Shakespeares World

Shakespeares WorldElizabethan EnglandFamily of Henry VIII, c. 1545

Henry VIII of England, born 28 June 1491 and died 28 January 1547. Succeeding his father, Henry VII, he was the second monarch of the Tudor dynasty.Henry VIIIs Wives:Catherine of Aragon: daughter Mary I (married 1509)Anne Boleyn: daughter Elizabeth I (married 1533)Jane Seymour: son Edward VI (married 1536)Anne of Cleves (married 1540)Catherine Howard (married 1540)Catherine Parr (married 1543)

Portrait of King Felipe II of Spain and his second spouse Queen Maria I of England, 1558After deposing Lady Jane Grey, Mary I takes the throne in 1547. Without any children to take the throne, succession would fall to her half-sister Elizabeth I.

Queen Elizabeth I of England in her coronation robes, c. 1600

Life and Death

Life expectancy at birth in early modern England was extremely low: under thirty years old compared with over seventy today. Besides infant mortality rates, which were exceedingly high, Europe was often ravaged by epidemics of the bubonic plague.

The blood is respected, not the age nor the sex

Even though England was ruled for over forty years by a woman, the majority of women in the kingdom had very restricted social, economic, and legal standing.Perhaps most nations learn to define what they are by defining what they are not.

Shakespeares London maintained a large population of resident aliens, mostly foreign artisans and merchants from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. However, widespread hostility to foreigners was commonplace, especially towards the Welsh, Irish, and Scots.

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