Study Guide
for
School Days at the
New Jersey Renaissance Faire
New Jersey Renaissance Faire 2017
NJRenFaire.com
Facebook.com/NewJerseyRenFaire
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
W
ELCOME TO CROSSFORD
“There be magic in these woods”
The small village of Crossford is a typical English village of the 16th century. It has its farmers,
its miller, its baker, oh, and its magical forest. Perhaps that is not typical, but it is ordinary for the
citizens of Crossford, as it has been for decades. This forest is very old indeed. It has an energy all
its own. It is the home to many fairies who hold court within its very boundaries. During times
of magical power, which fall upon the solstices and equinoxes, the forest finds a person in need
of direction, someone caught at a crossroads...and it brings him or her here to Crossford. This
gateway transcends not only space but time itself.
Where is Crossford?
Crossford is a village in
Northumberland, England. If it
existed in 2017, it would stand
approximately 20 miles southwest of
Alnwick Castle, home of the Duke of
Northumberland. However, as with all
magical places, it has faded away
with time.
Northumberland
Northumberland is a county in
Northeast England. It shares a border
with Scotland along its northern
edge. Due to its geographical
location, it has been the scene of
many battles between England and
Scotland. As evidence of its violent
history, Northumberland has more
castles than any other county in
England. This includes the castles of
Alnwick, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh,
Newcastle and Warkworth. This
violence extends back to the Roman
occupation, and the famous landmark, Hadrian’s Wall, is one of Northumberland’s key features.
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School Days Study Guide | May 2017
What goes on in Crossford
on our festival day?
While our village is firmly set in the year 1564,
as always the magic of Crossford has brought
us guests from another time. Today’s magical
story brings us guests from the Italian
Renaissance, some of them the most
influential artists and thinkers of history. But
these giants of their fields are not the focus of
our story this year. Crossford and her magical
woods draw people to this village who stand
at a crossroads and need some help in
making major decisions that will affect not only
them, but history as we know it from the safe
distance of time. If they step off on the wrong
path, it could ever alter the world and change
the course of destiny. The figure
standing at his crossroads this year
is Ferdinando Medici. Unlike many of our
previous visitors who needed the guidance of
our magical village, young Ferdinando is from
our time. In the year 1564 the future Grand
Duke of Tuscany is only 15 years old. He is
already a cardinal and beginning to shape his
thoughts that will guide his future rule.
Our visitors from another time and place are
here to influence the young Medici. On one
side, Niccolo Machiavelli who wishes to teach
Ferdinando the importance of the power
of the state. In the eyes and thought of
Machiavelli the ends justify the means and it is
better to be feared than loved if you cannot be
both. It is his hope to teach the future ruler
that a well ordered and strong government is
what is important. The military, science and
weapons, along with a pacified citizenry are
what are necessary. Fear is more important
than love, and the needs of the people are
secondary to the needs of the rulership.
On the other side of this choice are those who
will attempt to influence Ferdinando in the
importance of beauty and the arts, love and
romance and the needs of the people. If there
is no art, if there is no beauty, if there is no
music, then what is the purpose of having a
society in the first place? Some of Italy’s
greatest artists, with names that may be
familiar have also come to Crossford.
Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Rafael and
Donatello will be facing off against Machiavelli
in a classic battle of the arts versus the regime.
As always, the villagers of Crossford and an
assortment of characters brought with the
time travelers will all play the part in
helping Ferdinando find his path. Watch all of
this unfold throughout our story line shows of
the day, Duke’s Court, the Human Chess Match,
Final Joust and Day’s End. Will Ferdinando de
Medici choose the path of fear or love? The
iron fist of the state or the path of the arts and
the sciences? Will he be able to find a balanced
path? All will be answered in the Midsummer
Faire here in the village of Crossford, England,
1564.
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
O
UR CHARACTERS
When reading history books, we often feel distant from the people in them: George Washington
is just a guy in a powdered wig who became our first President; Queen Elizabeth I was a redhead
who wore huge dresses. They are so distant that it can be difficult to relate or understand that
such historical figures were real people, with real feelings, real problems and real lives.
At the New Jersey Renaissance Faire you can experience history first hand. Speak with these
people and talk to them about anything. Meet with William Shakespeare and ask him what
inspired his plays. Ask the Duke and Duchess what it is like to live in a castle. Talk to knights
about how to swing a broad sword, and why they needed them. Don’t just read the history –
experience it. You’ll be surprised just how human these legends are. And learn just how
legendary you can someday become.
