The Society of Shakespeares Books

Arthur, Jlia, Gabriela Zalaf, Gabriela Silva

The Population Context

During Shakespeare's time, people's lives were often short. As many as one-half of the children born never lived beyond fifteen years and, thus, never reached adulthood. Also, the average lifespan of an adult was only thirty years. These short lifespans were due to the limited medical knowledge.

 Despite diseases that plagued England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, populations still increased. Every year approximately 10,000 citizens migrated to London mainly because wages were about 50 percent higher than in other parts of the country. London was a violent place in the first half of Shakespeare's career. City authorities didn't let disturbances get out of control, but also did not take them too seriously.

The Legal Status of Women

During the time of William Shakespeare, the majority of women had very limited rights in England. Despite the fact that England was ruled by a female monarch for over four decades, most women had little power over the direction of their lives. Women were denied formal educations, the opportunity to hold office, and also guarded against speaking out too freely in fear of being labeled as a "scold."

The Kingdom in Danger

Tension between Prothestants and Catholics The Queen Elizabeth of England tried to stabilize the country by taking differente kind of measures.

Tensions to mount and massacres