Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577, 'History of Scotland', - a sermon, woodcut, p.144, detail.
Sermons: frequently heard by Shakespeare.
Regular attendance at church made all Elizabethans familiar with sermons delivered by the local, or visiting clergy. In Shakespeare's comedies especially, ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577, 'History of Scotland', - a siege, woodcut, p. 231, detail.
War in Europe in Shakespeare’s time.
War between the states of Europe was common in the sixteenth century and Queen Elizabeth's armies, and navy fought against the Spanish, and in the Low Countries ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577, 'History of Scotland', - battle woodcut, , p.99, detail.
Contemporary battles inspired woodcuts in the first edition of Shakespeare’s source.
The detailed woodcuts in Holished's first edition, inspired by contemporary Elizabethan campaigns in Ireland, ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1587, Vol.3, title page.
The account of English history that Shakespeare read.
Holinshed embarked on revision of the Chronicles, but died in 1580, leaving his notes to be used by the men whose names appeared in the printer's ...
Regent Garage Overall
A light blue mechanic's overall, which belonged to the Regent Garage. On the front it has two badges, one saying 'Service' in blue lettering and the other saying 'Regent' in yellow lettering with a crown ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Christian duty p.53v, detail.
Homilies : life-style advised for Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
All children would accompany their parents to church each Sunday, where they would hear the readings from the Bible, and also the ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Communion woodcut, p.62r, detail.
Holy Communion: a church service attended by all Elizabethans.
This woodcut shows the distribution of wine and bread at Holy Communion to the congregation at the altar. It was the duty of all confirmed ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Feed the Hungry woodcut, p.72v.
Charity: feeding the poor in Shakespeare's time.
All communities had their share of the poor and Elizabethans would regularly offer their unwanted ‘left-over’ food to those less fortunate ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Help the thirsty woodcut p.73r detail
Drinks available in Shakespeare's time.
The regular drink of Elizabethans was cider, ale (which was not strong beer), or for the more wealthy, wine was imported from France, or Germany. Water was used ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Instruction woodcut, detail, p.66v.
Boys at school: Shakespeare's education.
There is no direct evidence that Shakespeare attended the Grammar School in Stratford, but as the son of a prominent citizen of the town, William and his brothers ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Life and death, p.122v.
Death in everyday life in Shakespeare's time.
Life and death went hand-in-hand everywhere in Shakespeare’s England, where medical knowledge was very limited, and most illness depended on traditional ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Momento mori woodcuts, p.89v.
The everyday presence of death in Shakespeare's England.
Much of Richard Day’s prayerbook has illustrations which remind readers of the everyday presence of death in the 16th century. ‘Thou ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Prayers for our enemies, p.54r.
Life-style advice for Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
Many of Day’s marginal woodcuts included scripture quotations and advice on lifestyle, such as ministering to the sick.
Full title: ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Prayers for private use, p.62r.
Personal confessions: available to Shakespeare's contemporaries.
Richard Day’s book of prayers was a very popular book owned by many of Shakespeare’s contemporaries. The prayers printed ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Prayers for wisdom, p.89r.
Private prayers in Shakespeare's time.
Many members of the gentry and the nobility had ordained clergymen as part of their households, and had private indoor chapels, or churches in the grounds of ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Printers woodcuts, details. p.90v
The hand-press was well-known to Shakespeare.
In the 1580s when William Shakespeare came to London the Stationers' Company had been established for thirty years, since 1557, and it attempted to control ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - reminders of mortality, p.112r.
‘Momenti Mori’: reminders to Shakespeare's contemporaries.
The ‘momenti mori’ (reminders of death) are skulls and skeletons that may also have provided inspiration for dramatic ...
Richard Day, A Booke of Christian prayers..., 1581 - Tending the sick woodcut, p.74v, detail.
A family death-bed: a scene familiar to Shakespeare.
A generation before William Shakespeare's birth, England was a Roman Catholic country changed by the actions of Henry VIII who declared himself ...