0:00:04 > 0:00:07Imagine everything that's ever happened.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12The whole of history.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Imagine you could go to any place, any time
0:00:20 > 0:00:22and see what the people then saw,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24understand what they thought
0:00:24 > 0:00:26and appreciate what they felt.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31What would that tell you about the human race?
0:00:31 > 0:00:34And how would it make you feel about the world you live in today?
0:00:38 > 0:00:40So much of what we know now
0:00:40 > 0:00:42goes directly back to England's Golden Age.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44The reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49A time when England embraced the whole world.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53It's a period bursting with icons.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Shakespeare. The Spanish Armada.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00The Virgin Queen herself.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Who wouldn't want to travel back in time and see it first-hand?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10But if you did, what you would need most would be a visitor's handbook.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Who are these strange people,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17so like us, but also so different?
0:01:17 > 0:01:20What are their rules, their customs and attitudes?
0:01:20 > 0:01:25I have spent years piecing these together so you don't have to.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Let me plunge you into a world of splendour
0:01:27 > 0:01:29and magnificent achievements,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32but also of uncertainty and doubt,
0:01:32 > 0:01:36where simple survival is an art in itself.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39A world of plague, violence and superstition.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43But also of beauty and wisdom.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I'll show you this fascinating period as if it's all around you.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54The sickness and the suffering, as well as the power and the glory.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Because this is Elizabethan England.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Tonight, I'm sending you to live amongst a section of society
0:02:25 > 0:02:27which is definitely on the up.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32These people are craftsmen, architects and merchants,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34scientists, explorers and writers.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37What they all share is a desire to better their lives.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40And through their success, they change the world.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45It's time to make your way in the world of the ambitious middle classes,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48men and women who will radically alter our nation.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55On your journey, you'll rub shoulders with some notable people,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57get the chance to travel the world
0:02:57 > 0:02:59and see history unfolding around you.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07With a bit of help, you can rise up the ranks and achieve greatness.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11You'll need to tread carefully
0:03:11 > 0:03:15as this is also a time of danger and uncertainty.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18But if you play your cards right, you might find yourself on a path
0:03:18 > 0:03:21to fame, fortune and glory.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23FAINT CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Your journey begins in the provinces,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34at the very heart of Elizabeth's England,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37a place where the middle classes are on the rise -
0:03:37 > 0:03:38Stratford-upon-Avon.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42In fact, I'm going to start you off
0:03:42 > 0:03:45in the cut and thrust world of small-town merchants.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47A place where money is king.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56After decades of stagnation, towns are suddenly driving social change.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15As you walk through busy Stratford in the 1570s,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19you'll notice there's a buzz in the air and money to be made.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25As an ambitious trader, it's on the high street
0:04:25 > 0:04:27that you'll set up stall six days a week.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32You'll be surrounded by glovers, tailors,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35butchers and many a wealthy wool merchant.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37FAINT CHATTER
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Towns are engines of social change.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43The independent, self-reliant townsman
0:04:43 > 0:04:46with a trade and the ambition to improve his lot
0:04:46 > 0:04:49is one of the true agents of modernisation.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53By the end of Elizabeth's reign, many such men are much better off.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59It's from the ranks of the middling sort, in towns like Stratford,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02that many of the great names of the age will emerge.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07These upwardly-mobile men and women
0:05:07 > 0:05:09will leave a lasting impact on society.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14And while you're here in Stratford,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16it will be useful to get to know your neighbours.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Here on Henley Street is the house of one John Shakespeare,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26the father of William, of whom you might have heard.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29The Shakespeares are just such an upwardly-mobile family.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31John himself is a glover,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33a prosperous man, working with leather.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36The leather, mind you, of deer, dogs and horses,
0:05:36 > 0:05:37not just cows and calves.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39As you walk past,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42you'll no doubt smell the tanyard at the back of the house.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50John Shakespeare uses urine and faeces to process his leather.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55All things being considered, it might be wise
0:05:55 > 0:05:58to invite the Shakespeares over to YOUR house for dinner.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Unpleasant smells are just another reminder
0:06:03 > 0:06:06of why so many people want to rise up the social ranks.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13And there's one other unpleasantness you and your neighbours won't miss.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Now, for the first time,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20the fires in your home won't constantly sting your eyes.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26In towns like Stratford, a revolution is taking place.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It transforms the lives of ordinary people
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and changes the face of every street in the land.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34It's not a scientific discovery.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35It's not a political development.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38It is, in fact, the humble chimney.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Chimneys mean that buildings can expand upwards
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and you can now heat every room in your home.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56The arrival of the chimney is just the beginning of what becomes
0:06:56 > 0:06:58a wholesale change in living standards.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Driving this innovation is the availability of cheap bricks.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Mass manufacture means they are now affordable
0:07:11 > 0:07:14for the many, not just the few.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Chimneys were previously found in castles and grand houses,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22but never in the homes of ordinary people.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Thanks to the humble chimney,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30you can now live in a state-of-art two-storey townhouse,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33not an unfashionable single-storey medieval home.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Essential if you want show you're on the way up.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47And bear in mind that Elizabethan England
0:07:47 > 0:07:50is on average two degrees colder than you're used to,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53with very cold snaps in the 1570s and 1590s.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57So a chimney means your stay will be a lot more comfortable,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59especially if you want to have a bedchamber of your own,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02rather than sleep in the hall with everyone else.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Across the land, medieval houses are being redeveloped.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Not outwards, but skywards.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18So you see, adding value to your home
0:08:18 > 0:08:20isn't just a 21st-century obsession.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33In 1558, a chimney is the way to keep up with the Joneses.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38But in 1598, it's glass that is the ultimate status symbol.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40From now on, moderately wealthy gentlemen
0:08:40 > 0:08:43can afford to flood their houses with natural light.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45But it's still expensive.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47You may have glass at the front of your house to show off
