London4

=__**London**__=

= =

1. WHAT WAS LONDON LIKE IN SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLAND? WHAT WAS SOUTHWARK OR THE SOUTH BANK LIKE IN SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLAND? WHAT WAS ITS REPUTATION? WHAT WAS LONDON BRIDGE? WHAT ROLE DID IT PLAY IN SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLAND?

Shakespeare's London was not nearly as big and populated as it is today, but it was growing greatly in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. During her reign, the population grew to 200,000 and was beginning to be a destination for foreign visitors. London's rapid growth was, in large part, because of the River Thames. The river provided London with a source of food, especially oysters hence the name of the tube pass, the oyster card. Also the River Thames gave London a great trading route for exports and imports, and finally it was used for water and sadly as a sewer system. While London was growing in population and wealth, there were also areas of London that were shabby and dangerous because of the lack street lamps or a patrolling police force. These areas included Blackfrairs and Shoreditch, just outside of the city walls. Most of these crimes were due, in part, to the lack of adequate lighting at night making illegal and violent crimes go easily unnoticed. In fact many of the settings of Shakespeare's play "Henry IV" included many of these bad areas in London.

Southwark was one of those not so nice areas of London. It was located across the Thames from the Tower of London and what is now the Parliament Building. Made accessible to Londoners only via boat and bridges. The Romans first built a bridge across the Thames in 50 AD. Later, in Shakespeare's London, the bridge was renovated and it was made into a whole street. More than 200 businesses lined up and down the River Thames. It was a very popular market. The road that pedestrians, wagons, horses, and carts shared was only 12 feet wide. This whole market was destroyed in The Great Fire of London in 1666. In the fire 13,000 houses were destroyed and many thousands of people were homeless and in financial ruin. Although Southward became the "theater epicenter" of London, it was considered a seedier neighborhood. In fact, today there are bus tours in the area featuring London's sordid side. At the time of Shakespeare, Southwark was very overpopulated and most of the people in that area lived in tenement buildings. Theater was an important draw in that area; in fact, many theaters such as The Globe, and The Rose and The Swan sprouted up in Southwark. Because of the many theaters in the area, many people came to the area during performances. Many other entertainment "establishments" sprung up as a result, such as bear-baiting, when a bear was chained to a pole and many dogs were set on the animal and the animals would fight until all the dogs were dead or the bear was killed. Without theater, Southwark would not have been a booming and vital neighborhood in London.

__Sources__

Laroque, Fancois. The Age of Shakespeare. New York: Abrams, 1991. Print.

Mabillard, Amanda. "Shakespeare's Audience." shakespeare online. N.p., 01/21/2010. Web. 3 Apr 2010. .

"Southwark London." In Search of Shakespeare. MayaVision International, 2003. Web. 3 Apr 2010. .

Watson,Brice. Old London Bridge, Lost and Found. London: Museum of London, 2004.Print.