Life in Elizabethan England Trivia Quiz

Answer: Woolen underwear

Social order was seen in a positive light in Elizabethan England. The Sumptuary Laws and Statutes of Apparel (1574) were designed to draw clear distinctions between the social classes. A duchess should dress differently than a countess; a countess should look superior to a baroness; and a baroness should most certainly outshine a merchant's wife! Incidentally, the nobility was the smallest class and its size had diminished in Elizabethan England, due to the queen's reluctance to bestow new titles.

The other classes included the gentry, the yeomen, and the large mass of the poor. (Rowse, "The England of Elizabeth", 1950).

Answer: Love

Marriages were contracted between two families, not just two people. Parents, relatives, and even friends would argue the merits of any betrothal. Young people were expected to respect the decisions of their elders, even if their chosen mate was old, ugly, or a bad dancer. The richer or more socially elevated one was, the greater the importance became to secure a suitable match. One's landholding, wealth, and bloodline would be closely scrutinized before any union could be made. Love, if it came at all, could wait until after the nuptials.

Answer: Children needed developmentally appropriate toys and games

Childhood experiences varied for Elizabethan children, often depending upon one's class and economic level. Children of wealthier families could enjoy a certain amount of leisure, though their lives were strictly controlled by protocol. Upper class boys were the main ones to receive formal schooling, though aristocratic girls received instruction as well. Poor children, however, often began working as young as age six. All children were expected to obey their parents in all matters, and levity was frowned upon. Very little was known about child development in Elizabethan England, thus children were generally expected to behave with what would nowadays be regarded as a maturity far beyond their years. (Byrne, "Elizabethan Life in Town and Country", 1961).

Answer: Begging

With the traditional agricultural system fading, greater numbers of people were left without work to do or any way of earning income. Beggars became ubiquitous in Elizabethan England, though begging was illegal. Poor Laws were instituted at different times during the Tudor era, and they required parishes to support people who were elderly, orphaned, or ailing. Similarly, parishes were instructed to collect money to help capable people get back on their feet again.

Unfortunately, many people were still in dire straits and often resorted to begging, stealing, and prostitution.

The punishments for such crimes were draconian, and many a beggar was sentenced to death. (History Learning Site, 2009)

Answer: Stealing a horse

Missing church on Sunday might result in a fine or a lecture, but rarely was the punishment much harsher. A woman caught screaming at her husband could be put on a "dunking stool", sometimes aka a "ducking stool": a seat attached to a sturdy pole which would be dunked (with the woman strapped tight) into a deep pool of water. Similarly, a gossiping or disruptive woman could be fitted with "the brank".

This was a helmet-like contraption, which enclosed the woman's head, while piecing her mouth with a large nail. Public drunkenness was often punished by placing the offender in the stocks (i.e., wooden blocks which held a person's head and hands or legs immobile for hours).

The object was to humiliate the transgressor. People were also publicly whipped, mutilated, and burned. Serious crimes, like stealing a horse or raping a maiden, could lead to death. (Rowse, "The England of Elizabeth", 1950)

Answer: Queen Elizabeth I

In 1559, the Act of Supremacy confirmed Queen Elizabeth's role of supreme governor in "all spiritual and ecclesiastical things". English church officials and royal officers had to take the Oath of Supremacy, asserting their acceptance of Elizabeth's "jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority" over all foreign religious powers.

Answer: The streets

Elizabethans merrily dumped their bodily waste, rotten vegetables, and garbage in the streets. As many towns and cities were crowded, with dwellings close to one another, the odors could become intense. The filth attracted rats and mice, and certainly helped spread disease. Local authorities tried to combat the pollution by hiring vermin catchers and scavengers to periodically clean out the streets and alleys. Regardless of their efforts, though, most cities and towns were incredibly dirty.

Answer: Astrology

Elizabethan astrologers claimed that they could predict the future based on the alignment of the planets, moon, and sun. Additionally, people's personality traits were often attributed to the position of celestial bodies at the time of their birth. Strong belief in astrology was not limited to ignorant villagers. Indeed, Queen Elizabeth I herself was an advocate of astrology and employed the infamous Dr. John Dee as her personal astrologer. The queen and her people often planned events based on predictions made by astrologers. Astrological charts could be looked at before a couple became betrothed, in order to see if their natures were compatible. Astrology was considered a legitimate science which yielded reliable results.

Other answer choices: Alchemy, in Elizabethan England, was the pseudo-science of turning common metals into gold. Similarly, metallurgy was the study of metals and their properties, with the view of extricating gold from base metals. Finally, geocentricity was the Elizabethan study of Earth-centered cosmology.

Answer: Criticism of the queen

Elizabethan artists, playwrights, and poets had to be wary of how their work was received. Any hint of sedition or treason was swiftly punished. In general, artists, actors, and the like were viewed with suspicion by government authorities. While sexuality, the supernatural, and crime were acceptable topics to explore, no creative mind would dare criticize the queen. Even an accusation of such could lead to death.

Answer: Strict simplicity

Elizabethans loved pageantry and grandeur. A funeral, then, was a person's last chance to show off. Aristocrats had ostentatious funerals, with long processionals, somber pallbearers, and a bevy of mourners. The deceased person's family crest, coat of arms, standard, and weaponry would be jauntily displayed. Bereaved guests would attend the funeral, clad in black clothing, hoods, and other mourning raiment. It was common to hear loud lamentations and prayers, mixing with the sounds of the tolling church bells. After the clergymen conducted the funeral rites, a funeral feast would often be held--attracting despondent (and hungry) villagers.

(Lutton, "Pieties in transition: religious practices and experiences, c.1400-1640", 2007).