0:08:47 > 0:08:50and still make do with shutters at the back.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54In Stratford, old buildings are being converted
0:08:54 > 0:08:56or demolished everywhere you look.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00It seems as if almost everyone is moving into the town,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and, in fact, many are.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Small businessmen are flooding in.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Many from trades you'll recognise, and many you won't.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15For candles, go to a wax chandler.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Need a legal document written up? Find a scrivener.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Or if you fancy a pair of fine leather shoes,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24seek out a cordwainer.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30As these ambitious traders flock in,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33John Shakespeare will see his town change beyond recognition.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Stratford's population grows from 1,500 to over 2,000
0:09:39 > 0:09:40during Elizabeth's reign.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It's not just Stratford that's growing rapidly.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Over the 45 years of the Queen's reign,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52the population of England rises from 3.2 million to 4.1 million.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57That's more than 25 percent more people to feed, clothe and house.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00England won't see such a high level of growth again
0:10:00 > 0:10:02until the end of the 18th century.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Like the young William Shakespeare,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12you'll find Stratford can't match your grand ambitions
0:10:12 > 0:10:14in this rapidly changing society.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21And once you've outgrown a town like Stratford,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23there's only one place to head for.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27It's the epicentre of change in Elizabeth's England
0:10:27 > 0:10:31and it's the next rung on your ladder to fame and glory.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34The city of London.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49As you near the city, you'll pass a bizarre collection of people.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Royal messengers, sheep drovers,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54physicians hurrying to bedsides
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and foreign travellers in new-fangled carriages
0:10:57 > 0:11:00all streaming in and out of the city.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05If you travel in from the north along Watling Street,
0:11:05 > 0:11:06the old Roman road,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10you'll eventually come to this spot, the junction with Oxford Street.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15This is Tyburn. The place of the notorious London gallows.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20It acts as a stark reminder
0:11:20 > 0:11:22that this is a place where only a minor indiscretion
0:11:22 > 0:11:24can cost you your life.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Swiss visitor Thomas Platter
0:11:28 > 0:11:31vividly describes the hangings at Tyburn in his diary.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Those condemned to the rope are placed on a cart
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and the hangman drives with them to the gallows, called Tyburn.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46There, he fastens them up one after another.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48The criminals' friends come
0:11:48 > 0:11:52and draw them down by their feet, that they may die all the sooner.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57As you pass Tyburn, you may well see the lifeless bodies of thieves
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and murderers hanging from the gallows.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It's quite a haunting welcome to England's capital city.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17If the sight of dead, naked criminals at Tyburn
0:12:17 > 0:12:19hasn't put you off London for good,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21it's time to get to know England's capital city
0:12:21 > 0:12:22and make yourself at home.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29If you want to see all that London has to offer,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31you're going to need to find somewhere to stay.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Elizabethan inns are one of the real pleasures of travelling.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And London has some of the finest places to rest your head.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59When you arrive, a boy will unsaddle your horse,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02your luggage will be taken and you'll be shown to the innkeeper.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08The innkeeper will give you a candle to light your way to your bedchamber,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11where you'll find a wooden-framed bed.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The bed itself is slung with ropes, on which a straw mat is placed
0:13:14 > 0:13:17with a couple of featherbeds on top of that.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20These are mattresses which should give you a good night's sleep,
0:13:20 > 0:13:21as long as there are no bedbugs.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Foreign travellers often comment on the clean state of London's inns.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29And you can expect freshly-laundered sheets.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34The innkeeper is also legally responsible for keeping you safe.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36And so he'll do what he can to stop thieves
0:13:36 > 0:13:38and violence on his premises.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47However, I suggest you keep your wits about you
0:13:47 > 0:13:51as the servants at the inn may well have told some unsavoury characters
0:13:51 > 0:13:53about your onward travel plans
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and tipped them off about your expensive-looking belongings,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58all for the price of a drink.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06If, when you wake up in the morning,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08you've not been robbed of all you possess,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11it's time to explore the unique sights of London.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22There are numerous must-see attractions
0:14:22 > 0:14:25on any wealthy tourist's itinerary.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Firstly, the Tower of London.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Here you can hire a tour guide.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31You'll see Henry VIII's armour,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34the Royal Mint, a menagerie of exotic animals
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and the dungeons where Catholics are tortured.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41But tourism doesn't come cheap.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45If you want to do the full Tower experience in Elizabeth's reign,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47it will cost you the equivalent of 12 weeks' wages
0:14:47 > 0:14:49for the average labourer.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56You'll notice that London is a favourite destination
0:14:56 > 0:14:58for wealthy foreign tourists.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04One such visitor is the Venetian Allesandro Magno,
0:15:04 > 0:15:09who visits London in 1562 and spends time among the urban middle class.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11He keeps a journal of his experiences
0:15:11 > 0:15:16and comments on the things he finds strange about England and the people he meets.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03But the one thing you simply have to see is London Bridge.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06It's what every visitor to the city talks about.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11It's more than just a simple bridge.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14It's a magnificent ancient structure of 20 arches,
0:16:14 > 0:16:19it's 800 feet long, 60 feet high and 28 feet wide.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21It towers above the river.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25The bridge is covered in buildings,
0:16:25 > 0:16:30from wealthy merchants' houses to shops and even public toilets.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35It also has impressive gates and fortifications
0:16:35 > 0:16:37designed to protect the city.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42London Bridge is an imposing symbol, not only of the city's wealth,
0:16:42 > 0:16:43but also of Royal authority.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46The remains of more than 30 heads of executed traitors
0:16:46 > 0:16:49are to be seen there at the end of the reign.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58The great wealth of the city attracts all those hoping to make their fortunes,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00but it doesn't have to be all hard work.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11The Mermaid Tavern on Cheapside is a favourite haunt of William Shakespeare,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13who is a friend of the landlord.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19He and his fellow playwrights, and their drinking partners, are at the heart of this new London.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41If you like beer, you've come to the right place.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44For a ha'penny, you can have a pint of good English beer,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47served in a wooden mazer, or a shiny pewter tankard.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The best quality is March beer, or double beer,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54made with twice the quantity of malt and thus twice as strong.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56But not everybody loves English beer.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01The Venetian Allesandro Magno describes it as "healthy but sickening to taste"
0:18:01 > 0:18:03and "cloudy like horse's urine".
