OPPapers.com

Elizabethan Era's Effects On Shakespeare

The Renaissance was a time of change and prosperity, a time of rebirth full of innovations and inspiration. "Renaissance," which is actually French for "rebirth," describes the intellectual and economic changes that occurred in Europe from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries (Encyclopædia Britannica). Europe broke free from the economic stagnation of the Middle Ages and experienced a time of financial growth. The Renaissance was an age in which artistic, social, scientific, and political thought turned in new directions. In the late Middle Ages, when the threat of invasion from barbarians had lessened, people left the country for towns and cities so they could engage in more profitable pursuits (Encyclopedia Britannica). The more and more people crowded villages and cities, the threat of illness quickly spread. During the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance (around 1350-1450) the bubonic plague, better known as the Black Death, devastated around one half of the population in Europe (Nagel). The plague spread most rapidly in these cities, where people were in constant close contact with each other. The only way to avoid this disease was to leave the city for the country. Unfortunately, the only ones available to make the trip were those who were wealthy enough. The population decrease caused by the Black Death led to an economic depression (Nagel). This left England damaged in numbers and in spirit. Merchants and salesmen had fewer customers which led to fewer things being sold within the marketplace. Products accumulated, and the merchants and traders suffered a huge loss of income (Nagel). The economic hardship spread though out the entire country of Europe, impacting everyone living there. This inspired many people to write journals and poems about their fears and hardships. Although this was a time of complete devastation and uncertainty, the people of England did not let this hold them down. Instead, they used it more as fuel to grow...