Our next topic in Year 4 will be The Tudors and Shakespeare!
The Tudors are one of the most famous dynasties of kings and queens in British history. Their rule lasted from 1485-1603 and brought about many changes to religion, politics and daily life in England. We will also be looking at the life and work of William Shakespeare who lived during the Tudor era. Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers in the English language.
We are so lucky that during the Summer Term we will be working with the Primary Shakespeare Company to put together a performance of an act from Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. We will be performing it just like the Lord Chamberlain’s Men at a festival alongside other schools from our borough in June!
Each week you will have Curriculum homework which links to our topic posted on Google Classroom. You will be able to use the skills and knowledge from the homework in our lessons!
Homework will commence from Monday 17th April.
Before then, I would like you to find out more about the Tudors and Shakespeare. Use a child-friendly search engine such as Kiddle to answer the following questions as a comment below: 1.) What is Henry VIII, a Tudor monarch, famous for? 2.) What kind of things did William Shakespeare write? 3.) What is something you would like to find out about the Tudors or William Shakespeare?
I hope you had a relaxing Easter break and managed to rest well! I really love this period of history and I am so excited to begin our drama workshops soon!
1) Henry VIII (28 June 1491-28 January 1547) Henry VIII was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII about such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries, for which he was excommunicated by the pope.
Domestically, Henry is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, expanding royal power and ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings in opposition to papal supremacy. He frequently used charges of treason and heresy to quell dissent, and those accused were often executed without a formal trial by means of bills of attainder. He achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favour. Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer all figured prominently in his administration.
Henry was an extravagant spender, using the proceeds from the dissolution of the monasteries and acts of the Reformation Parliament. He also converted the money that was formerly paid to Rome into royal revenue. Despite the money from these sources, he was continually on the verge of financial ruin due to his personal extravagance as well as multiple costly and largely unproductive wars, particularly with King Francis I of France, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, King James V of Scotland and the Scottish regency under the Earl of Arran and Mary of Guise. At home, he expanded the Royal Navy, oversaw the annexure of Wales to England with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 and was the first English monarch to rule as King of Ireland following the Crown of Ireland Act 1542.
Henry’s contemporaries considered him to be an attractive, educated and accomplished king. He has been described as “one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne” and his reign has been described as the “most important” in English history. He was an author and composer. As he aged, he became severely overweight and his health suffered. He is frequently characterised in his later life as a lustful, egotistical, paranoid and tyrannical monarch. He was succeeded by his son Edward VI.
2)Shakespeare wrote plays and poetry in the late 16th century12. His works span tragedy, comedy, and historical works, both in poetry and prose. His plays are typically divided into three categories: comedy, tragedy, and history. His first plays encompass all three of these genres. Some of his plays had magic, witches, and strange, far-off places.
3) I would like to know about how many monarchs there were since the year 1000BC!
1) Henry VIII (28 June 1491-28 January 1547) Henry VIII was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII about such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries, for which he was excommunicated by the pope.
Domestically, Henry is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, expanding royal power and ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings in opposition to papal supremacy. He frequently used charges of treason and heresy to quell dissent, and those accused were often executed without a formal trial by means of bills of attainder. He achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favour. Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer all figured prominently in his administration.
Henry was an extravagant spender, using the proceeds from the dissolution of the monasteries and acts of the Reformation Parliament. He also converted the money that was formerly paid to Rome into royal revenue. Despite the money from these sources, he was continually on the verge of financial ruin due to his personal extravagance as well as multiple costly and largely unproductive wars, particularly with King Francis I of France, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, King James V of Scotland and the Scottish regency under the Earl of Arran and Mary of Guise. At home, he expanded the Royal Navy, oversaw the annexure of Wales to England with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 and was the first English monarch to rule as King of Ireland following the Crown of Ireland Act 1542.
Henry’s contemporaries considered him to be an attractive, educated and accomplished king. He has been described as “one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne” and his reign has been described as the “most important” in English history. He was an author and composer. As he aged, he became severely overweight and his health suffered. He is frequently characterised in his later life as a lustful, egotistical, paranoid and tyrannical monarch. He was succeeded by his son Edward VI.
2)Shakespeare wrote plays and poetry in the late 16th century12. His works span tragedy, comedy, and historical works, both in poetry and prose. His plays are typically divided into three categories: comedy, tragedy, and history. His first plays encompass all three of these genres. Some of his plays had magic, witches, and strange, far-off places.
3) I would like to know about how many monarchs there were since the year 1000BC!
Actually from 1485 (question 3) because there were no monarchs at 1000BC
I would like to know how many monarchs/prime ministers there have been