Niccolò Machiavelli
(May 3,1469 – June 21, 1527)
Niccolò Machiavelli, or more formally
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, was an
Italian Renaissance historian, politician,
diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and writer.
He was for many years a senior official in the
Florentine Republic, with responsibilities in
diplomatic and military affairs. He also wrote
comedies, carnival songs, and poetry. His
personal correspondence is renowned in the
Italian language.
In 1498, Niccolò Machiavelli began his career
as an active politician in the independent
city-state of Florence, engaging in diplomatic
missions through France and Germany as well
as Italy. After more than a decade of public service, he was driven from his post when the
republic collapsed. The Medici family returned to rule Florence, and Machiavelli, suspected of
conspiracy, was imprisoned, tortured, and sent into exile in 1513 to his father’s small property in
San Casciano, just south of Florence. There he wrote his two major works, The Prince and
Discourses on Livy, both of which were published after his death.
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Repeated efforts to win the confidence and approval of the new regime were unsuccessful, and
Machiavelli was forced into retirement and a life of detached scholarship about the political
process instead of direct participation in it.
“Machiavellianism” is a widely used negative term to characterize unscrupulous politicians of
the sort Machiavelli described most famously in The Prince. For Machiavelli, there is no moral
basis on which to judge the difference between legitimate and illegitimate uses of power. Rather,
authority and power are essentially coequal: whoever has power has the right to command; but
goodness does not ensure power and the good person has no more authority by virtue of being
good. Thus, in direct opposition to a moralistic theory of politics, Machiavelli says that the only
real concern of the political ruler is the acquisition and maintenance of power (although he talks
less about power per se than about “maintaining the
state.”) In this sense, Machiavelli presents a trenchant
criticism of the concept of authority by arguing that
the notion of legitimate rights of rulership adds
nothing to the actual possession of power. Only by
means of the proper application of power,
Machiavelli believes, can individuals be brought to
obey and will the ruler be able to maintain the state
in safety and security.
A few quotes:
“From this arises the question whether it is better
to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than
loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should
wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly
exist together, if we must choose between them, it is
far safer to be feared than loved.”
“Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because
they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the
injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of
revenge.”
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
Master Artists of the Renaissance
(Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello)
There are many lights of the Italian Renaissance. Art flourished during the rise of the Italian city
states, due in no small part to the amount of money that was held by the banks and institutions
of the major families of the day. These families included the Medici’s, the Borgia’s, the Sforza’s
among many others. At our Faire today, we are visited by four major names. Why these four?
Well, they have also gained notoriety in modern times by their association to certain animated
figures. While a few works are listed for each, the depth of their accomplishments have filled
books and cannot be listed here.
Michelangelo - Michelangelo di
Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (March 6,
1475 – February 18, 1564) was an
Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet
of the High Renaissance. A number of
Michelangelo’s works of painting, sculpture,
and architecture rank among the most
famous in existence. His output in every
field of interest was prodigious; given the
sheer volume of surviving correspondence,
sketches, and reminiscences taken into
account, he is the best-documented
artist of the 16th century. Notable works
include: The murals in the Sistine Chapel;
The architecture of Saint Peter’s Basilica;
and a Sculpture of David.
Leonardo - Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519), was an Italian
polymath whose areas of interest included invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science,
music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history,
and cartography. He has been variously called the father of paleontology, ichnology, and
architecture, and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Sometimes
credited with the inventions of the parachute, helicopter and tank, he epitomised the Renaissance
humanist ideal and is the original “Renaissance Man”. Notable works: The painting, Mona Lisa;
the sketch, the Vitruvian Man; and Multiple Plans for a flying machine.
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School Days Study Guide | May 2017
(Continued from page 6)
Raphael - Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (March 28 or April 6, 1483 – April 6, 1520), was an Italian
painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of
composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. Raphael died
young, at only 37, but due his enormous productivity, he left behind a large body of work.
Outshone during his time by the likes of Michelangelo, it was during the 18th and 19th centuries
his serene quality was regarded as a finer style. Notable works: Many frescoes in the Vatican
Palace; the Raphael Cartoons; and the Painting, Triumph of Galatea.
