Bear Baiting Bets: A History of Blood Sports in Elizabethan Times
Jonathan December 9, 2019 11:23:59
Bear baiting bets In Elizabethan times kept everyone entertained. In Macbeth, there is a stanza he speaks to his enemies: “Have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, But, bear-like, I must fight the course.” Today this holds little meaning. But in the year of the play, 1606, if one were to take a short walk from Shakespeare's own Globe Theater, you would find the "Bear Gardens". This was where dogs, bears, bulls, chimps and other creatures had to fight to the death in front of roaring crowds, many of whom were gambling on the outcome.
