were played?
3. Were any games played that might help learning?
4. Where were games played?
5. What should the "games" section of the Park look like and what props should it
contain?
6. What specific game can we teach the children who visit the Park?
7. Resources:
* Elizabeth England: Search for Games:
www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.html
* Goose: http://www-cs.canisius.edu/~salley/Articles/goose.html - describes a common
board game
* Rounders : http://www.rengeekcentral.com/rounders/roundersrules/roundersrules.htm -
a ball and bat game
* A Compendium of Common Knowledge - Games:
http://renaissance.dm.net/compendium/5.html
* The Common Room:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Town/Tavern/CommonRoom.html
* The Life of a Child in Elizabethan England:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Town/Children.htmlfeather.gif (1872
bytes)top
Music , Dancing & Entertainment:
1. Locate and play some music for the class (online)
2. Describe at least 4 musical instruments.
3. What did traveling entertainers/musicians add to society? Who did they work for?
How were they paid?
4. What other entertainments did Shakespeare's audience enjoy? Describe them.
5. What should the Music/Entertainment section of the Park look like and what props (or
real living things) should it contain?
6. What dance can we teach to the visitors to the Park? Be prepared to teach the class.
7. Resources:
* Elizabethan England: Search for Music:
http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.html
* Music of the Renaissance: http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark/emusic/renaissa.html
* The English Dancing Master:
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~flip/contrib/dance/playford.html
* The English Dancing Master: http://www.pryanksters.org/playford.htm
* Traveling Musicians:
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Town/Music/Music.html
* Tudor England - Pasttimes and Entertainments:
http://www.englishhistory.net/tudor/pastime.html - the print is tiny so you might want to
copy and paste it into a word processor and enlarge the font size.
* Elizabethan Fencing: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~wew/fencing.html
The Plague:
1. First make sure you are reading about the right Plague.
2. Describe the disease's effects on the sick and on the communities.
3. What spread the disease?
4. How many died?
5. What was done with the bodies?
6. What medicine was used?
7. How did the Plague effect the laws or rules in the cities?
8. What did people do to avoid catching the disease?
9. What should the Plague section of the Park contain? What should be the setting?
What signs might be posted there?
10. Resources:
* A General Study of the Plague in England 1539
1640:http://www.loughborough.co.uk/plague/
* Black Death: www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Globe/BlackDeath.html
* Elizabeth England: Search for Plague:
http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.htmlfeather.gif (1872
bytes)top
Shakespeare & Elizabeth - these will be the tour guides
1. Summarize what is known of his life and her life.
2. Make sure everyone sees a good picture of each.
3. Explain at what point in his career Shakespeare wrote Midsummer Night's Dream.
4. What were Elizabeth's years of rule?
5. What was going during their lifetimes in:
* Italy
* Spain
* France
* China
* North America
* India
* North Africa (Egypt or Libya would be good)
6. What should the tour guides say? Write at least 2 sentences for each guide, remembering
that this is the Shakespeare Theme Park.
7. Resources:
o Elizabeth England: Search for Shakespeare, Elizabeth (separately):
www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.html
o HyperHistory: http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html - This
site contains an interactive timeline. Go to History from the left menu and 1500-1996 from
the right menu.
o Queen Elizabeth I: http://www.englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/eliz1.html
o Tudor England Images: http://www.geocities.com/marilee-cody/images.html - scroll
down to Elizabeth I
Globe Theater:
1. Locate a picture of the theater, as we think it looked.
2. Explain Shakespeare's relationship to the Globe.
3. Explain who sat where in the theater.
4. Find out what you can about the props and "mechanical devices" used in the theater.
5. What can you tell us about the actors?
6. Where do you think the visitors to the Park should sit?
7. Resources:
o Shakespeare's Globe: http://www.rdg.ac.uk/globe/oldglobe/oldglobe_index.htm
o Shakespeare Resource Center: The Globe: http://www.bardweb.net/globe.html
o History of the Globe Theater:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Globe/GlobeHistory.html
Food & Drink:
1. Describe a feast, probably at Court or for a noble's wedding
2. Describe "everyday food" of the common man
3. What are some of the spices and flavorings that would have been used?
4. How would a table have been set (plates, cups, utensils)?
5. What drinks would be served to adults? To children?
6. How could you create a space for both low-paying and high-paying customers in the same
restaurant at the Park? Describe the spaces.