Donatello - Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (c. 1386 – December 13, 1466), was an early
Renaissance sculptor from Florence. He studied classical sculpture and used this to develop a
complete Renaissance style in sculpture. He worked with stone, bronze, wood, clay, stucco and
wax, and had several assistants, with four perhaps being a typical number. Though his best-known
works were mostly statues in the round, he developed a new, very shallow, type of bas-relief for
small works, and a good deal of his output was larger architectural reliefs. Notable works: A
Sculpture of David; A Sculpture of Madonna with Child; and the Funerary Monument of the
Antipope John XXIII.
Other Italians
Ferdinando de Medici, Cardinal
Lucrezia Borgia, Femme fatale
Marietta Machiavelli. Machiavelli’s wife
Micheletto Corella, Machiavelli’s trusted assistant
Miceli Cannistraro, Merchant
Eleanor Gonzaga, Handmaiden
Arnondo Benedictine, Spy
Alberto Dante, Scribe
Markus Ceneca, Philosopher
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
Introducing the Rest of Crossford
Set out to meet as many of these fine folk as you can during your visit!
Nobility
• Duke Hugh Percy, Our Festival Host
• Duchess Elizabeth Percy, Our Hostess
• Duchess Frances Seymour, Duke’s Motherin-law
• Lady Elizabeth Percy, Daughter of Duke and
Duchess
• Lady Margaret Percy, Daughter of Duke and
Duchess
• Lady Beulah Percy, Sister of the Duke
• Lady Jane Seymour, Sister of the Duchess
• Reginald Farthing, Music Tutor
• Tharkun Incanus Caledonensis, Court
Astrologer
• Normand Theefe, Bailiff
Knights and Squires
• Sir Henry Walingford, Visiting Knight
• Sir Lucian, Knight of Crossford
• Dame Saoirse, Knight of Crossford
• Riddari Thora, Knight of Crossford
• Kishi Yunoske, Knight of Crossford
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School Days Study Guide | May 2017
(Continued from page 8)
Townsfolk
• Blair MacFarlin, Bard
• Molly Buckets, Washer Wench
• Gladiolus Wick, Chandler
• James Dean Hopkins, Innkeeper
• Irene Hopkins Innkeeper’s Wife
• Gwendolyn Gardener, Vegetable Monger
• Willard Mallot, Butcher
• Violet Mallot, Dyer
• Maggy Mallot, Town Messenger
• Delphi Katts, Oracle
• Laurel Katts Herbalist
• Francis Perdue, Chicken Farmer
• Tilly Flax, Weaver
• Percival Sledge, Blacksmith’s Apprentice
• Angus Husker, Farmer
• Frank Framer, Carpenter
• Robin Pockets, Salesman
• Beatrice Burgundy, Wine Mistress
• Priscilla Tattersby, Privy Wench
• Tallulah Tattersby, Ragpicker
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Adventurer’s Guild
• Rose Trueheart, Leader
• Taru Hunter, Ranger and Woodswoman
• Quinton Masterson, Tinkerer
• Fortune B. Ware, Caravaner
Fairies
• Shimmer, Summer Fairy
• Maple, Autumn Fairy
• Blossom, Spring Fairy
Not From Crossford
• Simone Elizabeth Gray, Troubadour
• Rebecca Falcon, Spy for Queen Elizabeth
• Veronica Hawk, Spy for Privy Council
• Christopher Marlowe, Writer
• Mi-Mi Yu, Merchant
Wait, there are more?!
You will also meet Crossford’s Glassblower, Blacksmith, crafters, artisans and all who
make food provisions for the Duke and Duchess. And don’t miss your chance to cross
paths with knights of Round Table Jousting, and be delighted by the amusements of our
aerialist, jugglers, sword swallowers and more!
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
C
LASSIC WORKS
The Mandrake
fabricated drug capable of killing the man with
whom Lucrezia sleeps with and bringing her a
child. No matter how manipulative Callimaco
The Mandrake, or its original Italian title, La
is as he tries to attain Lucrezia, his cunning and
Mandragola, was a satirical play written by
clever tactics succeed, and it is even Nicia who
Niccolò Machiavelli. The five-act comedy was
leads Callimaco (disguised as a common man)
published in 1524 and the first recorded
to Lucrezia’s bedroom. After the conception,
performance was in the carnival season of 1526. Lucrezia is aware of Callimaco’s deception, but
It was well received by audiences and served as still accepts him into her private life.
a different view on his themes from The Prince,
which had been previously written and
Trickery is employed as a tool for fulfilling
published.
the desires of the characters. The characters
also exploit one another’s desires in order to
One theme up for debate is whether or not
achieve their personal goals. Machiavelli uses
“the ends justify the means” for maintaining
stock figures as a way of explaining political
order. In The Mandrake, Callimaco, a young
themes and satirizing familiar societal elements.
