16 th Century England & William Shakespeare

 Born – April 23, Stratford-Upon- Avon  Attended grammar school in Stratford – now equivalent to a high school education  November 28, 1582 – married Anne Hathaway  May 26, 1583 – Daughter Susanna was born.  February 2, 1585 – Twins, Judith & Hamnet, are born

 1588 – Arrived in London and began to establish himself as an actor and playwright  1594 – Experiencing great success as an actor, writer, and managing partner of the popular acting troupe Lord Chamberlain’s Men.  August 11, 1596 – only son, Hamnet, dies at age 11, most likely as a result of the plague  Mid-1590s – The plague forced theater closings and Shakespeare made plans for The Globe.

 Late 1590s – Shakespeare’s work being sold as popular literature  1603 – Queen Elizabeth I dies; end of Elizabethan era  1603 – James I begins his reign; The Jacobean Era (Latin: Jacobus = James)  The Lord Chamberlain’s Men changes its name to The King’s Men in honor of the new king  1611 – retired and bought a new home he laughingly titled New House.  April 23, 1616 – died.

HENRY VIII

 Created widespread unrest throughout England with his denouncement of the Catholic Church  Obsessed with having a male heir, Henry VIII asks the Pope for a divorce from his aging wife  Pope would not grant the divorce  Henry VIII denounced the Catholic Church and installed himself as the head of his new church, the Anglican Church  Anglican Church became known as Protestant, then later as the Church of England

 The king’s six marriages became more well known than his disastrous reign.  Divorced two wives  Two were beheaded, including Anne Bolelyn, the mother of the soon-to-be highly respected and admired Queen Elizabeth I.  One died giving birth to Henry’s only male heir, a sickly boy who would only reign a short time before his death at age 16.  One survived as his widow.

 Dissension between the Catholics and Protestants (thanks to her father, Henry VIII) tore at the very foundation of society  Her royal treasury had been bled dry by her sister Mary and her advisors  England was left with no continental possessions  Catholics doubted her claim to the throne

 Established herself as a competent ruler with a strong political mind  Gained devotion on all sides: politically and with the devotion of an entire society  During her reign, the Renaissance that had been sweeping through Italy was just beginning to affect her kingdom.  Fashion and education were pushed to the forefront because of Elizabeth’s penchant for knowledge, courtly behavior, and extravagant dress.

 Literature bloomed and literate subjects enjoyed great works from poets such as the Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser, which demonstrated blatant references to the Reformation and key political figures.  William Shakespeare and Ben Johnson among highly respected playwrights of the time.  Less literate subjects enjoyed their stories on the stage.