0:18:04 > 0:18:07As well as providing some suspicious tasting beer,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11London's alehouses provide every indulgence you can imagine -
0:18:11 > 0:18:15food, music, flirtation, and much more besides.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Many alehouses double up as places of prostitution,
0:18:23 > 0:18:28with the landlord's wife, or even his daughter, taking the position of house harlot.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30These are the harsh realities of Elizabethan life.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The man has to work brewing ale and serving the customers,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36so the women of the household have to work too.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Now you've explored the city,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45it's time to get down to the business of setting up and making some money.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53In 1599, the Swiss tourist Thomas Platter remarks that,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56"London is not in England, but England is in London."
0:18:56 > 0:19:01An observation about crowding in echoed by almost every foreign visitor to the City.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04London's not just the most populous place,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06it's also the centre of government and the centre of law,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10the centre of international trade and, of course, of culture.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It's also a place of wonder and horror,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15of great wealth and abject poverty.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Over the 45 years of Elizabeth's reign,
0:19:22 > 0:19:27the city's population increases from 70,000 to an astonishing 200,000
0:19:27 > 0:19:32as multitudes flock to the capital to seek their fortune.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36But London's pre-eminence isn't just to be measured in numbers of people.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Even at the start of the period, Londoners pay ten times as much tax
0:19:39 > 0:19:43as residents of England's second largest city, Norwich.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48As you walk the streets of your new city,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52you'll see hawkers selling herbs, linens and fine drinking glasses.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59You'll smell tempting hot sausages and pies for sale.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02And you'll hear the hammering of metalworkers,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04the shouts of criers giving news
0:20:04 > 0:20:08and the anguished pleas for food and pity from Newgate and Ludgate prisons.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The real soul of London is in the streets -
0:20:15 > 0:20:18the tiny alleys, dark with overhanging houses.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Ordinary people's homes are the places for innovation,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23of manufacturing and commerce,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27attracting people from all over the country seeking their fortune.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30But this growth and dynamism is not without its problems.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Queen Elizabeth doesn't like London encroaching on her land and palaces,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and so she decrees that no new building can take place
0:20:43 > 0:20:45outside the city walls.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48This early idea of a green-belt
0:20:48 > 0:20:51has a significant impact on the landscape of the city.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56In London, space is at a premium.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59This plan shows you how closely packed together
0:20:59 > 0:21:03all the houses are and gives you a sense of how cramped life is.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05It also shows you all the latrines.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Actually this bit of London isn't too badly served for such facilities
0:21:09 > 0:21:12due to the proximity of the River Fleet.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Even so, you might have to cross your legs
0:21:14 > 0:21:18as it shows just 10 loos for the 30 properties on the map,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21let alone all the hundreds of other houses nearby.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27For those who come to live in the city, life is crowded,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30cramped, unhygienic and little more than a struggle.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35Tensions are increased by having to live so close to your neighbours.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46The lack of space means houses are rising fast,
0:21:46 > 0:21:51sometimes up to seven storeys high, all supported by nothing but timber beams.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58As you make money in the city, you might choose to buy one of these new townhouses,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00as opposed to lodging in the cramped conditions.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06The rapid growth of London also means that sanitation suffers.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Without flushing toilets or effective drains,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14the smell of Elizabethan London is going to take some getting used to.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Strange though it may seem, to most Londoners, the smell of sewage is the smell of progress,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27because it's also the smell of lots of people.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Although the sanitation might leave a little to be desired,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34the city is where you can better yourself and improve your lot.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38London attracts everyone hoping to make a fortune or a name for themselves.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Once you've made it in London,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47you can flaunt your new wealth through your choice of transport.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53When visiting London, the River Thames will be your constant companion.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55It's the lifeblood of the city
0:22:55 > 0:22:59and for many wealthier Londoners, it is by far the best way to get about.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02This is one of the reasons why there are so many boats on the river,
0:23:02 > 0:23:08from the practical barges carrying everything from dung to wine, and the Queen's glass-sided barge,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11to thousands of wherries, as waterborne taxis are known.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15These river taxis operate in all weathers.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17It will cost you a penny to cross from the city
0:23:17 > 0:23:19to the many entertainments of Southwark
0:23:19 > 0:23:21on the south bank of the river.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30The wherries are quick, and the best way to avoid the dirty crowded streets,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34as well as to show you're a self-respecting person of substance.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43The River Thames also provides the city with its port
0:23:43 > 0:23:47and it's this that makes London such a centre of international trade,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50new ideas and opportunities to make money.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04London's striving metropolitan elite are only too pleased to spend their new-found wealth.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08And it's London's bustling port that satisfies the demand
0:24:08 > 0:24:10for novelties as well as basic commodities.