Florentine, desires Lucrezia, the wife in a
Ligurio is the mastermind behind the
childless marriage to Nicia. Callimaco
manipulation, the root of the play’s dramatic
impersonates a doctor who possesses a
deception. Many scholars have interpreted
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(Continued from page 10)
Ligurio as a ‘self-portrait’ of Machiavelli.
Ligurio assembles the spectrum of schemes in
the play, from the Mandrake potion, to religious
assistance, to Callimaco’s disguise and capture
by Nicia. Though every character in the play
participates in some form of a manipulative act,
Ligurio stands out because of his impressive
adaptability to problems.
Machiavelli likely wrote The Mandrake in 1518
as a distraction from his bitterness at having
been excluded from the diplomatic and
political life of Florence following the 1512
reversion to Medici rule. Both contemporary
and modern scholars read the play as an overt
critique of the House of Medici; however,
Machiavelli set the action in 1504 during the
period of the Florentine Republic in order to
express his frustrations without fear of censure
from patrons already ill-disposed towards him
and his writing.
Enjoy a step away from our usual
Shakespearean show. The words may feel
different than Shakespeare because
Shakespeare plays are performed in the
language they were written in, while today’s
Mandrake is a translation from Italian into a
slightly more modern English.
Othello
Return on one of our public 2017 Public Faire
Days (June 3,4, 10 and 11) and there will be a
second abridged Shakespeare play on the
Revels Schedule.
Othello was written circa 1603 with first
performances recorded in 1604. Given its
varied and enduring themes of racism, love,
jealousy, betrayal, revenge and repentance,
Othello is still often performed in professional
and community theatre alike, and has been the
source for numerous operatic, film, and literary
adaptations.
Though handled with a comedic touch (and
lots of blood) by NJRF directors, the subject
matter is for more mature audiences.
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
T
IMELINE
To give you a snapshot of where the events of our day are pulled from history, here is
a timeline of Europe during the Renaissance (14th to 17th Centuries), and the Age of
Discovery (15th to 17th Centuries).
1360
Giovanni de Medici born, beginning of the Medici family legacy.
1386
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (Donatello) born.
1389
Cosimo the Elder born.
1395
Lorenzo the Elder born, cadet branch of de Medici family started.
1397
Giovanni de’Medici forms the independent Medici Bank vaulting his family to
wealth and power.
1449
Lorenzo the Magnificent born, influential statesman, diplomat, and political figure.
1452
Leonardo da Vinci born.
1453
Fall of Constantinople--Greek scholars imigrate to Italy bringing with them
Ancient Greek 1453 manuscripts. European trade links by land with Asia are
severed, leading many to begin seeking routes east by sea and spurring the age of
exploration. Renaissance begins in Italy.
1469
Niccolò Machiavelli born in Florence.
1475
Pope Leo X born, one of three sons of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (Michelangelo) born.
1483
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael) born.
1492
Christopher Columbus lands in Bahamas and “discovers” the New World.
1503
Leonardo da Vinci paints Mona Lisa.
1506
St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is rebuilt under Bramante.
1507
New World is named America after Amerigo Vespucci.
1509
Henry VIII ascends English throne.
Michelangelo paints the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
1512
Ponce de Leon “discovers” Florida.
1513
Machiavelli writes The Prince.
Balboa becomes the first European to encounter the Pacific Ocean.
School Days Study Guide | May 2017
1517
Hernando Cortes discovers Mexico.
1519
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sets out to circumnavigate the globe.
Cortes conquers Mexico for Spain.
Cosimo I born, eventually becomes first Grand Duke of Tuscany.
1521
Spanish conquest of Aztecs.
1524
Verrazano, sailing under the French flag, explores the New England coast and
New York Bay.
1527
Troops of the Holy Roman Empire attack Rome, imprison Pope Clement VII—the
end of the Italian Renaissance.
