Shakespeare's World

city of London in many of his plays, especially those works known collectively as the "History Plays." These plays dealt with important episodes in English history, commonly the lives of British monarchs such as Richard III and Henry IV. These plays mentioned such London landmarks as the Tower of London, or local pubs and inns with which Shakespeare's audience was familiar. One of his greatest plays, MacBeth, was written in honor of James I, the successor of Elizabeth.

The Thames River, which runs through the center of London, also attracted Shakespeare's attention. How many times might he have stood on its banks and watched ships captained by some of England's great adventurers such as Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake, who explored the New World? Shakespeare even based one of his last plays - The Tempest - on the English colonization of Virginia!

Yet, the quality that makes Shakespeare's plays and poems so great is the humanity of his characters. They are noble and heroic but also flawed and weak. It is in their struggle to overcome these limitations, which they almost always fail to do, that we find the universal appeal of Shakespeare's characters and the lasting value of his work.

Want To Know More? Visit Tudor England, or read actual descriptions of the time at Elizabethan England 1577. For a good overview of world events during Shakespeare's life visit the Shakespeare Timeline or look at Today in Shakespeare History. Or read William W. Lace's Elizabethan England for a good introduction to the period.

Next Week: Shakespeare and the Globe Theater

The copyright of the article Shakespeare's World in History For Children is owned by Meg Greene Malvasi. Permission to republish Shakespeare's World in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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