0:24:10 > 0:24:16Luxury items such as sugar, exotic spices, carpets, cakes of soap and even marmalade,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20are imported from Europe, the Far East and the New World.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22If it's the finer things in life you're after,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25then London is definitely the place to be.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30The constant movement of people and cargoes in and out of the city
0:24:30 > 0:24:35makes it a conduit for the most terrifying thing you'll encounter in Elizabethan England -
0:24:35 > 0:24:37the plague.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45When planning your visit, you really must avoid 1563.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50In that one year alone, over 17,000 Londoners die of bubonic plague.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52But let's say you do visit during an epidemic,
0:24:52 > 0:24:57are there any precautions you can take to avoid catching this dreaded disease?
0:24:59 > 0:25:01You can never predict where it might strike,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05outbreaks occur all over the country at different times.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09But bear in mind that it is carried by rat fleas
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and they don't travel very fast.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16If you hear that the plague is in town, leave immediately.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Poor areas are more severely affected than rich ones, so avoid slums.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Plague can also be spread through infected garments,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27so don't borrow or wear someone else's clothing.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31And finally, bear in mind that plague can be spread in the breath.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Don't get over familiar with strangers and keep the kissing to a minimum.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40So what should you do if you feel painful buboes on your groin and armpits,
0:25:40 > 0:25:45and find yourself suffering from a rapid pulse, fever and headache?
0:25:45 > 0:25:46Medicine won't help you.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48There are supposed cures for plague,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50but none of them will do you the slightest bit of good.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53A physician won't even come near you.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57I'm afraid in such circumstances, the outlook is bleak.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59There is nothing you can do.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05If you are unlucky enough to catch plague,
0:26:05 > 0:26:10the ordinances enacted in 1578 mean you're subject to strict control measures.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12You can't buy your way out of this one.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17You'll be boarded up for a minimum of six weeks -
0:26:17 > 0:26:22you, your family and servants, sick and healthy all in it together.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30There are some harrowing stories about plague victims.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34One that I find particularly moving is that of Thomas Smallbone.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38He and his wife, his mother-in-law and his children all catch plague in the autumn.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41One by one, the adults die
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and then one by one, all the children die.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48At the end, after eight months incarcerated in the house,
0:26:48 > 0:26:49only the servants survive.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58No matter how rich, ambitious or knowledgeable you are,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00nothing can save you from this pestilence.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08As well as horrific events like plague,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Elizabethan England also sees several positive changes that
0:27:12 > 0:27:15make a real difference to the lives of the middling sort of people.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Without a doubt, the most far-reaching of all of these
0:27:19 > 0:27:22is the publication of increasing numbers of books in English.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Over the course of the 16th century,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32the proportion of books published in English increases rapidly.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35This in turn encourages many ordinary people to read.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42For prosperous townsmen, this is a major revelation.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47Suddenly, they too can acquire knowledge and explore their world through literature.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Books are soon published on a wide range of subjects,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56everything from cookery to medicine and even how to fire a cannon.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02But it's the Bible, in English, which is the real bestseller of the age.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06For the first time, people can read the word of God in their own homes
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and consider its meanings for themselves.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11It becomes the ultimate self-help book.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17To read is to better yourself and move up the social ladder.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22But as you can already read, you're at a major advantage.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Literacy can be your ticket to greatness in Elizabethan England.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35At the start of the 16th century, only one in ten men can read and write,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39but by the end of Elizabeth's reign, that has increased to one in four.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Even more strikingly, the proportion of women who can read and write
0:28:43 > 0:28:46increases from 1% to 10%.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48That's a ten-fold increase.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52It marks a revolution. From now on, men aren't the only readers.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Women can read too, and they can publish.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05One woman who fully embraces this new intellectual opportunity is Aemilia Lanyer.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10In what is very much a man's world,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12she challenges the status quo.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16You'll definitely want to get to know Aemilia.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20She's witty, educated and has a lot to say for herself.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24In one of her most famous poems,
0:29:24 > 0:29:30she shifts the blame for man's fall from grace in the Garden of Eden from Eve to Adam.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Aemilia Lanyer is one of the standard-bearers
0:30:02 > 0:30:04of this revolution in women's literature.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Her work demonstrates that women too are capable of original ideas
0:30:08 > 0:30:12and inspires others to set out on the long road to intellectual equality.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Ironically, although you are qualified to join this literate society,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31the chances are you'll have very great difficulty reading anyone's handwriting.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34This isn't because people can't write properly,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37it's because there are many different types of script in use.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Most people learn to read using a typeface called 'black letter'.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51To your eyes, black letter will look almost Gothic,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53with numerous unfamiliar characters.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03You'll probably find printed italic script much easier to understand.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08It's called italic because of its Italian origin.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10All modern typefaces are based upon it.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15Many books are published using both italic and black letter.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18But just to confuse matters further,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21there's another script called Secretary Hand,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24a style of writing which is never printed.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32The upshot of all this is, if you're lucky enough to come across
0:31:32 > 0:31:34the original manuscript of a Shakespeare play,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36in all likelihood, you won't be able to read a word.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39You'll find the printed versions much easier.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Numbers can also be a little bit tricky
0:31:54 > 0:31:58as both Arabic and Roman numerals are in common use.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Increasingly, you'll see Arabic numerals used
0:32:00 > 0:32:03because 1588 - one five eight eight -
0:32:03 > 0:32:09is much easier to write than MDLXXXVIII.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Some educated men like William Cecil,
0:32:14 > 0:32:18the Queen's chief advisor, simply can't think in Arabic numerals.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21He converts dates and figures into Roman numerals
0:32:21 > 0:32:26and then back again when formulating government policy.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30You'll find numbers and counting much easier
0:32:30 > 0:32:32than even the most highly educated men in the land.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45The publishing of books in English has a major impact on literacy,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48but for the ambitious and brightest,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52there's another, more formal, route to education - school.