7. Resources:
* Elizabeth England: search for Food, Banquets and Feasts (separately):
www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.html
* Fooles and Fricassees: Food in Shakespeare's England:
http://www.folger.edu/public/exhibit/Fooles/Fooles.htm
* Medieval/Renaissance Food Clip-Art Collection: www.pbm.com/~lindahl/food-art
* Recipes from Kenelme Digbie, 1669: http://realbeer.com/spencer/Digby-recipes
* Food of the Renaissance:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Town/Food/FoodTable.html
The Court of Queen Elizabeth:
1. Describe some of the activities that might have taken place during a day at court.
Include evening entertainments.
2. Who would have been at Court?
3. What "rules" would have applied in the company of the Queen?
4. Who protected the life of the Queen?
5. What were some of the "plots" against the Queen?
6. Did Elizabeth's court have a "fool"? What can you find out about him?
7. What should the Court in the Park look like? What rules should be posted for visitors?
Who will enforce the rules and how?
8. Resources:
* Elizabeth England: Search for Court:
www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.html
* Elizabeth's Household: http://www.renfaire.com/History/Elizabeth.html
* Vir-Ren Castle: www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Castles/Castles.html
* Court Life:
http://web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/Library/SLTnoframes/society/courtlifesubj.html
Fashion:
1. Describe the clothes worn by the nobility (wealthy).
2. Describe the clothes worn by the middle class (merchants).
3. Describe the clothes worn by the working class & the poor.
4. Describe the clothes worn by children.
5. Describe men's and women's hairstyles.
6. Describe some "accessories" worn by men and by women.
7. What costumes do you suggest for the "street people" and for the "nobility" of the
Park?
8. Resources:
* Elizabeth England: Search for Fashion, Hairstyles (separately):
www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.html
* Elizabeth Period Costumes: www.renfaire.com/Costume
* The Elizabethan Costuming Page: http://www.dnaco.net/~aleed/corsets/general.html
* Dress Shoppe:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Town/Clothing/Shop.html
* The Life of a Child in Elizabeth England:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Town/Children.htmlfeather.gif (1872
bytes)top
Education:
1. What would have been the main topics of an English upper class or noble class education?
2. What would have been the content of a middle or lower class girl's education?
3. How were girls educated?
4. How many people in England could read? What did they read?
5. Tell us about "printing" in Shakespeare's time.
6. How can we put "book sellers" into the Park? What should be sold?
7. Resources:
* Mount Joy Schoole of Boys:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Town/Education.html
* University of Padua:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/University/University.html
Crime & Punishment:
1. Describe 5 crimes and their punishments.
2. What happened to the people who could not pay their debts?
3. How did people react to public executions?
4. Describe The Tower (of London). Who went there? Who were some of the famous people
who were locked up there?
5. What happened to a man who beat his wife?
6. Were there any lawyers?
7. What kind of "lock up" should we include in the Park? What representative people might
be in the cells? (be specific)
8. What punishment tools or machines should we include?
9. Resources:
* Elizabethan England: Search for Crime:
www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/index.html
* Crime and Punishment in Elizabethan England: http://www.ibiscom.com/punishment.htm
* Recent Elizabethan Laws:
www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Courthouse/RecentLaw.html
Language:
1. How did the Elizabethans pronounce words?
2. What were some favourite insults?
3. Why did they write in a rhythm they did not speak? Or did they speak it?
4. Provide at least 10 good phrases for our "peace keepers" to learn.
5. Resources:
* Proper Elizabeth Accents: www.renfaire.com/Language