From 1533-1603 England was ruled by Elizabeth I. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anna Bolyen. After Anne Bolyen was beheaded on orders from the King, Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. However, she was later given her rightful place on the throne when her half sister Mary died in 1558. Shakespeare lived and worked in England at about this time and much or his writing pertained to the social, political and religious issues of the day.
When Elizabeth became Queen of England, she was faced with several problems, including a war with France, a bankrupt treasury, and the question of religion. She brought an end to the war and solved the countries' financial problems. Queen Elizabeth was often asked about marriage because England was afraid that if Elizabeth died, Mary, Queen of Scotland and a Roman Catholic, would take over England. It was rumoured that Mary was plotting Elizabeth's death. Elizabeth therefore consented to Mary's execution and consequently re-established the Anglican Church. Also, during this time it wasn't uncommon for people to believe in magic, witches, or ghosts. Shakespeare referred to these beliefs in plays such as MacBeth, The Tempest and Hamlet. People also believed in supernatural sights and sounds and in dreams warning people of danger.
Elizabeth's power was great but Phillip II of Spain, the ruler of the most powerful country in Europe, was angered by Elizabeth's political decisions and sent the great Spanish Armada to defeat England. However, the superior seamanship of the English sailors along with treacherous weather conditions defeated the Spanish fleet. This elevated England's confidence and strengthened her politically. There began a time of great exploration and expansion. Elizabeth supported the expeditions of great captains such as Sir Walter Raleigh, Martin Frobisher and Henry Hudson. Shakespeare refers to these great shipping adventures and to the many sailing stories which circulated, in several of his plays.
