In class we have begun thinking about Shakespeare by listening to an episode of the BBC's excellent radio series, "Shakespeare's Restless World", which takes an object found from the time, and brings out its significance socially, politically, and in terms of Shakespeare's plays. This episode, called 'City life, urban strife', takes a woolen cap worn by the lower echelons of society. There was even a parliamentary statute which stipulated that males over the age of six had to wear a wool cap on Sundays and holidays!
The programme also considers how the very many apprentices of the day would wear one, and often get into trouble in town and go wild particularly on Shrove Tuesday just before the rigours of Lent set in. In fact, disorderly behaviour was commonplace, and the crowds could easily become a 'mob' and a serious threat to power structures at the time.
Listen to the episode by clicking on the link below. And prepare a fully summary of its main ideas:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nYeRynW04vN-B8uLpuYfWm-KGeFrvzoh/view?usp=sharing
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