The Influence Of Elizabethan Values On Shakespeares “The Taming Of The Shrew“

6 Pages 1588 Words

The reign or Queen Elizabeth I was one of the most fruitful and prosperous times in European history. The legacy of all that was achieved during her time still lives on today. Some of the greatest examples of these achievements are William Shakespeare’s many works of literature. The clothing, relationships between men and women, and the music of the Elizabethan times are portrayed several times throughout William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”.
One of the most influential times in European history was when Queen Elizabeth I was ruling. Elizabeth reigned for about forty-four years, ending in 1603 (Olsen 74). Elizabeth came into the crown when her father, King Henry, decided to break away from the Roman Catholic Church, and named himself the head of the new Protestant Church of England. He was succeeded first be his son Edward, and then by his elder daughter Mary. Both claimed the crown, but met early s. Elizabeth inherited the crown after “Bloody Mary” passed away (75). Elizabeth’s court was one marked by constant growth and achievement, principally in the areas of music, literature, and the arts. Queen Elizabeth was considered to be a large “consumer” of the arts, undoubtedly acting as a catalyst to the ever-growing air of artistic renaissance (74). She believed that music should not only be secular, but enjoyed by the masses as a leisure activity as well (Editors 73). Among other changes during her reign, Elizabeth’s court valued clothing very highly, as the Queen herself proved to spend an innumerable amount of money on clothing and jewels. The Queen was also an enthusiast of theatre, and a large aficionada of William Shakespeare.
William Shakespeare is one of the most famous play writes of all time. His works are known all over the world, and are used in English curriculums of the greater part of schools. William Shakespeare wrote such classics as “Romeo and Juliet”, “Love’...