2
8
Total
Read the interpretation provided below and answer the question which
follows.
During Elizabeth's reign the theatre quickly developed into a popular form of cheap
entertainment, attracting large audiences drawn from all social classes. The queen
herself was a passionate lover of the theatre an became an important patron. She
enjoyed the plays of Marlowe and Shakespeare and was present at the first performance
of the latter's play Twelfth Night in 1601.
An extract from a website of the Elizabethan Tudor Society, dedicated to promoting
the life of Queen Elizabeth I written in 2011
How far do you agree with this interpretation of the popularity of the theatre
Elizabethan times? (16 marks)
[In your answer you should refer to how and why interpretations of this issue
differ. Use your own knowledge and understanding of the wider historical
debate over this issue to reach a well-supported judgement.]
Marks for spelling, punctuation and the accurate use of grammar and specialist
terms are allocated to this question. (3 marks)