0:32:54 > 0:33:00Traditionally, a formal education is only open to the wealthy few.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02But increasingly, new grammar schools -
0:33:02 > 0:33:05that is, schools that teach boys to read and write in Latin -
0:33:05 > 0:33:07are springing up across the country.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Just like the one here in Stratford-upon-Avon.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19As every responsible father knows, not to teach your son to read
0:33:19 > 0:33:23and write is to disempower him in this fast-changing world.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26By sending his son here to Stratford Grammar School, John Shakespeare
0:33:26 > 0:33:32ensures that his son William isn't just restricted to a provincial trade, he's set up for life.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37If you decide to drop in and visit a grammar school,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40you had better prepare for a long day.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Lessons start at six or seven in the morning
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and will normally carry on for at least ten hours,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48although you might not stop until eight in the evening.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Teaching is generally in Latin and by rote,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54with a school master dictating classical works from the front.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59Discipline is brutal - so much so, that you'll be profoundly shocked.
0:33:59 > 0:34:05Here at Stratford in the 1560s, the master John Brownsword
0:34:05 > 0:34:09teaches all the Roman greats, including Ovid, Cicero
0:34:09 > 0:34:12and Virgil, as well as some Greek.
0:34:12 > 0:34:18Ben Jonson later writes that Shakespeare has "small Latin and less Greek",
0:34:18 > 0:34:21trying to belittle his level of learning.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24But just think about that. It's truly remarkable that
0:34:24 > 0:34:28a provincially educated son of a glove maker has any Greek at all.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33All across England, boys like William Shakespeare are being
0:34:33 > 0:34:36prepared for an increasingly literate society.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39From now on, literacy is the key to social mobility.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55With an education, you can take advantage
0:34:55 > 0:34:59of all the new opportunities that Elizabethan England provides.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05Because above all else, this is a time of exploration,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08discovery and scientific revolution.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16But you need to understand how this brave new world operates.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24And the first thing to bear in mind is just how intertwined religion is
0:35:24 > 0:35:30with what YOU would consider established scientific fact.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33One word you won't hear very often is science. Instead,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37you'll come across the notion of Natural Philosophy, a catch-all term
0:35:37 > 0:35:40that covers everything from mathematics to geography.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43It also includes some very unscientific things
0:35:43 > 0:35:47such as the interpretation of dreams, astrology and the occult.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52One man who exemplifies this blurring of science and religion
0:35:52 > 0:35:57is Dr John Dee, a famous astrologer and advisor of Queen Elizabeth.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03With a favourable introduction,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06he can open your eyes to the world of Elizabethan science.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13If you meet Dee in 1582, you can watch as he and his friend
0:36:13 > 0:36:18Edward Kelley try and study angels through a series of seances.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25During their experience, an angel called Madimi instructs them
0:36:25 > 0:36:28to share everything - including their wives.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Shocked, they ask Madimi if she means carnal knowledge,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35and the angel confirms this is the case.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39They duly comply and make love to each other's wives.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45These men aren't charlatans or deviants,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48they simply operate in a world where there are no scientific boundaries.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50As God created everything,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53every scientific discovery is a religious act.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56In this world, religion and science are the same thing.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01It's probably a good idea to make your excuses
0:37:01 > 0:37:04if John Dee invites you and your husband to a seance.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16According to the great polymath and philosopher Francis Bacon,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18there are three things that set the Elizabethan Age
0:37:18 > 0:37:21apart from the medieval one -
0:37:21 > 0:37:25gunpowder, printing and the compass.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30For centuries, it was believed that
0:37:30 > 0:37:35the wisdom of ancient writers like Aristotle, Ptolemy and Pythagoras
0:37:35 > 0:37:38provided an unquestionable basis for all human knowledge.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Any new thinkers who could see further could do so simply
0:37:41 > 0:37:45because they were "dwarves standing on the shoulders of giants".
