Abstract
The paper uses Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" as an allegory for the many sweeping changes which swept over England during the Elizabethan period. The paper's author contends that Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" reflects many of the changes taking place in England at that time. The paper states that, just as the Rome in the play was undergoing far reaching political changes and upheavals, so was Elizabethan society as its leaders swung back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism. The paper also contends that Elizabethan society firmly believed in the Great Chain of Being, or that every " thing in the universe had its proper place and that any attempt to disturb this hierarchy would cause great harm to society and the state.

From the Paper
"So much of how and what we think about history, great writing, and the human character is defined by the Elizabethan Age, particularly because of the greatness of Shakespeare and the imprint his works made upon world literature. However, although Shakespeare's concerns may seem universal, it is also important to keep in mind the historical context and culture in which he operated. Because of the political tumult that preceded Elizabeth I's ascent to the throne, Shakespeare and his contemporaries had profoundly different view of democracy and the popular will than most individuals do today, even people who enjoy quoting the Bard."

Tags:Shakespeare, Julius, Caesar, Drake, historical, renaissance, political

Abstract
This paper gives a brief description London during the Elizabethan age. It discusses the life of the residents having to deal with hardships such as cholera and hunger. It explains that the world was on the brink of modernization and how this effected life in the capital. It also looks at the changes that Elizabeth tried to introduce judicially and politically.

From the paper:

"We can gain an idea of the tenor of the Elizabethan Age by looking at the changes that occurred in her own capital city, in its growth and in its problems. By the time the Tudors became the reigning family of Great Britain, London was already an ancient city. It had grown up by this point from three separate centers: the walled settlement founded by the Romans on the banks of the Thames in the 1st century AD (which is the area of the city known today as ?the Square Mile? or more often simply as ?the City?; the suburb of Southwark, which faces the City across the bridge on the lower gravels of the south bank of the Thames; and the City of Westminster "

Tags:Tudor, monopolistic, catholic, industry, trade, commerce, poor, discovery, plague, settlement, royal

Abstract
The paper examines Shakespeare's depiction of four different relationships and how they highlight female and male power positions. The paper explains that by looking at all of these relationships, Shakespeare portrays how a proper relationship is derived only
from two people who act appropriately for their gender.

From the Paper
"The play A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare explores the authority roles of both men and women in the Elizabethan Age. The play touches briefly on the legal power of women, but focuses mainly on expected female roles in romantic relationships. Each of the four couples display a different power relationship between the man and the woman, and through the exploration of each of these, Shakespeare explains how a proper relationship is derived from two people who properly display their gender roles to society."

Tags:female, male, power, positions, relationships

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that for every age of poetry there has been a form of sonnet. The writer points out that the most well-known style of this poetic form is the Elizabethan sonnet, made famous by William Shakespeare. The writer then relates that the Victorian sonnet, while less well-known by the general public, was a favored form by an equally famous writer, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The writer notes that the existence of the modern sonnet demonstrates the durability of this poetic form, as demonstrated in the work of Karen Volkman. The writer maintains that although the sonnet has evolved since its inception it remains a lovely and viable poetic form today.

Outline:
Elizabethan Sonnet
Victorian Sonnet
Modern Sonnet
Conclusion
Works Cited

From the Paper
"Like Shakespeare's sonnets, Browning's poetry is very personal, although in this case the author's audience is known. The cycle selected for this assignment, "Sonnets from the Portuguese," addresses Browning's husband, relating her feelings in return for the affection that he shows to her."
"The first eight lines of Sonnet XXV represent the first stanza of the Petrarchan sonnet. They do not ask any question; rather, they state a fact: the poet's narrator was miserable until she met the man she loved. The final six lines, representing the sestet, expand upon this theme. Although Browning is often criticized as being excessive and sentimental, this style of writing characterized the period."

Tags:poem, form, style, audience

Abstract
The paper explores Shakespeare's gender disguise that distorted female identity and investigates early modern constructions of gender as distinct from sexual difference. The paper examines the play "Twelfth Night" in order to show how it was Shakespeare's intention to challenge gender taboos of the Elizabethan age.

From the Paper
"Considered by critics as Shakespeare's best achievement in the comic genre, the play Twelfth Night or, What You Will affords an elaborate exploration of love and power relationships, gender roles and taboos. Identity poses highly confounding problems, as there are numerous layers to the characters' gender roles and their maze-like relationships and (homo) erotic affinities. Through a range of female characters and the implications of (wo)man disguises, Shakespeare exposes gender issues. Several heroines of the comedies appear in disguise on the Renaissance stage, which represents the cultural context of the play."

Tags:androgyny, disguise, men, women, masculine, feminine

Abstract
This paper examines the life of Edmund Spenser, who was viewed as a love and pastoral poet and also a classical author. It looks at how Spenser's life ran almost identically to the Elizabethan Age, from his birth in a poor family in London to his religious and political views to his eventual move to Ireland, where he wrote his most famous piece, "The Faerie Queen". It discusses how "The Faerie Queen" contains six books and a fragment of a seventh and how, with each book, a virtue is introduced. A story then unfolds to explain how the hero of that particular book obtains the virtue as his ultimate prize. The focus of the paper is on Book One and the virtue of holiness, which was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I. It shows how his use and skill with ancient language coupled with his creation, the Spenserian stanza, presents the reader with a delightful look at medieval England.