1534
First book printed in Western Hemisphere, in Mexico.
1535
Jacques Cartier discovers St. Lawrence River.
1541
De Soto discovers Mississippi River.
1543
Publication of On the Revolution of Heavenly Bodies by Polish scholar Nicolaus
Copernicus— gives his theory that the earth revolves around the sun.
1549
Ferdinando I de’ Medici born.
1558
Queen Elizabeth I ascends the English throne--the Elizabethan Era begins and the
Renaissance will reach height in England, credited for great drama of Shakespeare
and Marlowe.
1564
The present day in Crossford. It is the height of the English
Renaissance and the magic of the woods has brought together
many historical figures from throughout the Renaissance as well
as our special visitors.
1564
Shakespeare is born in Stratford-upon Avon.
1577
Francis Drake begins voyage around world.
1580
Francis Drake returns to England after circumnavigating the globe.
1584
Sir Walter Raleigh discovers Virginia.
1587
Ferdinando I de’ Medici becomes Grand Duke of Tuscany, having succeeded his
older brother Francesco I.
1588
England defeats the Spanish Armada.
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
1590
Galileo experiments with falling objects.
1592
Plague outbreak forces closing of theatres until spring of 1594, during which time
Shakespeare wrote the narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece.
1599
The Globe opens, Julius Caesar is one of the first plays staged in the theatre.
1603
Queen Elizabeth I dies and James VI of Scotland becomes James I King of England.
Lord Chamberlain’s Men—the company of players which Shakespeare wrote for
and was a sharer in—becomes the King’s Men, with the patronage of King James.
1604
First performance of Shakespeare’s Othello.
1607
Jamestown is established--In 2016 it remains the oldest surviving English colony
in America.
1613
The Globe is destroyed by fire. The theatre was rebuilt in 1614 and remained
open until 1642. Shakespeare’s Globe, a modern reconstruction of the theatre
next to the original site was opened in 1997.
School Days Study Guide | May 2017
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NTERTAINMENT ABOUNDS IN CROSSFORD!
Storyline
Duke’s Court, Human Chess, Grand Joust and Day’s End:
Follow the story of Ferdinando de’Medici as he must choose between his
father’s wishes and his own beliefs. Meet the characters at the Duke’s Court.
Follow the struggles in our full scale Human Chess Match and Grand Joust. The
day will culminate, all will be resolved, and history will resume its rightful course
in Day’s End.
Other School Day Revels
*The Mandrake: The classic play by
Niccolo Machiavelli will be performed for
your entertainment pleasure in a
half-hour abridged form.
*Stage Combat Demo: Join the
Knights of Crossford as they show the
skills of an armored knight and weapons
that keep them safe on the field of battle.
*History Speaks: Join Marshall Laww
as he hosts a question and answer
session with Machiavelli, Borgia,
Leonardo, Michelangelo, Medici and
Shakespeare. Bring your questions and
prepare to learn history from those who
lived it.
*Glassblowing Demo: The history of
glassblowing will be discussed as the
molten glass is transformed before your
eyes. Each show is it’s own time period.
*Beggars, Thieves and the Black
Death: Learn about some of the darker
sides of the Renaissance from our Lord
Mayor Marshall Laww.
Lords of Adventure: Join Jack Bold
and Roger Awesome for a comedy sword
fighting show that will teach you about
confidence, bully-prevention and being an
adventurer in your daily lives.
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*Peasant Dance: Put on your dancing
shoes and join the villagers of Crossford
for a lesson in the historical dances of
the period.
Peasant Trial with Lord Mayor
Marshall Laww: Participate in a trial
with the Lord Mayor himself. As Her
Majesty’s justice is upheld, students may
find themselves on trial.
Shelli Buttons, Aerialist: Be
amazed as Miss Shelli Buttons defies
gravity with aerial acrobatics and
spectacular feats of human potential.
*Whipperwill Archery: Join Master
Archer Bill Darr for a lesson on the
history of the English longbow. He will
perform shots that will amaze as this
tool and weapon comes to life before
your eyes.
Hunting Awesome: Roger Awesome
and Taru Hunter regale your senses with
period tunes.You never know what you
might hear from these two!
New Jersey Renaissance Faire
*William Shakespeare: Watch the
Bard himself entertain with one of his
famous plays starring... you!! Be ready
to participate in an interactive retelling
of one of Master Shakespeare’s famous
plays.
