Keyword: The Plague

The Plague

The plague is also called the Black Death. In the 14th century it killed 25 million people in Europe.

Outbreaks of this deadly disease continued in England until the 1660s. The plague was carried by rat fleas and spread quickly in unsanitary and urban areas like Shakespeare’s London.

People living in Shakespeare's time did not know how to treat the plague or how the disease spread. Herbal medicines, prayer, and superstition were the only treatments for this awful disease, but were of no help.

In 1593, when plague struck again more than 10,000 people died and London closed the theatres to keep it from spreading. In 1596, the plague killed Shakespeare’s only son Hamnet.