Explain reasons for the popularity of the theatre in Elizabethan England. (8 marks).
The theatre became extremely popular in the Elizabethan era because of multiple reasons.
The theatre was popular due to the cheap pricing and it was mainly targeted at the poorer
members of Elizabethan society. The theatre acted as a cheap afternoon out for the poor to
witness an exciting form of new entertainment and an opportunity for the richer members
of society to show off their riches and demonstrate how cultured they were. Therefore, the
pricing of the theatre was affordable to everyone regardless of class, so the audience
contained a wide variety of rich and poor people and meant that the theatre was a very
popular for lots of people in Elizabethan England to visit. Additionally, the theatre was also
popular due to the fact that it was very entertaining. It was also a social event that allowed
people to meet and gather which caused the theatre to be a popular location. The plays
performed ranged from humorous to tragic to historical and many of the plays carried
political messages as the theatre was contemporary and relevant to that particular time.
Therefore, the theatre was a form of popular entertainment not just because of the
reasonably low cost but because it was an extremely entertaining social event that allowed
the poorer people to be entertained and meet whilst embracing the social and political
messages of the period.
The theatre became extremely popular in the Elizabethan era because of multiple reasons.
The theatre was popular due to the cheap pricing and it was mainly targeted at the poorer
members of Elizabethan society. The theatre acted as a cheap afternoon out for the poor to
witness an exciting form of new entertainment and an opportunity for the richer members
of society to show off their riches and demonstrate how cultured they were. Therefore, the
pricing of the theatre was affordable to everyone regardless of class, so the audience
contained a wide variety of rich and poor people and meant that the theatre was a very
popular for lots of people in Elizabethan England to visit. Additionally, the theatre was also
popular due to the fact that it was very entertaining. It was also a social event that allowed
people to meet and gather which caused the theatre to be a popular location. The plays
performed ranged from humorous to tragic to historical and many of the plays carried
political messages as the theatre was contemporary and relevant to that particular time.
Therefore, the theatre was a form of popular entertainment not just because of the
reasonably low cost but because it was an extremely entertaining social event that allowed
the poorer people to be entertained and meet whilst embracing the social and political
messages of the period.
