In today’s society the streets and houses are very much different from what they used to be in the Elizabethan era. For example; in Elizabethan London there were only houses and big buildings. In modern London there are houses, flats, blocks of flats, apartments and so on. So there was a big difference in the living accommodations which affects many people’s lives, not just in modern day London but it also affected people living in Elizabethan London as well. This is due to the fact that depending on where and how you lived affected how you were seen by the rest of the community. This is to do with society status; how you live and how you were seen by others.
Meals in Elizabethan times were elaborate and large; breakfast was simply a light snack, while the main meal of the day was dinner, which began at 11 o'clock and lasted for three hours. A smaller supper was usual at 6 o'clock. The lower classes had dinner at noon and supper at 7 or 8 in the evening. The poor ate off wooden vessels, or pewter, the rich off silver, glass, or delft from Holland. Food was cooked over open fires and meat was cooked on a spit which was sometimes turned by a dog running on a circular treadmill attached to the spit end. Baking was done in iron boxes laid on the fire or in a brick oven set into the side of the fireplace. Back then children were given smaller proportions compared to adults as they were there to be seen, not to be heard.
Meals in today’s society are taken about very differently as they are not considered to be a major part in people’s lives any more, with a couple of exceptions; Christmas and possible Easter. Children in the modern day are treated more equally and so are given more freedom. But as the society has changed so has how we eat our food; in modern day London you will find fast food restaurants, supermarkets, corner shops and a lot more. In Elizabethan London you would not find anything like that. And it is the food and meals of London that has changed since the Elizabethan era that has shaped how healthy the general population are. In Elizabethan London, you would generally be a lot healthier than you would if you were to live in modern day society, as there were no fast food restaurants and there were not a lot of unhealthy foods back then. But if you were brought up in a poor family you might have not been able to afford much food, so your health would have been bad.
Meals were not just part of family life in Elizabethan London; it was also part of the sports and entertainment part of life. Feasts, large, elaborately prepared meals, usually for many people and often accompanied by court entertainment. Often celebrated religious festivals, weddings, alliances and the whims of their majesties. Feasts were commonly used to commemorate the "procession" of the crowned heads of state in the summer months, when the or queen would travel through a circuit of other nobles' lands both to avoid the plague season of London, and alleviate the royal coffers, often drained through the winter to provide for the needs of the royal family and court. In today’s society we do not just eat at home, we can eat almost anywhere we want.
Other forms of entertainments in Elizabethan London also included; fairs, plays, miracle plays, jousting and games/sports. Fairs- the Annual Summer Fair and other seasonal fairs such as May Day were often bawdy affairs. Plays-plays were a good way to entertain people and it was also a good way to gain money. Sometimes the queen would come and watch several plays, many of which included the work of William Shakespeare. Miracle plays were re-enactments of stories from the Bible. These are derived from the ancient Briton custom of Mystery Plays, in which stories and fables were enacted to teach lessons or educate about life in general. Jousting- a series of tilted matches between two or more warriors, mostly played in tournaments. Sports and games which included archery, bowling, cards, dice, hammer-throwing, quarter-staff contests, troco, quoits, skittles, wrestling and mob football.
In modern day London we have many ways to keep ourselves entertained, many of which are similar to in Elizabethan London. For example; theater-theater was a big part of London during the Elizabethan era and it is still today very popular, but not as popular as it once was. We also play many sports which include football, rugby, tennis, basketball and so on. We now have access to television, which has changed how we now live. Also, one big factor which has changed how we live is technology, without it we would not be living how we are living today.
In modern day London education is a big part of all children’s life so it is essential for us to get an education so we can move forward in life and succeed. In Elizabethan London, it was necessary for boys to attend grammar school, but girls were not allowed in any place of education. Only the wealthiest of people would have allowed their daughters to be taught at their home. Back then woman were seen as ‘servants’ to men as they were suppose to provide and serve meals for them and make sure their home was up to standard. So if anything, daughters were taught to be good wives in preparation for their future. The boys were taught well, if they could afford it, and they were respectable men. Now in London, every child is entitled to education so everybody can succeed in life.
Elizabethan England was split into two classes; the Upper Class, the nobility, and everyone else. Punishment would vary according to class. The Upper class were well educated, wealthy and associated with Royalty and high members of the clergy. They would often become involved in Political intrigue and matters of Religion. The nobility could therefore become involved in crimes which were not shared by other people. The most common crimes of the Nobility included: high treason, blasphemy, sedition, spying, rebellion, murder, witchcraft and alchemy. In modern day London, they are a lot more crimes people can commit and be charged for and three has been an increase in the number of crimes that happen.
