8-1Plague

 What plagues struck Elizabethan England and what affects did the plague have? //Answer prepared by Jessie B.// Plague – a simple, six letter word, holding such a dangerous, infectious sense. The plagues of Elizabethan England were highly contagious, spreading throughout the population at the speed of light, sometimes claiming over 80,000 lives. We learn from the website page The Black Death by an unknown author that the Black Death received its name because of the color ones skin would turn from contracting the disease. How it all first started might startle, for it astonishes many. This disease was spread through fruit, mostly the fruit that was sold on the streets. Yes, that’s right, fruit started the era of the Great Plague. However, it wasn’t just the fruit – it was what happened to these delectable balls of juicy goodness that threatened every person living in England. Flies and rats infested the fruit bought in these outdoor markets. These flies and rats were plentiful on the filthy streets, carrying diseases that they then passed on to humans through the food the everyday Englishman would eat. The disease was everywhere in England, however it hit especially hard in the major cities because rats and the selling of fruit were often of greater range in these areas. Eating the contaminated food would cause a person to have painful swelling spots all over their body. A victim would also suffer from high fever, vomiting, strange hallucinations, bleeding of the lungs, and an intense desire to sleep, usually proving fatal. One may wonder what treatment- if it could even be called that- a person would receive if they caught the disease.

On the website page The Black Death Bubonic Plague During the Elizabethan Era by L.K. Alchin, we learn about how one would be treated if they contracted the plague. Once a person, or people surrounding them, caught the bubonic plague, there was practically no way out; th ey would die almost immediately. If one caught the plague, they were forced to be locked inside their house. While being alone, many people would write diaries to recount their horrible experiences, such as Daniel Defoe’s diary, as seen on page 104 of English Life in the Seventeenth Century by Roger Hart. The doors were bolted shut, and no one was allowed to see the sick patient. They would suffer alone and die alone. The only way of receiving food while one was still alive was through an upper window. A basket would be lowered and a watchman would place food in it. However, this food wasn’t needed for long; a victim’s dead body wouldn’t be hungry whatsoever. Once a person died, their body would be dragged into a pit and the corpse would be buried there. There were, however, a few ways of attempting to care for the victim of the Black Death.

The main way to take care of a victim with the bubonic plague was with a mixture of different herbs. For example, to treat head pains, sweet smelling herbs such as rose and lavender would be used. To treat stomach pains and sickness, herbs such as mint and wormwood would be used. Lung problems were attacked with licorice and comfrey. Vinegar was used as a disinfectant and cutting open an infected vein was believed to get rid of the disease. However, when a vein was first cut open, the blood was found as a strange matter. It was black and gooey, and had green substances mixed into it- YUCK! This horrid disease affected much in the Elizabethan era.

In the Elizabethan era, medical technology of the twenty-first century did not exist. In fact, nothing close to it existed. Considering this, the spread of the bubonic plague obviously affected many. Families would be broken as tragic deaths of their loved ones occurred every week. Physicians sent to help cure these victims were also affected by the disease; they would have a high chance of catching the disease themselves. However, one of the most known affects of the bubonic plague in the Elizabethan era is the closure of theaters, specifically the Globe Theater. This affected Shakespeare severely, because since he had to close down his theaters, he never made any money. Because people were too sick and afraid to go see plays and operas, the theaters had to close down from lack of money. There wasn’t enough money to pay the actors with, sending them out into the cold. Also, the queen of the time, Queen Elizabeth, was terrified of catching the disease; in fact, she was so terrified that she went to what some would call extreme measures. The queen moved to a remote area of England and ordered that all travelers coming towards her castle were to be executed promptly. Plus, she ordered that foreign goods were not to be imported, in case of disease in these goods. These were just the main affects of the bubonic plague.

As you can see, one simple word can mean so much inside. Whether one is experiencing the plague, watching their family member experience the plague, or reading this article, the message is clear. Hurt can come in large measures and the affects of it are long lasting. So next time you hear that straightforward, six letter word, think to yourself, “what was the bubonic plague, and how did it affect the Elizabethan era?” Works Cited Books: Dickson, Andrew. The Rough Guide to Shakespeare. New York, NY: Rough Guides Ltd, 2005.

Dodd, A.H.. Elizabethan England. London, UK: William Clowes and Sons Ltd., 1974.

Dunton-Downer, Leslie, and Alan Riding. Essential Shakespeare Handbook. New York, NY: DK Publishing, INC, 2004.

Hart, Roger. English Life in the Seventeenth Century. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, INC, 1970.

Wood, Michael. Shakespeare. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2003.

Websites: Alchin, L.K.. "Elizabethan Theater." William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. 16 Nov 2008. William Shakespeare Info. 8 Mar 2009 < http://www.william-shakespeare.info/elizabethan-theatre-facts.htm >.

Alchin, L.K.. "The Black Death Bubonic Plague during the Elizabethan Era." William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. 16 Nov 2008. William Shakespeare Info. 6 Mar 2009 .

Alchin, L.K.. "The Swan Theater." William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. 16 Nov 2008. William Shakespeare Info. 5 April 2009 < http://www.william-shakespeare.info/the-swan-theatre-picture.htm>.

Pressley, J.M.. "Shakespeare Poetry." Shakespeare Resource Center. 18 Feb 2009. Shakespeare Resource Center. 12 Mar 2009 .

Unknown, "Art During Elizabethan England." Elizabethan England Life. Travel Prague City. 12 Mar 2009 .

Unknown, "The Black Death." Museum of London. 5 Apr 2009 .