The Context of Shakespearean Drama
In Shakespeare's time, the Renaissance, ideas from classical Greece and Rome were being revived and spread across Europe from Italy. Classical themes were also revived in Architecture, new techniques developed and new churches designed. England was a religious Catholic country till the year 1533, when King Henry the Vlll pulled away from the church to divorce his wife. Because of this most of his audience would have been familiar with the Bible and Christianity, regardless of the place where they fell in the religious spectrum. His plays had to appeal to all the public as the poor and rich all watched. The poor enjoyed watching the humorous side of the play as for the rich they enjoyed watching the poetry side of the plays.
