16th Century Europe
Shakespeare was born in the Elizabethan Era associated with Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. England emerged as a leading naval and commercial power due to Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
Elizabeth’s reign was often called the golden age, it was a time of extravagance and luxury when popular culture flourished and emerged new writers such as Shakespeare.
The Elizabethan era was the height of the English renaissance, of new ideas and new thinking. It was a time of English poetry, music and literature. The invention of the printing press during this era caused the realm of science and invention to flourish.
Elizabethan theatre flourished and authors such as William Shakespeare composed plays that were different from England’s past style of theatre.
Music was an important form of entertainment in the Elizabethan era and was an important component that was used to enhance theatre and play.
This was the era for the very first theatres in England
It was a time of exploration in Europe dominated mostly by the Spanish and Portuguese and saw the emergence of great explores such as sir Francis drake and sir Walter Raleigh who looked for opportunities to acquire wealth and power.
The attack of the Spanish Armada in 1588 was one of the most important events in English history because the success of the Spanish armada would mean that the English be subjugated to Spanish rule and converted to Catholicism.
During the Elizabethan period, people blamed unexplainable events on witchcraft which may explain the mention of the three witches in Macbeth by Shakespeare.
The skepticism of ghosts and the supernatural forces may also explain the ghost of Banquo in the play Macbeth.
The reigning of Queen Elizabeth who showed leadership and independence might have contributed to the personality of his lady characters such as Lady Macbeth from Macbeth who is brave and strong, Katharine from The Taming of the Shrew who was hot tempered and spirited and...