Bottoms Up

Alexandra Edgington-Giordano 2008

"Bacchus, to give the toping world surprise,
Produced one sober son, and here he lies.
Though rear'd among full hogsheads, he defied
The charms of wine, and every one beside.
O reader, if to justice thou'rt inclined,
Keep honest Preston daily in thy mind.
He drew good wine, took care to fill his pots,
Had sundry virtues that excused his faults.
You that on Bacchus have the like dependence,
Pray copy Bob, in measure and attendance."

Robert Preston’s grave stone

Shakespeare’s time was one of all the glamour but none of the governmental stability present in most countries of England’s size and power; so things basically boiled down to you did what you needed to do to survive and then you drank, or both at the same time.  “Ben Jonson was a friend of Shakespeare and together they used to go to the Mermaid Tavern and indulge in wit combats” (Quennell 136).  Shakespeare based all the street life and tavern life in his plays on activity and legends of London’s great taverns, such as The Boars Head.  “Shakespeare's pen dispelled any atmosphere of respectability which lingered around the Boar's Head” (Shelley).

Falstaff was what many people studying Shakespeare would call the devil character. His life is based around sin and the corruption of those who are good around him. Hal is by no means the model person but when Falstaff gets his hands on Hal, Hal is challenged to think what is right and wrong. Given the evidence, Falstaff was one of the deciding factors in the ruler Hal became.  Falstaff is often seen in a tavern.  It is because of Falstaff’s devilishness that taverns were associated with evil and sin.  Hal attempted to continue to be a good person; however, Falstaff’s ability to corrupt would not be sated.  Some would avoid taverns due to their reputation of being evil.  However, you can never know “good” if you have never seen “evil”.

Taverns were the site of much entertainment during the 16th century.  The Globe and like theatres were the site of plays as well as gambling houses, but the taverns were so much more.  They were not like the bars of today, they were not looked down upon.  They were not known for their drunkards.  They were not solely for drinking.  They were for all sorts of people should they choose to go.  No one was looked down upon for going to the tavern.  The tavern was simply another form of entertainment.  In the taverns, not only were performances held, but there was singing and dancing, fraternization and mingling, and, of course, the heavy consumption of alcohol.  It was for these reasons that the people loved to go to the taverns.

The drink consumed the most was wine and ale, or beer.  Hard liquor was not too common in the taverns.  Hard liquor was easier to get drunk off of and therefore was not drunk as often.  Patrons of the taverns wanted to drink to their fill, but did not want to be forced to stop drinking too quickly.  Wine and beer allowed patrons to drink large volumes of alcohol without becoming extremely inebriated after only a few drinks.  This obviously suited the bartenders and tavern owners very well.  They were able to sell more alcohol without needing to adjust their prices in a way that would make them appear to be cheaper.  To be a tavern owner was an exceedingly profitable job during the 16th century.

All forms of 16th century men and women attended the taverns for the wide variety of activities.  Performances were very popular and new plays or pageants were displayed every day and night.  A common play was The Lord of Misrule.  This piece, based on the snuffed tradition of appointing a commoner to direct Christmas festivities, which typically ended in much drunkenness, was a tavern favorite (Quennell 136).  This was ironic since Falstaff was the designated Lord of Misrule in Henry IV.

Singing and dancing was, and still is, a major form of entertainment in taverns during the 16th century.  No night at the tavern was complete without at least one dance or song.  Many times patrons would only have a few drinks and spend the remainder of the night dancing.  Singing and dancing barely even paused for the performances.  This invariably resulted in an extremely loud environment.  People could barely hear themselves think, let alone sing.  This led to the singing of many people who couldn’t sing very well at all.  Fortunately for them, no one could hear them.  The most common dance of the taverns was the Morris Dance.  It originated in the East and was very popular among the moors (Quennell 137).  This was a fast-paced, high energy song that kept the dancers’ hearts beating as fast as their feet were moving.  It did not matter who danced with whom, as long as they danced.  This may have been the sole reason for some to attend.

In all the excitement of the singing, dancing, plays and drinking there was much socialization.  The men and women who attended the taverns were very friendly.  It was their sociability that allowed and drove them to go to the tavern and to participate in the festivities that it offered.  They thoroughly enjoyed going and meeting new people and gathering with friends for a drink.  Taverns were the clubhouses of Shakespeare’s time.  They were designed for socializing.  If people went in alone, they certainly left with someone else.  Taverns were not brothels, but they were absolutely a place to find a companion for the night.

The patrons were not the only ones enjoying the taverns, however.  Beggars and thieves could be found all over England from the streets to the alehouses.  They were best known for being a drain on the society; stealing, panhandling, and lying their way into the hearts and pockets of honorable people.  Their most common activity in alehouses was drinking past their fill and delighting in depraved acts.  These low-lives increased in numbers all throughout the 16th century and are clearly present even in today’s society.  Shakespeare used these men to explain the dredges of society in the hopes of giving his audience some insight and perhaps gain some compassion for those unwilling or unable to pull their own weight in society.  Games were a common activity for thieves in the taverns.  One such game involved a taker-up, and victim, a setter and a set of cards.  The taker-up would approach the victim with a set of cards and propose a game.  While the game is in play, the setter acts as a decoy to distract the victim while the taker-up manipulates the cards to his advantage and wins.  In Henry IV, Falstaff was known for taking the position of the setter:

Prince: Where shall we take a purse to-morrow, Jack?
Falstaff: Zounds!  Where thou with, lad, I’ll make one; and I do not, call me a villain and baffle me.
Prince: I see a good amendment of life in thee; from praying to purse-taking.
Falstaff: Why, Hal, ‘tis my vocation, Hal; ‘tis no sin for a man to labor in his vocation.  (Bevington 376)

For the men and women of Shakespeare’s England, taverns were places of refuge, excitement, and occasional bouts of sin.  Shakespeare took the world that taverns presented to England and glorified as well as slandered the many activities that took place in these sanctuaries.  The perception of Falstaff as being evil transcended to the taverns where he spent his time.  However, Shakespeare’s perceived intention was to represent the taverns through Falstaff’s life and actions.  Falstaff lived according to the attitudes expressed in the taverns.  He did not care for inhibitions.  He did what made him happy.  He lived in the moment, and loved what he did.

Works Referenced

Bevington, David, ed. The Necessary Shakespeare. 2nd ed. New York City, NY: Pearson Education Inc., 2005.

Bridges, Robert. Shakespeare's England. Vol. 1. England: Oxford UP, 1917.

Cust, Lionel. Shakespeare's England. Vol. 2. England: Oxford UP, 1917.

Quennell, C. A History of Everyday Things in England. Vol. 1. New York City, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons.

Shelley, Henry. "Inns and Taverns of Old London." Researching Historic Buildings in the British Isles. 10 July 2006. 09 Nov. 2008 <http://www.buildinghistory.org/primary/inns/inns2.htm>.

Wilson, J. D. The Fortunes of Falstaff. New York City, NY: Cambridge UP, 1961.