Elizabeth was born on September 7th, 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn at Greenwich. Elizabeth was considered an illegitimate child after her mother was beheaded on adultery charges, and she faded into obscurity. Elizabeth faded into farther obscurity when Henry’s third wife gave birth to Edward, but Elizabeth was still third in line for the throne. On November 17th 1558, Elizabeth inherited the throne. Despite her gender and status, Elizabeth made herself noticed in political endeavors, such as the church and different councils.
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ome of Elizabeth’s biggest accomplishments include reducing the size of the Privy council to raise efficiency, a restructuring of the royal household, and assembling a team of trustworthy advisors to help with political opinions. In Elizabethan England, Elizabeth ruled not as a figurehead, but as an actual political power that could make decisions and influence politics. In fact the Queen’s smallest actions were picked apart for political meaning, from how she behaved to how others acted around her.
Even though she was scrutinized, Elizabeth managed to win the hearts of her people and return the country to the Reformation.
The English Renaissance happened through the 14th and 17th centuries, and expounded on culture, science, and literature. This expansion of knowledge not only helped aid in the decline of the middle ages, but also led up to the Scientific Revolution. The Renaissance was a time of scientific prosperity and cultural growth, especially in the trading industry. The Islamic world and the Byzantine empire are two of many empires to trade with Europe.
the most noticeable difference is in the Italian cities of Genoa and Venice, who got rich of trade. The wealth that many elites had accumulated influenced the cities, and gave them the wealth they needed to expand on subjects such as art and science.
Architecture, music, and writers prospered because their unique craft was now wholy dedicated to their cities. A new group called humanists believed that education could improve everything from the individual to society, and delved deep into texts to learn more about the world they lived in. Italy was not the only country to be influenced by the renaissance, as it had also expanded into northern Europe in the form of mainly literature. This exploration into the realm of science, art, and literature in the English Renaissance gave way to greater understandings of the world today .
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, actor, and poet who was baptized on April 26 1564, his real birthday is unknown. His education was free, and he supposedly studied mainly Latin as a language and culture. Shakespeare did not go to a university, choosing instead to marry a woman named Anne Hathaway at eighteen,who he would stay with until his death. Shakespeare had 3 children over the course of his life: his first daughter Susanna, and twins Judith and Hamnet, which a play is based after. It is unclear how Shakespeare was introduced to the theatre, but starting in 1594 he was a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s company of players, an acting group where Shakespeare would start his career.
Shakespeare became a professional dramatist and playwright, and the company he worked with prospered. Shakespeare’s works in the Elizabethan era were still heavily influenced by the social structures of the time, often referencing political and philosophical arguments of the era. William Shakespeare died on April 23rd 1616 from an unknown illness, with a list of thirty seven plays and one hundred fifty four sonnets to his name, truly making his a remarkable legacy.
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