Elizabeth, the last Tudor monarch, was born in Greenwich on 7 September 1533.

She was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. When Elizabeth was just two years old, her mother was beheaded for adultery on the orders of her father and she was exiled from court. In later years Catherine Parr, Henry's sixth wife, took a keen interest in the young Elizabeth and made sure that she was educated to the highest standards. In 1553, Elizabeth's older half-sister Mary became queen. Mary was determined to re-establish Catholicism in England and viewed the Protestant Elizabeth as a direct threat. Elizabeth was briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1554 following a failed rebellion, of which she claimed no knowledge In November 1558, after the death of Mary I, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne. The reign of Elizabeth I is often thought of as a Golden Age. It was a time of extravagance and luxury in which a flourishing popular culture was expressed through writers such as Shakespeare, and explorers like Drake and Raleigh sought to expand England's territory overseas. This sense of well-being was embodied by Queen Elizabeth who liked to wear sumptuous costumes and jewellery, and be entertained in style at her court. But life in Tudor England did not always reflect such splendor. The sixteenth century was also a time when the poor became poorer, books and opinions were censored, and plots to overthrow the Queen were rife. Elizabeth's ministers had to employ spies and even use torture to gain information about threats to her life. Elizabeth could be as ruthless and calculating as any King before her. Elizabeth was a different kind of Queen: quick-witted, clever and able to use feminine wiles to get her own way. Elizabeth could be as ruthless and calculating as any king before her but at the same time she was vain, sentimental and easily swayed by flattery. She liked to surround herself with attractive people and her portraits were carefully vetted to make sure that no physical flaws were ever revealed. She had a formidable intellect, and her sharp tongue would quickly settle any argument - in her favour.

Like her father, King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I was a Protestant. When she became Queen, one of the first things it was necessary for her to do was restore the Protestant Church of England. Events that led to the restoration of the Church of England are known as "The Elizabeth Religious Settlement". It was comprised of two Acts: THE ACT OF SUPREMACY It was this act that gave Elizabeth ultimate control of the Church of England. In the reign of her father and brother, the monarch had been "Head of the Church in England", but under Elizabeth, this was modified to "Supreme Governor of the Church in England". The change may have been made to appease Catholics who could not accept the monarch as "Head of the Church", seeing the church as the Pope's domain, or it may have been made because Elizabeth was a woman. In the sixteenth century, women were regarded as inferior to men in spiritual matters, and many were uncomfortable with the idea of a woman being in charge. This act also included an oath of loyalty to the Queen that the clergy were expected to take. If they did not take it, then they would lose their office. A High Commission was established to ensure that the oath was taken. The oath was as follows: THE ACT OF UNIFORMITY This was the crux of the Elizabethan Church, establishing a set form of worship. The Prayer books of Edward VI were fused into one, and were to be used in every church in the land. Church attendance on Sundays and holy days was made compulsory, with a twelve pence fine to be collected if people did not attend the money to be given to the poor. The wording of the Communion was to be vague so that Protestants and Catholics could both participate, and the ornaments and vestments of the Church were to be retained as they had been before the reforms in the second year of Edward's reign. Although the passage of the Act of Supremacy through Parliament had been relatively easy, passing the Act of Uniformity was much more difficult. A large number of the Parliament, who were still Catholic, opposed the bill, and it was eventually only passed by three votes- 21 to 18. The religious settlement began to be implemented in the summer of 1559. Despite the problems that sometimes arose, it proved to be a remarkable success.

ELIZABETH LITERATURE AND THEATRE

From the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth was always a major patron of the stage, and drama flourished under her support. She was a huge supporter of William Shakespeare who showed his Renaissance spirit through with litter. She strongly encourage learning education and literacy because she had gotten a very impressive education as a child Traveling actors began performing around London in courtyards a taverns called in yards. Temporary stages will be built an actors reform in front of maximum of five hundred people. London bans plays in 1596 within the city limits ,there was also been in theatre due to the bonnet plague, this is way theatres were outside the city limits on the south side Love the River Thames. This city was called Southern where Shakespeare built his famous Globe Theatre. It was around one in building; it was believed to be a hundred feet in diameter, added three stories open roof and hosted a wooden stage approximately forty five feet wide and five feet high. The theatre made use real cannon that were filled with gunpowder an area which can host actors off the ground known as the heavens. The stage house a gallery just above the stage wall, it was called The Lords room, and use for rich members on the audience and the upper classes. The large rooms were considered the best seats in the house, the cross was five pence and cushioned seats were provided for these elite members of the audience. Other seating including rooftop galleries for the upper class, which went from thirty four pants, the pit area surrounding the stage. The poor section was known as the groundings and they paid a penny to stand. There were no women actors at this tim, so adolescents boys dressed up in wigs and dresses to play women. Flags were hoisted above the theatre; White meaning comedy, Red mean you know his start play, and Black meaning a tragedy.

This theatre was cruising common and was seen inappropriate for women. Some upper classmen even wore mask so they wouldnt be recognized because the nature such shows. The Globe theatre was Londons entertainment that day and thats why many flock to the theatres. Shakespeare role plays which even today are performed and entertained thousands and thousands of people every day.

The theatre
There were three different types of venues for Elizabethan plays: Inn-yards, Open air Amphitheatres and Playhouses. The Inn-yards were the original venues of plays and many were converted into Playhouses. e The Amphitheatres were generally used during the Summer months and then the Acting Troupes moved to the indoor playhouses during the Winter Season.

Inn-yards: Facts - The early days of Elizabethan commercial theatre. Performances held in private London Inns. Inexpensive.Held indoors or the yard. Audience capacity up to 500

Open Air Amphitheaters: Facts - Think of a public outdoor structure like the Coliseum or a small football stadium with a capacity of between 1500 and 3000 people Indoor Playhouses: Facts - A small, private indoor hall. Open to anyone who would pay but more expensive with more select audiences. Audience capacity up to 500

Resources
Tudor histoty.org http://www.sparnknotes.com/ http://www.playshakespeare.com/study/elizabethan-theatres

INDEX
Elizabeth I Elizabeth and the Church Elizabeth Literature and Theatre Resources .....1 .2 .3 .5