Elizabeth I (1533–1603) was born to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. A woman with fiery red hair and pale skin who was just as alluring, if not more so, than her father before her. She is best known for her victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588. In fact, our beloved Elizabeth was third in line to the throne behind her younger brother Edward and older sister Mary. However, both brothers met an untimely death which led to her taking over the government. In an effort to demonstrate her worthiness to the crown she was often very secretive about her mother, known as the "Big Whore". Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay As a young monarch, she was the most sought after woman of her time and used her femininity to her advantage. As he grew, he took extra precautions to remain the focus of his pursuers. She came to power with a positive vision of the arts that provided a thriving environment for the humanities. England's economic advantage during his rule provided the optimum capacity for extensive development of the visual, decorative, and performing arts. England was a dirty place, with sewage staining the city streets and a stench permeating the air. The average lifespan of a citizen, if they survived beyond 12 years, was usually just over 60. Elizabethan England is known as one of the most violent periods which also gave birth to one of the most infamous eras of theatre. The face of this theatrical era were men such as Sir Philip Sydney who contributed his poetry, William Shakespeare the infamous playwright, as well as Christopher Marlow who is speculated to have been the true author of the playwrights attributed to Shakespeare who remains shrouded in mystery. . This was the era when new ideas and ways of thinking were highlighted and became the focal points of theatre. Printing presses became one of the most influential inventions of the period due to their ability to "mass-produce" diverse manuscripts and playwrights. People were entranced by the theater and it is not surprising since some of the most popular Elizabethan classics such as "The Jew of Malta", "The Malcontent", "The White Devil" and other familiar names such as "Romeo and Juliet", " A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" are still performed to this day. Companies worked in a hierarchical manner. Actors who had a foot in the game were known as "sharers" and collectively divided the profit among themselves. The "mercenaries" received a weekly wage, and the boys who actively played the roles of women were known in name as "apprentices" and paid a minuscule amount compared to their fellow actors. Actors would choose to specialize in specific roles that will become a well-known part of their personal repertoire. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Two of the best known theater companies were the Admiral's Men and the Lord Chamberlain's Men. The companies were known to present around 30 to 40 new shows a year. Because of this demand, playwrights were expected to increase the number of new plays written each year. Most of these works were never published. The plays once completed would become the property of the coordinating company and would not be published under the playwright's name.