0:37:51 > 0:37:56But when in 1492, Columbus discovered the Americas,
0:37:56 > 0:37:58he proved the great minds of the ancient world
0:37:58 > 0:38:02did not know everything. That discovery cannot be overestimated.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06In Elizabeth's reign, the leading scientists and geographers,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08men like Francis Bacon,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11are themselves giants, standing on the shoulders of giants.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17In Elizabeth's England, advances in scientific knowledge go hand in hand
0:38:17 > 0:38:22with exploration - building on what Columbus started 50 years before.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30But what drives this appetite for discovery? In short - money.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49The world really is your oyster, and one of the key figures
0:38:49 > 0:38:53in opening that oyster is the adventurer John Hawkins.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00In the 1550s, he embarks on a revolutionary moneymaking venture.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06He begins selling slaves from Africa
0:39:06 > 0:39:08to the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14His voyage is such a success that Queen Elizabeth herself
0:39:14 > 0:39:16invests in his next expedition.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24I expect you will feel more than just a little uncomfortable
0:39:24 > 0:39:28being part of what seems to us a completely immoral business.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32But this immorality is not an issue for ambitious Englishmen
0:39:32 > 0:39:34eager to exploit this new world.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Perhaps the most famous adventurer of them all is Sir Francis Drake.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44He is the very embodiment of an Elizabethan self-made man.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47From humble beginnings in Devon, he rises to become
0:39:47 > 0:39:51one of the richest and most celebrated men in the kingdom.
0:39:52 > 0:39:58In 1577, he sets out in command of a fleet of five ships with 200 men.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Three years later, having sailed round the world, he returns
0:40:01 > 0:40:05with just one ship and 56 men, but a mountain of treasure.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17Drake is a man whom you'll definitely want to meet.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20He is a privateer, a state-sanctioned pirate.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24On his voyage around the world, he extends English knowledge
0:40:24 > 0:40:27of the Pacific Ocean and beyond.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30He also plunders as much as he can.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34No-one knows exactly how much he brings back from the ships and ports he attacks.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37But the Spanish, from whom he steals most of it,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40estimate his loot as worth £600,000 -
0:40:40 > 0:40:44roughly twice the English government's annual revenue.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49This lowly provincial buys himself
0:40:49 > 0:40:54a place at the top of Elizabethan society with stolen Spanish gold.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00You can visit Drake's famous flagship,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02the Golden Hinde, at Greenwich.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08It's common to break a piece off as a souvenir,
0:41:08 > 0:41:12so visit by 1618, as after this date only the keel will be left.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Men like Drake use the compass and other new technologies
0:41:18 > 0:41:21to navigate their way around the world,
0:41:21 > 0:41:25but it's gunpowder and cannon that allow them to make their fortunes.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30Superior firepower means that they can attack indigenous peoples with impunity
0:41:30 > 0:41:33and plunder the ships and outposts of their Spanish rivals.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Drake's Golden Hinde is armed with 18 cannon.
0:41:41 > 0:41:4414 of these are capable of sending an iron cannonball,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46weighing some four pounds,
0:41:46 > 0:41:50into the packed decks and sails of his enemy's ships.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58The majority of English vessels are smaller, lower, more stable
0:41:58 > 0:42:01and more manoeuvrable than the big Spanish galleons.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08So, although fewer guns will defend you, an English ship
0:42:08 > 0:42:12is probably your best bet when it comes to travelling the world.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Drake and his English contemporaries soon begin to challenge
0:42:19 > 0:42:22the Spanish for mastery of the world's oceans.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33If you are serious about voyaging into the great unknown with
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Francis Drake or John Hawkins, there are a few things to bear in mind.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43Life aboard an ocean-going ship is unbelievably hard.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46As a crew member, you won't have any private space,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48the food is atrocious
0:42:48 > 0:42:51and it's likely you'll get scurvy on a long voyage.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54That means you'll probably lose some teeth, your gums will start to rot,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56and your breath will stink.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59There are no washing facilities
0:42:59 > 0:43:01so the smell of your body will soon overpower
0:43:01 > 0:43:04even that of your reeking breath. You can't shave either,
0:43:04 > 0:43:08so your beard will start to grow and insects will grow in your beard.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11In fact, your whole body will be covered in lice and fleas.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16And unfortunately, if you do seek out adventure, you probably won't
0:43:16 > 0:43:20live very long - 82% of mariners are under 30,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22because mortality rates are so high.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30After his rampaging voyage around the globe
0:43:30 > 0:43:35and success against the Spanish, Drake returns to England a hero.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39You, too, can bask in his reflected glory, as all Englishmen do.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Drake shares his fortune with the Crown
0:43:44 > 0:43:48and, begrudgingly, Queen Elizabeth knights him.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51This lowly provincial becomes one of the most famous men of the age.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08Through sheer determination and reckless courage,
0:44:08 > 0:44:10Drake manages to steal
0:44:10 > 0:44:14and fight his way into the upper echelons of Elizabethan society.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16His knighthood is recognition by the Queen
0:44:16 > 0:44:21and the establishment that men like him are the key to England's future.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32But alongside the great advances in science, knowledge and trade,
0:44:32 > 0:44:37exploration also awakens a darker side of human nature.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40You may be shocked by the racism
0:44:40 > 0:44:42and the prejudice of your fellow Englishmen.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Before the slaving expeditions of the 1560s, there are only
0:44:48 > 0:44:51a handful of black men and women in England.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55By 1596 however, their numbers have risen to such an extent
0:44:55 > 0:44:58that the Queen orders the deportation of as many as possible,
0:44:58 > 0:45:02on the grounds that there are too many unemployed people in the country.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06Those that remain experience a rising tide of racism - as attitudes
