Though grounded in medieval and Jacobean roots, these men produced new dramas and comedies using Marlowe's styling of blank verse. In the 1580s, the writings of the University Wits (Marlowe, Greene, Lyly, Kyd, and Peele) defined the London theatre. A rising merchant middle class carved out a productive livelihood, and the economy boomed. Its population grew 400% during the 1500s, swelling to nearly 200,000 people in the city proper and outlying region by the time an immigrant from Stratford came to town. London in the 16th century underwent a transformation. In this heady environment, Shakespeare lived and wrote. Its dramatists and poets were among the leading literary artists of the day. This atmosphere made London a leading center of culture as well as commerce. In trade, might, and art, England established an envious preeminence.Īt this time, London was the heart of England, reflecting all the vibrant qualities of the Elizabethan Age. European wars brought an influx of continental refugees into England, exposing the Englishman to new cultures. Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh sent colonists eastward in search of profit. Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world and became the most celebrated English sea captain of his generation. England consolidated its position with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, and Elizabeth firmly established the Church of England begun by her father, King Henry VIII (following Henry's dispute with the Pope over having his first marriage annulled). The reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) saw England emerge as the leading naval and commercial power of the Western world. The age of Shakespeare was a great time in English history.
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