Crossford Singers: Join the villagers
of Crossford for some rollicking music of
the times.
*Armor Demo: Join the Knights of
Round Table Jousting as they show the
equipment of an armored knight and the
weapons that they used on the field of
battle.
*indicates shows with specific educational
content
William
Shakespeare
Himself
Duke’s Court
Schedule is subject to change.
Knights of
Crossford
(stage combat
demo)
William
Shakespeare
Himself
Day’s End
12:30 AM
1:00 AM
1:30 AM
12:00 AM Human Chess
11:30 AM History Speaks
11:00 AM
10:30 AM
10:00 AM
9:15 AM
9:00 AM
Ampitheater
Archery
Demo
Archery
Range
Beggars,
Thieves and
the Black
Death
The Mandrake
William
Shakespeare
Himself
Willows
Shelli Buttons,
Aerialist
Lords of
Adventure
(sword fighting)
Shelli Buttons,
Aerialist
Pesant Trial with
Marshall Laww
Aerial Pointe
Follow Medici’s plot line in the highlighted shows.
Hunting Awesome
Peasant Dance
Crossford Singers
Duke’s Grove
Grand
Joust
Armor
Demo
Swain
Field
Guest Choice
Medieval
Roman Era
Glassblowing
School Days Study Guide | May 2017
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R
EVELS SCHEDULE FOR SCHOOL DAYS
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School Days Study Guide | May 2017
A
CTIVITIES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM
Talk Show
You play the upbeat need-to-know-everything talk show host, and assign each student a
person from the Renaissance who they will portray in an interview.You may provide
students with information on each of their Renaissance guest characters or assign students
to learn more about their assigned person independently. In either case, students should
learn some facts of the person’s life and be encouraged to further develop their own ideas
about what it would have been like to be that person, including their behavior, feelings and
point of view on matters.
On the day of the talk show, your classroom becomes the network studio stage and
students step into the shoes of their Renaissance character to become your guests and
audience. As guests, students answer questions in character.You decide whether your
guests have traveled through time to appear on your talk show today in 2017, or your talk
show is taking place back in the time of your guests. For the latter, you may wish to come
up with a historical persona for yourself as the host and remind your audience that they
are also back in time with you.
Make it fun and less stressful for students by having multiple guests on your talk show at
once.You can group them in themes for each
episode—have a panel of Renaissance artists
History Speaks
one day, put nobles with opposing viewpoints
on your show together, any theme or scenario Prepare questions for our cast of
that will produce dialogue works. Perhaps you characters before you visit Crossford.
wish to discuss a current event of their time
Students may interview Machiavelli, Borwith your guests. Ask a variety of questions— gia, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Medici and
some referencing points you want to make for Shakespeare, at History Speaks, a formal
your lesson and some that are just for the fun Q&A hosted by Lord Marshall Laww. See
of it. Keep your audience involved by having
Revels Schedule for details.
them ask questions too.
The roles you assign students can be straight
from this week’s history chapter or people
who your students create by your assigning
them a class and trade of the period.
Students will also have the chance to ask
any of our historical characters their
burning questions as they encounter
and interact with them on the streets of
Crossford.
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
 What have you done at YOUR crossroads?
Throughout our festival day Ferdinando de’Medici finds himself in a situation where he
must choose between two different methods of ruling a state—should he enlighten the
people through arts and culture or use fear and power to control them? Both methods
have their benefits and drawbacks. Which would he choose for his people?
Have students think of a time when they were at a crossroads—when they found
themselves in a situation like de’Medici and had to choose between two (maybe more)
different actions. Have them write about the situation, what their choices were, which path/
action they chose and the outcome. Have them speculate how the outcome may have been
different if they took the other path, and reflect on what they learned from their
crossroads.
Adapt this for younger students by asking them if they have ever been in a situation in
which they wanted two different things but could only have one. Have them describe it,
write a few sentences about it, or draw a picture of it. Ask what they chose and if they
were they happy with their choice.
Heraldry
By the Renaissance, heraldry had gained clout as the “noble science of arms”. Its origins
are Medieval, from the practical need to identify one’s friend and foe on the battlefield,
and use of designs on shields to do so. Over time these designs grew to represent identity
and nobility. Great meaning is in the selection of every color, shape, symbol and placement
selected.
