The Spirit of Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Times
             During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, English culture was at its greatest. England during the Elizabethan Age saw a rebirth of literature, in large part because of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's writings had all the characteristics of Elizabethan life.
             The Elizabethan Age (1558-1603) was called so, because of the length of Queen Elizabeth's reign. It was also called the age of Shakespeare (1569-1616) because of his influence on literature during that time.
             These were lively, energetic times, during which there was a cultural Renaissance. Queen Elizabeth loved drama and poetry and because of that, many writers during her rule were able to do well and also receive financial support from the wealthy.
             These times also had many social classes. These social classes usually would never have mixed. But because of the theatre, all kinds of people came together. "Playwrights found themselves writing for highly diverse audiences which reflected the ever changing make up and energy of society"
             Shakespeare's dramas had to be written in a way so that the subject matter would appeal to a wide audience. "The most successful playwrights of the day, such as Shakespeare, made certain that their dramas included 'Something for everybody'."
             The people during Elizabethan times were hungry for information. This eagerness to know about everything that was going on at the moment was because the Queen had made the people feel very close to her and to her government. Shakespeare, who understood instinctively what this meant, used his plays as way to inform the public about everything from social issues to politics, but of course he did it in a very amusing and interesting way. "-this was a fiercely individualistic people who felt connected, through the peculiarly populist instincts of the Queen and government, with events."
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