Work, leisure and the theatre in Shakespeare's England

Most people worked long hours on the land, but they also enjoyed fairs, sports and, in London, a new kind of entertainment: the public playhouse.

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Work and fun

Most people still worked in farming. In towns, young people trained as apprentices.
Holy days and fairs gave breaks from work. Popular pastimes included football (a rough game with few rules), archery, dancing and cruel sports such as bear-baiting and cock-fighting.
Puritans, strict Protestants, disapproved of many of these pastimes.

The playhouses

In 1576 James Burbage built The Theatre in Shoreditch, one of London's first purpose-built playhouses.
In 1599 Shakespeare's company built the Globe on Bankside, south of the Thames, using timber from The Theatre.
Poorer playgoers, called groundlings, paid a penny to stand in the open yard. Richer people paid more to sit in the covered galleries.
Women were not allowed to act; boys played the female parts.

Shakespeare and after

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 and died in 1616. He wrote comedies, histories and tragedies.
In 1613 a cannon fired during a play set fire to the Globe's thatched roof and it burned down. It was rebuilt in 1614.
In 1623 his friends published the First Folio, a collection of 36 of his plays.
In 1642, as civil war began, Parliament closed the theatres. They reopened after the Restoration in 1660, and women began to act on the public stage.
Worked example

Why might Puritans have welcomed the closing of the theatres in 1642?

  1. Puritans were strict Protestants who wanted a simple, serious way of life.
  2. They thought plays encouraged bad behaviour and drew people away from church.
  3. Parliament, which had strong Puritan support, closed the theatres when civil war began.

Answer: They saw theatres as sinful distractions, and Parliament had the power to close them.

Key idea

Most people farmed; pastimes included football, archery and bear-baiting. The Theatre (1576), the Globe (1599, Bankside). Groundlings paid a penny to stand; boys played women. Shakespeare (1564 to 1616); Globe burned 1613 and rebuilt 1614; First Folio (1623, 36 plays). Theatres closed 1642; reopened 1660 with actresses.

Key words
1660
The Restoration: Charles II becomes king.
Civil war
A war between groups in the same country, such as Royalists against Parliamentarians from 1642.
Parliament
The assembly that makes laws. In Britain it is the monarch, the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons.
Restoration
The return of the monarchy in 1660, when Charles II became king.

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2 more questions

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  1. How much did a groundling pay to watch a play?

    1. A penny
    2. A pound
    3. Nothing
    4. A shilling
    Show the answer

    Answer: A penny

    Groundlings paid a penny to stand in the yard.

  2. When were women first allowed to act on the public stage in England?

    1. In 1599
    2. After 1660
    3. In 1558
    4. In 1918
    Show the answer

    Answer: After 1660

    Women acted after the Restoration.

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Checked by the GCSE-ready editorial team, 17 October 2026. Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.