Have your students design their own coat of arms. It should include symbols and images
that represent who they are, their background, their character, their strengths, and
interests. Older students can be assigned to research the language of heraldry—the
heraldic meanings of colors, division of the field, charges, and other symbols. They can even
come up with a motto.Younger students may simply be instructed to draw images that
represent themselves, such as a favorite color or pastime. As a community or team building
exercise, design a coat of arms for your class or school together.
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School Days Study Guide | May 2017
G
LOSSARY
Speak like you are from the Renaissance!
Here are a few of the words and phrases you may hear around Crossford...
Anon—soon, also a goodbye
How stands the hour?—
Prithee / Pray—please
Art—are
What time is it?
Privy—restroom
As you will—okay, whatever
Mayhap—possibly
Thee / Thou—you
Aye—yes
Nay—no
Thy / Thine—yours
Bard—originally a professional
Nipper or Nipperkin—child
Thither—there
poet employed by a monarch or
or children
Whence / Whither—where
nobleman, later used to describe
any writer; Shakespeare is known
as The Bard.
Ere—before
Fare Thee Well—goodbye
Good Morrow / Good
Den—hello, good day
Gramercy / Thank Thee—
thank you
Guild—an association of craftsmen or merchants that controls
the quality of work and provides
training to apprentices
Hail and well met—Hello,
nice to see you
Hark—listen
Hast / Hath—has
Hither—here
How We Address One Another
There are strict social rules or etiquette to follow when
talking to each other in the Renaissance, especially if you
are lower class - and let’s face it, in the Renaissance most
of us are middle or lower class.
King or Queen:
“Your Majesty”
Duke or Duchess:
“Your Grace”
Upper Class Men (such as a Noble or Knight):
“My Lord” or “Good Sir”
Upper Class Women (such as a Lady of the Court):
“My Lady” or “Good Madam”
Villagers:
“Master” or “Mistress”
...and it is always appropriate to greet our festival hosts
Duke and Duchess Percy with an enthusiastic,
“God save the Duke” or “God save the Duchess”
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New Jersey Renaissance Faire
EDU
-TAINMENT
New Jersey Renaissance Faire Education Programs
The New Jersey Renaissance Faire offers its own unique combination of entertainment and
education—dubbed EDU-tainment—for students of all ages. Student groups visit the NJ
Renaissance Faire, AND the NJ Renaissance Faire visits schools like yours!
School Days at the Faire are reserved exclusively for school and student groups
as an extension of the annual festival which takes place the first two weekends of every June.
Located at Liberty Lake in Columbus, NJ, the New Jersey Renaissance Faire, is a thrilling place
for a field trip. Here lies the crossroads where fantasy meets reality. Revels abound
and students learn firsthand what that hype in their history books is all about. The interactive
experience of the Faire brings history, literature and arts curriculum to life for K-12 students.
Assembly Programs bring the revelries of the Renaissance to schools in 60- minute
touring productions. Our company of players travels to schools throughout New Jersey, Eastern
Pennsylvania and Delaware October through April.
Student Matinees portray a mix of historical and fictitious characters while sharing
stories straight from classic literature. Our next Student Matinee program will be Stories from the
Macabre featuring Edgar Allan Poe in October 2017.
In-School Performances, Workshops and Residencies
delivered by NJRF Teaching Artists and Performers are available YEAR-ROUND. Our Teaching
Artists are trained professionals in acting, stage combat, improvisation and interactive theatre, with
extensive experience in Shakespeare, history, literature, performing arts and more. They provide
first-hand experiences, which bring history, literature and arts curriculum to life.
Contact Caroline Leipf at [email protected] to
learn more about any of our education programs.
School Days Study Guide | May 2017
N
OTES
23
New Jersey Renaissance Faire, LLC
1195 Florence-Columbus Road, Bordentown, NJ 08505
[email protected] | 888.864.8222 | www.njrenfaire.com
ªªªªª
Special thanks to all the Teachers, Administrators,
Parents and School Personnel who work passionately to
educate young people. The creativity and experiences you
provide are the foundation from which they will become
future Renaissance men and women.
ªªªªª

Andy Pritikin
Producing Director
Phillip Leipf Artistic Director
T.J. MillerEntertainment Director John Williams Personnel Director
Caroline Leipf
Director of Education Programs