Social and historical context

When forming your understanding of the authorial intent behind the play you’re studying, the best place to start is by looking at what was happening in the world (i.e. the social and historical context of the play). While many of Shakespeare’s plays were written in fairly rapid succession, the social and historical context of each play is different: remember that Shakespeare’s career spanned over twenty years (around 1589–1613), during which time there were two different reigning monarchs (Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England). There are, of course, common ideas in many of the plays, so it’s useful to start by getting a general feel for the social and historical climate in which Shakespeare was operating.