Resource of the Week - Shakespeare's Culture

Our resource this week is a guide to the historical context of Shakespeare and his plays from the National Arts Centre for English Theatre. It is designed for students in secondary education who require an overview of Shakespeare’s life, his plays and the cultural and historical background that they are set against. You can download the resource by visiting our English resources section on our website or download it directly by clicking here.

This is a great resource for students to use to develop their understanding of an Elizabethan or Jacobean audience and how their perspective would differ from a modern audience. The resource provides a series of key elements to be aware of from Shakespeare’s historical period and how to apply your them in your literary analysis. The resource itself is quite explanatory, however, below is our general advice for students when studying the cultural and historical context of Shakespeare:

• Be sure to understand when the play you are studying was published and performed so that you can reference the audience correctly. Was it during the Elizabethan era (1558–1603) or the Jacobean era (1603 – 1625)? Most of Shakespeare’s plays were during the Elizabethan era but several of his best works came later in his life including Othello, King Lear, The Tempest and Macbeth which were during the Jacobean era. Key elements to reference between these two eras that would affect the audience viewing the play are:

  • Queen Elizabeth ruled over England only. However, when King James I ascended the throne, there was a unification of England and Scotland.

  • The Elizabethan era was prosperous and is regarded as a ‘golden age’ of British history. This was not the case during Jacobean period due to debt.

  • During both eras, people strongly believed in the supernatural such as witches. King James I ordered a witch-hunt on an unprecedented scale.

  • Queen Elizabeth sent many expeditions to explore new islands though most colonization took place during the Jacobean era.

• Society was intensely religious and hierarchical during Shakespeare’s time. This is reflected in beliefs such as the great chain of being and the divine right of kings. Understanding these concepts is vital to understanding many Shakespearean plays. This hierarchy is frequently reflected in the language used. The nobles and protagonists of plays tend to speak in iambic pentameter while commoners speak in blank verse. The plays had to appeal to most members of society; plays will include multiple elements of base humour and violence as well as intrigue and philosophy. If you can spot in a play where Shakespeare is pandering to the commoners or the nobles in the audience and analyse this then it will greatly improve your writing.

• Shakespeare’s works are categorised in the following ways:

  • Poems

  • Sonnets ( a poem of fourteen lines using a formal rhyme scheme)

  • Plays, which includes:

    • Comedies (has a happy ending, often involving marriage)

    • Tragedies (has a sad ending, often involving death)

    • Histories (a historical narrative, usually of an English King)

    • Romances or Tragicomedies (a combination of tragedy and comedy)

We hope that this resource will be used to aid students’ understanding of the cultural and historical context of Shakespeare’s plays; this should enable students to further access their learning as well as enjoy and revel in the glory of the bard. From all of us at Libra Education, never stop learning!