From the Paper
"When she finishes the story she starts to faint. The knight comforts her and vows to rescue her hero. They all leave together with the wise dwarf leading the way. Even though Una has been abandoned, misjudged, and betrayed by the man she loves she remains steadfast. She still loves him and wants to free him from his bondage by the giant. On a moral level here she still represents purity and truth. She has never wavered from either although her errant lover certainly has. On the religious level she represents the true church. She is forgiving and welcomes home the worst of sinners. On the historical level she is the Protestant Church."

Tags:medieval, england, elizabeth, spenserian, stanza, virtue

Abstract
This paper explores Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" with the purpose of illustrating how Shakespeare's plays always reflect the values, attitudes and beliefs of the times in which they were written; Elizabethan and early Jacobean England.

From the Paper
"Religion in "Romeo and Juliet:" William Shakespeare's writing often focuses on a specific message that he intends to get across to his audience. There has been much speculation as to the specific religious background of Shakespeare. Little is known about Shakespeare's personal life until he moved to London and became a popular playwright. Therefore critics have studied Shakespeare's plays in order to ascertain Shakespeare's religious affiliations. Shakespeare appears to espouse a Roman Catholic doctrine based on the characters in Romeo and Juliet."

Tags:Shakespeare, elizabethan, catholicism religion, war, men, age, youth, marraige, socity, life of Shakespeare.

Abstract
In this article, the writer examines the significance of magic in Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus. The writer maintains that the crucial link is to secular learning, and notes how in Marlowe's time it represented a challenge to the sanctity of religious knowledge. The writer also discusses that Dr Faustus is the greatest polymath of his age who confronts the limits of knowledge and wants to transcend it through the adoption of black magic, and by making a pact with the devil. Additionally, the paper contrasts the modern indifference to magic to the Elizabethan attitude of horror.

From the Paper
"A further dynamic in the play is the realization of the ultimate futility of magic. Faustus has been granted worldly power and glory, by which he impresses and wins favors of kings and princes. But they turn out to be meaningless to him in the end, just as meaningless as his prior accomplishments in the fields of metaphysics, medicine and law. He is quickly sated with his new found powers, and ends up just as dissatisfied as prior to selling his soul. He is tortured by pangs of remorse, and begins to think the glories of heaven far superior."

Tags:Marlowe, Elizabethan, humanism, pact, devil, renaissance, eternal, damnation

Abstract
This paper analyzes the corruption of wealth and power in the early 17th century as is seen within the Elizabethan plays, "The Revenger's Tragedy" by Cyril Tourneur and "Women Beware Women" by Thomas Middleton. It discusses the central elements of the plays and shows how they define medieval elite society through an Elizabethan dramatic point of view.

From the Paper
"In conclusion, the two plays The Revenger's Tragedy by Cyril Tourneur and the Women Beware Women by Thomas Middleton represent a social commentary on wealth and power in the Middle Ages. Although these plays were written within the Elizabethan Era, the continuity of greed and disloyalty is a part of the behaviors of medieval aristocracy, which was mostly pervasive within England in the early 17th century. By examining the various characters in these two plays, the desire for wealth and power is the central social theme about medieval upper class culture that is brought forth by Tourneur and Middleton."

Tags:Elizabethan, Middle, Ages, aristocracy, upper, class

Abstract
William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent most of his childhood in Stratford, Great Britain. It wasn't until the age of 28 that Shakespeare began to gain prominence as a playwright. This paper shows that little is known about the private life of the man who would later be recognized as "the greatest and most famous of English writers". The paper shows that by skillfully creating realistic characters and situations is his plays, Shakespeare is still considered a major influence on writers across the world. Even in poetry, Shakespeare was able to transcend the boundaries of poetry and engage the reader in such a way in which all poets seek to imitate.

From the Paper
"Up until 1594 his plays appear to be influenced from Roman and medieval dramas. From 1594-1600, Shakespeare began to develop a distinctive style. The histories of this period are Shakespeare's best, portraying the lives of kings and royalty in most human terms. He also begins the interweaving, in these histories, of comedy and tragedy that would become one of his stylistic signatures. His comedies mature in this period as well, portraying more characterization in their subjects than previously. Between 1600-1608, Shakespeare wrote his tragedies, which would be the play that brought him infamy for centuries to come. Clearly, Shakespeare was at his best when he was writing these tragedies. The writing of Shakespeare until 1608, brings into focus the romantic tragicomedy. Many claim that Shakespeare seemed to be concerned with redemption at this time because the writing is more serious. These plays were also more lyrical and demonstrate how Shakespeare successfully mastered the technique of symbolism."

Tags:Elizabethan, Henry, IV, War, of, the, Roses, Sonnets