What I Believe to be an Average Day for Shakespear

William Shakespeare on an average day, probably wouldn't be suffering. Since William owned three estates, he obviously had no small amount of money. My guess is that he was a middle class citizen if not upper class. Although he had one of the thought to be lowest jobs at the time, he probably lived in an upper class fashion; upper class meaning wealthy. He would have bathed, eaten, and dressed probably more like a wealthier man. When he wasn't composing something or acting, his entertainment activities were most likely as a wealthier person's were. Another thing that I would like to point out is that his furniture would have probably been more extravagant than a commoners furniture at that time. In a possible day of Shakespeare, he would have had many, what was considered at that time, luxuries.

In the Seventeenth century, bathing was available to all, but not all could afford it and not all people chose to bath at what is now considered proper. Shakespeare had the money to bathe everyday, but most likely bathed every week or longer. Shakespeare, like everyone else, would have bathed for cleanliness and social purposes. Baths were considered social occasions and were attended by males and females. Private bathes were available for those who could pay for them.
William would have eaten meals full or protein. This is because vegetables were considered commoner's food. Shakespeare, being the money holder that he most likely was, would have eaten meat and dairy products. The poor needed the animals alive to provide them with things such as milk and eggs, but the rich could afford to take the animals meat. The midday meal, lunch, would have been the biggest meal of the day. Shakespeare would have been served beef, mutton, or venison first. Then, he would have been served poultry, an assortment of fish dishes, and yeast bread. Finally, he would have eaten Cheese, pealed fruit, and possibly some kind of pastries. Along with this, he would would have drunken wine, beer, ale, or porter. No one at that time drank water. There was too high of a possibility of contamination. All of this food might have been served on glass, china, or other dishes made of precious metals. The utensils more than likely were made out of silver. The table cloth underneath all this was basically a large napkin. Singular napkins hadn't been invented at this time. William Shakespeare's meals would have resembled something like this.

Shakespeare's furniture would have been hand crafted and good quality. The wood used was usually oak, mahogany, or walnut. William's furniture would have been in-lade with mother of pearl, lacquered, and/or upholstered. These heavy creations would have been in style and in high demand for those who had money.

When Shakespeare was engaging in recreational activities, he might have played various board games or sporting activities. possibly, he might have partaken in chess, draughts (checkers), backgammon, or fox and geese. These game's were invented by the Normans and taken in by the local people. William would have possibly gone hunting for dear, wild boar, games birds, or wolves. Gambling over cock fights and bear/bull baiting were also popular at the time. The wealthy sought these animals and activities because England's forests were rich with life.
Clothing in the seventeenth century included several pieces for both male and female. Shakespeare would most likely have worn a waistcoat with a frock over it or a linen shirt with a doublet. His pants would have been breeches. Williams wife would have worn a nightie, called a shift, with a long dress over it. The dress consisted of two pieces: a bodice and a skirt. These cloths were in fashion at the time.

All of these components could have made up William Shakespeare's average day. However, a large chunk of William's time would have been occupied by his work. No on can know how much he actually spent in recreational activities. I concluded that William Shakespeare was a wealthier citizen, because he owned three properties. Owning three properties shows that he would of had to have had a suitable abount of money, and thus being able to afford a higher life style. Whether he lived this life style out is unknown.

Everyday Life in the 17^th Century (Lambert)

A World’s Story Encyclopedia (Western European History)

http://www.localhistories.org/stuart.html

Lifestyles of the Rich and Poor in the Seventeenth Century (Lifestyles)

Chris’ Home Port (Seventeenth Century Lifestyles)

http://www.canaan.demon.co.uk/roleplaying/venice/RArsm-C17th.html