0:45:06 > 0:45:10that were once based on curiosity and ignorance turn hostile.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16In Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19a black character is described as delighting in rape and murder.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22And in Reginald Scott's Discovery Of Witchcraft,
0:45:22 > 0:45:25it's even claimed that the devil himself has black skin.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32The majority of black men and women are to be found serving in the
0:45:32 > 0:45:36houses of the powerful and in ports, especially London and Plymouth.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39Perhaps the most shocking aspect of Elizabethan racism
0:45:39 > 0:45:42is the treatment of black women in these towns
0:45:42 > 0:45:45as evidenced in the baptismal registers.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Such records suggest that rich men
0:46:02 > 0:46:05are lending out their black female servants to friends and neighbours
0:46:05 > 0:46:08for sexual novelty and experimentation.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15You might be appalled by the actions of those around you,
0:46:15 > 0:46:18but your moral outrage will baffle Elizabethans.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Having travelled the globe, English explorers and adventurers
0:46:30 > 0:46:33bring back a mass of new discoveries that help transform
0:46:33 > 0:46:36the understanding of the natural world.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Explorers from all over Europe,
0:46:39 > 0:46:42including Englishmen such as Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45bring back plants and animals from the New World
0:46:45 > 0:46:47with which you'll be very familiar -
0:46:47 > 0:46:49the potato, the tomato, tobacco and the turkey.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51These discoveries cause great excitement
0:46:51 > 0:46:53for they support the idea that
0:46:53 > 0:46:57when God created world, he created cures for all of mankind's diseases.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03The result is an expansion in physic gardens, which are stocked
0:47:03 > 0:47:07with every botanical specimen that might prove useful.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12You might want to discuss these new discoveries with John Gerard,
0:47:12 > 0:47:14the leading herbalist of the age.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20Gerard compiles the most comprehensive catalogue of plants
0:47:20 > 0:47:24yet undertaken, and the science of botany takes a huge leap forward.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35John Gerard is keen to explore the medicinal
0:47:35 > 0:47:38and nutritional properties of every plant he can find.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42Of the newly discovered tomato he writes, "They yield very little
0:47:42 > 0:47:45"nourishment to the body, and are only cultivated for their colour."
0:47:45 > 0:47:49Prosperous Elizabethans put tomatoes and potatoes on the banquet table,
0:47:49 > 0:47:52not to eat but for exotic decoration.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55In short, the tomato is a status symbol.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Another exotic novelty you'll know well is tobacco.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29If you're a smoker, you'll need to visit after 1573
0:48:29 > 0:48:31when it first becomes available.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37However, a quarter ounce will cost you ten pence in a tavern -
0:48:37 > 0:48:39a huge sum of money, reflecting its exotic nature.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47Smoking polarises opinion in Elizabethan England -
0:48:47 > 0:48:51some people will assure you that it has medicinal properties,
0:48:51 > 0:48:53but others aren't convinced.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57The Swiss traveller Thomas Platter notes that the English love to smoke.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20As well as being viewed as a dangerous vice
0:49:20 > 0:49:23and a health risk, smoking has its social detractors, too.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Many will tell you that tobacco makes your breath
0:49:26 > 0:49:27smell like the "piss of a fox".
0:49:37 > 0:49:39For you, tobacco, potatoes
0:49:39 > 0:49:43and tomatoes are everyday items that will barely get a second glance.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47But to those around you, these are exotic novelties
0:49:47 > 0:49:49that prove there's a whole world out there
0:49:49 > 0:49:52waiting to be discovered and exploited.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59If you visit England at the start of the Queen's reign
0:49:59 > 0:50:02and then again at the end, you'll find a profoundly different place.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04Scientific and geographic knowledge have been transformed
0:50:04 > 0:50:09beyond recognition, and everyday life has undergone a revolution.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12As well as driving innovation
0:50:12 > 0:50:16and expanding knowledge of the natural world, Elizabethan
0:50:16 > 0:50:19merchant-adventurers also set England against powerful rivals.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26English attempts to muscle in on the burgeoning empires of Catholic Spain
0:50:26 > 0:50:29and Portugal in the New World are bound to lead to conflict.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33This is even more the case after 1577, when Dr John Dee,
0:50:33 > 0:50:36he of the wife-swapping angel seances,
0:50:36 > 0:50:39suggests the establishment of a British Empire.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Empire-building in the New World, and the actions of men
0:50:45 > 0:50:49like Francis Drake set England on a collision course with Spain.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55And as every English schoolboy and schoolgirl knows,
0:50:55 > 0:50:58this is what leads to the launch of the Spanish Armada,
0:50:58 > 0:51:03arguably the defining event in Elizabeth's reign.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10In 1588, 122 Spanish ships set sail with the intention
0:51:10 > 0:51:14of landing an army to overthrow Elizabeth.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20On entering the Channel,
0:51:20 > 0:51:22they are intercepted by a larger English fleet,
0:51:22 > 0:51:24commanded by Drake and Lord Howard.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32The English forces chase the Armada up the Channel to Calais,
0:51:32 > 0:51:36where they send flaming fire ships into the massed Spanish fleet.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39The Spanish panic and take flight.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47The British weather does the rest and many of the Armada's ships are
0:51:47 > 0:51:51wrecked trying to sail home around the Scottish and Irish coasts.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56In the aftermath of this famous victory,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59the Tudor propaganda machine seeks to exploit
0:51:59 > 0:52:02this seemingly divine affirmation of Elizabeth's England.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11This iconic portrait of the Queen is full of triumphant symbolism.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Behind Elizabeth are two panels depicting key events.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18On the left, the English fleet attacks the arriving Armada,
0:52:18 > 0:52:20a scene bathed in glowing light.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23On the right, the Spanish fleet is wrecked on rocks,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26enveloped by darkness.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29The English have no doubt as to where God's favour lies.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33And looking to the future, the Queen's hand lies on a globe,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36her fingers suggestively pointing to the New World.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53The profound changes of the Elizabethan era
0:52:53 > 0:52:57radically alter the lives of the new metropolitan classes.
