Shakespeare’s Legacy
The Elizabethan Era to the Restoration: A Brief Political History
The House of Tudor
•	Henry VIII-Catholic  (1509-1547)
•	Edward VI (1547-1553)- son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour (3rd child); inherits throne at 10 and dies at 16  **Radical Protestants of Council of Nobles rules while he is young
•	EVI names a successor (his cousin) at the request of CoN;  Bloody Mary revolts
•	Mary Tudor (oldest sister of EVI;daughter of HVIII) wins war in 1553 and changes rule to Roman Catholic; marries Phillip of Spain and has no children
–	Burns Protestants alive during her 5 yr rule (until 1558)

•	Elizabeth is the daughter of Anne Boelyn and Henry VIII
•	Wages war against Mary’s Catholics 
•	Ascends in 1558; rules for 45 years
•	Little art/literature under Mary and EVI; Elizabeth’s rule not calm, but literature emerges
•	Threats of invasions from Catholic nations, expansion into Ireland a difficult project 
•	1603 King James ascends (1st Stewart king)

•	William Shakespeare is born in 1564; baptized on April 26 (April 23 designated as his birthday b/c it is the patron saint of England’s day and date on which he died)
•	1582 Marries Anne Hathaway; has 3 children
•	1592- is an established actor in London
Theories about departure:  poacher, hated wife, runaway apprentice
Is a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men under Elizabeth;  Lord Chamberlain’s Men become the King’s Men under James I
•	1613- Theater burns down and a new one is rebuilt- minus thatched roof

•	April 23, 1616- he dies
•	He had been retired for three years
•	Shakespeare was, by all accounts, a very popular man with many friends and admirers
•	A popular actor and respected playwright; plays were not published, however, until the popularity of plays dwindled.  Therefore, Shakespeare’s were published posthumously by fellow actors
•	Dies 6 days after his daughter married a wealthy doctor
•	Literally partied with his buddies until he dropped!

•	Let’s play the “What’s missing?” game!

•	Yes, the Elizabethans pierced, too!

•	Inherits a divided nation- middle class Puritans and upper class Anglicans
•	James is an excessive spender; middle class dislikes “frittering” and begins taking power to the House of Commons 
•	Charles, James’ son ascends (1625)
•	1641- Scotland (now Presbyterians) rebels against Anglican church
•	1642 Civil War in England (Scots and Parliament unite)

Civil War of 1642
English society split between aristocracy and middle class National government is going bankrupt after James I; Charles I is the head of church and tries to raise taxes against wishes of the middle class (non-Anglicans)
Parliament raises own army; executes Charles’ Prime Minister
Royalists=support crown   vs.  Parlimentarians
1643-Royalist take all except London; then Parlimentarians pushed back and defeated Royalists. Oliver Cromwell leads the Parlimentarians

1648 Scots unite with Charles I to gain religious autonomy
James I was from Scotland; Presbyterian who changed to Anglican to ascend throne (it was a doctrinal mandate)
Despite alliance, Cromwell stops both the Irish and the Scots
Charles is captured in 1646; he escapes
1648- he is defeated for good
•	1649-Charles I publicly executed, no king

•	After Charles I executed, Cromwell and the “blockheads” take over  (Royalists wore long, waived hair; Parlimentarians had bowl cuts)
•	Cromwell dismisses Parliament and establishes himself as Lord Protector (another word for king, basically)
•	Dies in 1658 after greatly expanding empire into Ireland, Jamaica
•	Gives throne to son- Richard
•	Parliament recalls Charles II in 1660 (THE RESTORATION
•	Charles II has Cromwell’s grave dug up; the corpse hanged and beheaded