1500-1600 English Renaissance
1509
Death of Henry VII and succession of Henry VIII's "Reign of Terror"
1515
Thomas Wolsey appointed Cardinal and given papal legate powers
1533
Henry VIII divorces Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn; Anne Boleyn gives birth to Elizabeth I
1534
Act of Submission of the Clergy and Act of Succession recognized the king as the "only supreme head of the Church of England"
1535
Thomas Moore beheaded fo treason
1547
Death of Henry VIII and succession of Edward VI
1553
Succession of Lady Mary to the throne of England
1564
Birth of William Shakespeare
1578
Shakespeare’s first of two “lost years.” This period covers the years after Shakespeare left grammar school until his marriage to Anne Hathaway in November of 1582.
1585
Declaration of war with Spain: Reasons for the war included hope of wealth and power to be gained from the new world as well as differences in religion. England became Protestant under Elizabeth 1 and the Catholic Spanish saw the war as a religious crusade.
1585
Shakespeare began acting/ The second of Shakespeare’s two “lost years.” This part of Shakespeare's life covers when he must have been perfecting his dramatic skills and collecting sources for the plots of his plays. It is unknown as to exactly how he began his career in theater but it is known that he was an established actor in London by the end of the year 1592.
1592-94- The Plague
Symptoms of the Plague included red, grossly inflamed and swollen lymph nodes, called buboes (hence the name bubonic), high fever, delirium, and convulsions. If the bacterial infection spread to the lungs (pneumonic plague) or to the bloodstream (septicemic plague) the victim would certainly die, usually within hours.
1594- Establishment of Lord Admiral’s Men and Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Lord Chamberlain’s Men is the company that occupied the Northern Suburbs performing at James Burbage’s theatres at Shoreditch and Lord Admiral’s Men would perform in the South at the Rose Theater.
1595- Swan Playhouse built
“Scholars disagree as to whether Shakespeare and his company, the Chamberlain's Men, played there -- some argue that the troupe definitely played at the Swan from time to time while they were looking for a permanent home. The Swan was one of the largest and most distinguished of all the playhouses.”
1597
Shakespeare has already authored 15 plays
1598- Anti-vagrancy law
In 1597, the new Vagrancy Act authorized the government to banish anyone caught offending the vagrancy laws. After 1598, slavery was established as the proper punishment for vagrancy and there were a number of years where periods of leniency and harshness of punishments alternated.
1599- Globe Playhouse built
The Globe Theater was one of the most significant theaters of the time period. This theater housed a majority of Shakespeare’s plays and could hold several thousand people. The theater was also used as a brothel and gambling house.
Death of Henry VII and succession of Henry VIII's "Reign of Terror"
1515
Thomas Wolsey appointed Cardinal and given papal legate powers
1533
Henry VIII divorces Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn; Anne Boleyn gives birth to Elizabeth I
1534
Act of Submission of the Clergy and Act of Succession recognized the king as the "only supreme head of the Church of England"
1535
Thomas Moore beheaded fo treason
1547
Death of Henry VIII and succession of Edward VI
1553
Succession of Lady Mary to the throne of England
1564
Birth of William Shakespeare
1578
Shakespeare’s first of two “lost years.” This period covers the years after Shakespeare left grammar school until his marriage to Anne Hathaway in November of 1582.
1585
Declaration of war with Spain: Reasons for the war included hope of wealth and power to be gained from the new world as well as differences in religion. England became Protestant under Elizabeth 1 and the Catholic Spanish saw the war as a religious crusade.
1585
Shakespeare began acting/ The second of Shakespeare’s two “lost years.” This part of Shakespeare's life covers when he must have been perfecting his dramatic skills and collecting sources for the plots of his plays. It is unknown as to exactly how he began his career in theater but it is known that he was an established actor in London by the end of the year 1592.
1592-94- The Plague
Symptoms of the Plague included red, grossly inflamed and swollen lymph nodes, called buboes (hence the name bubonic), high fever, delirium, and convulsions. If the bacterial infection spread to the lungs (pneumonic plague) or to the bloodstream (septicemic plague) the victim would certainly die, usually within hours.
1594- Establishment of Lord Admiral’s Men and Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Lord Chamberlain’s Men is the company that occupied the Northern Suburbs performing at James Burbage’s theatres at Shoreditch and Lord Admiral’s Men would perform in the South at the Rose Theater.
1595- Swan Playhouse built
“Scholars disagree as to whether Shakespeare and his company, the Chamberlain's Men, played there -- some argue that the troupe definitely played at the Swan from time to time while they were looking for a permanent home. The Swan was one of the largest and most distinguished of all the playhouses.”
1597
Shakespeare has already authored 15 plays
1598- Anti-vagrancy law
In 1597, the new Vagrancy Act authorized the government to banish anyone caught offending the vagrancy laws. After 1598, slavery was established as the proper punishment for vagrancy and there were a number of years where periods of leniency and harshness of punishments alternated.
1599- Globe Playhouse built
The Globe Theater was one of the most significant theaters of the time period. This theater housed a majority of Shakespeare’s plays and could hold several thousand people. The theater was also used as a brothel and gambling house.