0:52:57 > 0:53:02Urbanisation, education and advances in science and knowledge
0:53:02 > 0:53:05all feed into this notion of a changing world.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16But there's one place you HAVE to go to round off your visit.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20On the south bank of the Thames at Southwark,
0:53:20 > 0:53:24you'll see something extraordinary unfolding before your eyes.
0:53:27 > 0:53:32To many it's the pinnacle of Elizabeth's England - the theatre.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39'To be, or not to be - that is the question.'
0:53:39 > 0:53:42'Friends, Romans, countrymen...'
0:53:42 > 0:53:44'..To suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous...'
0:53:44 > 0:53:47- 'Fair is foul and foul...' - 'Lend me your ears...'
0:53:47 > 0:53:50'..To take arms against a sea of troubles...'
0:53:50 > 0:53:53'..Through the fog and filthy air...'
0:53:53 > 0:53:57If you visit the Globe Theatre in 1599, you might just be lucky
0:53:57 > 0:54:00enough to see the work of the man who has come to be regarded
0:54:00 > 0:54:03as the foremost Elizabethan of them all -
0:54:03 > 0:54:04William Shakespeare.
0:54:04 > 0:54:10Like so many great men of the age, he prospers through sheer hard work.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13For example, in that one year alone, 1599,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16he writes no fewer than four plays -
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and Hamlet.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Here at the Globe, Shakespeare provides thought-provoking
0:54:27 > 0:54:31entertainment that reflects his own society on stage.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37A third of all Londoners watches a play every month.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40You'll certainly want to join these urban theatre-goers.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47When you arrive, you'll be one of a 2,000-strong audience
0:54:47 > 0:54:51waiting with anticipation for the entertainment to begin.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56Be on guard against pickpockets in the bustling audience -
0:54:56 > 0:55:00you wouldn't want to lose some of your hard-earned cash.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06Watching Shakespeare's masterpieces is a unique
0:55:06 > 0:55:08and unforgettable experience.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12You'll hear his plays performed by actors he knows - the very people
0:55:12 > 0:55:13for whom he has written the parts.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19'Is this a dagger which I see before me?'
0:55:19 > 0:55:21'When shall we three meet again?'
0:55:21 > 0:55:26'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers,
0:55:26 > 0:55:31'for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother...'
0:55:31 > 0:55:35Ben Jonson is in no doubt about his friend's talent and legacy.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Shakespeare is not just an entertainer, of course.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52In his plays, he holds up a mirror to reality,
0:55:52 > 0:55:55reflecting a rapidly changing society.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59In so doing, he becomes a spokesman for the emerging middle class,
0:55:59 > 0:56:01a group that transforms the nation.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04You could say he rides the crest of a cultural wave,
0:56:04 > 0:56:07one which is still breaking on the shores of the world.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16You've journeyed through the many different realities
0:56:16 > 0:56:18that make up Elizabeth's England -
0:56:18 > 0:56:21from the abject lives of the poor,
0:56:21 > 0:56:24to the sumptuous homes of the rich
0:56:24 > 0:56:28and the exciting world of the emergent middle-classes.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31But witnessing the past is one thing,
0:56:31 > 0:56:33understanding it is quite another.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40Your familiarity with it will come and go like a tide.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47You may recognise the greetings, shouts and insults in the street,
0:56:47 > 0:56:50and understand people's feelings, tears and laughter.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54But when you hear the baying crowd at the hanging of a young woman,
0:56:54 > 0:56:57or see the hatred in people's faces at the arrest of a Catholic priest,
0:56:57 > 0:57:01or witness the pitiful bears in their cramped cages at Southwark,
0:57:01 > 0:57:05then it will seem as if the tide of familiarity has receded.
0:57:06 > 0:57:11For the men and women of Elizabeth's reign, this isn't a golden age,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14it is simply the world they inhabit, with all its challenges.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18They don't know that the Spanish invasion will fail,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21and that there is no cure for the plague.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27And the majority of people outside London haven't even heard the name William Shakespeare.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30The uncertainty of life,
0:57:30 > 0:57:34and the even greater uncertainty of the future, mean their lives
0:57:34 > 0:57:39are full of wonder and terror, pleasure and pain, tears and
0:57:39 > 0:57:43laughter - everything that we all experience, whatever age we live in.
0:57:46 > 0:57:51But what really sets Elizabethan England apart is the idea of change.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54People can see the ruined monasteries for themselves,
0:57:54 > 0:57:57they can see the ruined castles for themselves,
0:57:57 > 0:58:00they know that an Englishman has circumnavigated the globe.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03They can see that change is possible, and once they realise that
0:58:03 > 0:58:08change is possible, they know that change for the better is possible.
0:58:08 > 0:58:13This is perhaps the most important idea that mankind has ever had,
0:58:13 > 0:58:16and it is the lasting legacy of the Elizabethan Age.
0:58:36 > 0:58:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd