Time line of History-- THE ELIZABETHAN ERA (1558–1603)

Timeline of History: The Elizabethan Era (1558–1603)

The Elizabethan Era, often referred to as the "Golden Age" of English history, was marked by the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn, ruled England from 1558 to 1603 during what is known as the Elizabethan Age. She was one of the scholar-women of her time, being versed in Latin, Greek, French, and Italian. Her translation of Boethius shows her exceptional art and skill. In the classics Roger Ascham was her tutor.  Her reign was also a time of great prosperity and achievement, and her court was a center for poets, writers, musicians, and scholars. This period witnessed a flowering of English culture, expansion of the empire, and significant developments in politics, religion, and the arts. Below is a timeline of important events during the Elizabethan era:

• 1545. Roger Ascham's "Toxophilus." <Elizabeth’s tutor>
• 1551. Nicholas Udall (1505?–1556), English schoolmaster and dramatist, who wrote the first known English comedy, Ralph Roister Doister" acted. It is based on the plays of the Roman comic dramatists Plautus and Terence.
• 1557. Tottel's"Miscellany."

1558 – Accession of Queen Elizabeth I

• November 17, 1558: Queen Elizabeth I ascends the throne following the death of her half-sister, Queen Mary I. Elizabeth's reign brings political stability after a turbulent period of religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants.

1559 – Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity

• Religious Settlement: Queen Elizabeth I establishes the Church of England through the Act of Supremacy (making her the Supreme Governor of the Church) and the Act of Uniformity (requiring the use of the Book of Common Prayer in services). These acts define the religious landscape of England as Protestant, though with compromises to avoid alienating Catholic subjects.

1560s – The Rising Influence of the Arts

• Theater and Literature: During the early part of Elizabeth's reign, the foundations for a cultural renaissance are laid. Writers like Edmund Spenser and playwrights such as Christopher Marlowe begin to gain prominence.
• 1562. Sackville and Norton's " Gorboduc" (first English tragedy)acted.
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1564 – Birth of William Shakespeare

• April 1564: William Shakespeare, destined to become one of the greatest playwrights in history, is born in Stratford-upon-Avon. His works would become a hallmark of the Elizabethan era.

1568 – Mary, Queen of Scots, Flees to England

• Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, seeks refuge in England after being deposed in Scotland. Her presence creates political tension and a Catholic threat to Elizabeth's Protestant throne, eventually leading to her imprisonment.

1570 – Excommunication of Elizabeth I

• Pope Pius V excommunicates Elizabeth I, declaring her a heretic and encouraging Catholic plots against her reign. This heightens Catholic-Protestant tensions and justifies future Catholic conspiracies against the queen.
• 1570. Ascham's “Schoolmaster."
  1573. Donne born. English poet John Donne is best known for his sonnets on the themes of both human and divine love. A clergyman whose sermons are revered for their elegance of language, Donne has a significant impact on later generations of poets.

1577-1580 – Sir Francis Drake’s Circumnavigation

• Sir Francis Drake becomes the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, enhancing England’s reputation as a maritime power and boosting its imperial ambitions.
• 1579. Spenser's "Shepherd's Calendar."
  1579. Lyly's "Euphues, or the Anatomy of Wit."
  1580. Lyly's"Euphues and his England." The work is characterized by witty discourses on the subject of love and an affected, ornate style that was thenceforth known as “euphuism.”
  1580. English courtier, poet, and soldier Sir Philip Sidney's" Arcadia"

1580s – The Height of Elizabethan Literature

• 1580–1600: This period sees the rise of Elizabethan literature and drama, with key figures like William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson producing some of the most celebrated works in the English language. Shakespeare's plays, including Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, become emblematic of the era's artistic achievements.
• 1581. Sidney's"Apologie for Poetry."
• 1582. Shakespeare's marriage. On November 27, 1582, a license was issued to permit Shakespeare’s marriage, at the age of 18, to Anne Hathaway, aged 26 and the daughter of a Warwickshire farmer. (Although the document lists the bride as “Annam Whateley,” the scribe most likely made an error in the entry.) The next day a bond was signed to protect the bishop who issued the license from any legal responsibility for approving the marriage, as William was still a minor and Anne was pregnant. The couple’s daughter, Susanna, was born on May 26, 1583, and twins—Hamnet and Judith who were named for their godparents, neighbors Hamnet and Judith Sadler—followed on February 2, 1585.

1585 – Anglo-Spanish War Begins

• Tensions with Catholic Spain, fueled by religious conflicts and imperial competition, lead to the outbreak of the Anglo-Spanish War. This war will define much of Elizabeth's foreign policy during the final years of her reign.

1587 – Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

• After numerous plots to assassinate Elizabeth and place Mary on the English throne, Elizabeth reluctantly signs Mary's death warrant. Her execution heightens tensions with Catholic Europe, especially Spain.

1588 – Defeat of the Spanish Armada

• July-August 1588: One of the most celebrated military victories of Elizabeth’s reign, the Spanish Armada is defeated by the English navy, marking a significant shift in the balance of naval power in Europe. This victory is often seen as a triumph of Protestant England over Catholic Spain.
• 1586 (?). Shakespeare goes to London.
  1587. Marlowe's "Tamburlaine."  English poet and dramatist Christopher Marlowe is the greatest English playwright before William Shakespeare. His innovative use of blank verse and tragic subjects in plays will be fully developed by Shakespeare.  Marlowe wrote four principal plays: the heroic dramatic epic Tamburlaine the Great, Part I (1587), about the 14th-century Mongol conqueror; The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1588?), one of the earliest dramatizations of the Faust legend; the tragedy The Jew of Malta (1589?); and Edward II (1592?), which was one of the earliest successful English historical dramas and a model for Shakespeare's Richard II and Richard III. In each of these dramas one forceful protagonist with a single overriding passion dominates.

1590s – Social and Economic Changes

• Late 1590s: England faces significant social challenges, including economic hardship, food shortages, and unemployment. The rise of the merchant class and expansion of overseas trade bring about changes in the social structure.
• 1588-94. Shakespeare's "First Period." English playwright William Shakespeare becomes the greatest playwright of all time. In their combination of philosophical profundity, wide audience appeal, brilliance and beauty of language, and astonishing breadth of characters, his plays are unequaled anywhere in the world.
  1594. Hooker's "Ecclesiastical Polity"(first four books).
  1594. Shakespeare's "Rape of Lucrece."
  I595- Spenser's "Epithalamion."
  1595-1601. Shakespeare's "Second Period."
  1596. Ben Jonson's "Every Man in his Humour."
  1596. Spenser's "Faerie Queen"(last three books).
  1596. The Blind Beggar of Alexandria by George Chapman. His great work by which he lives in literature is his translation of Homer. The Iliad was pub. in 1611, the Odyssey in 1616, and the Hymns, etc., in 1624.
  1597. Hooker's “Ecclesiastical Polity"(fifth book)
• 1590. Spenser's "Faerie Queen"(first three books).

1593 – Plague Hits London

• 1593: A devastating outbreak of the plague hits London, leading to the temporary closure of theaters and causing widespread death and hardship.
• 1593. Shakespeare's "Venus and Adonis."

1599 – The Globe Theatre Opens

• 1599: The Globe Theatre opens in London, becoming the home of Shakespeare’s acting company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Many of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, including Hamlet and Othello, will be performed here.

1601 – Essex Rebellion

• 1601: The Earl of Essex, one of Elizabeth's former favorites, leads a failed rebellion against her government. Essex is executed for treason, signaling the end of an era in Elizabeth's court.
• 1601-8. Shakespeare's "Third Period."

1603 – Death of Elizabeth I

• March 24, 1603: Queen Elizabeth I dies after a 45-year reign, leaving no direct heir. Her death marks the end of the Tudor dynasty and the beginning of the Stuart era, with James VI of Scotland ascending the throne as James I of England.
• 1603. Ben Jonson's"Sejanus."
• 1605. Ben Jonson's "Volpone or the Fox "
• 1605. Bacon's "Advancement of Learning."
• 1609. Shakespeare's Sonnets, sequence of 154 sonnets, is thought to be written between 1595 and 1599. Shakespeare’s sonnets were first collected in book form by the printer Thomas Thorpe, who registered them on May 20, 1609, with the title Shake-speares Sonnets.
• 1609-13 (?). Shakespeare's" Fourth Period."
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• 1610. Ben Jonson's "Alchemist."
• 1611. James I of England commissions a revision of the English Bible, a 14th-century translation by John Wycliffe. The King James Version OR Authorised Version of the Bible, as it is called, is completed in1611.
• 1612 (?). Shakespeare returns to Stratford.
• 1613. Webster's "Duchess of Malfi." The Duchess of Malfi, staged about 1614, depicts a world of extravagant passions, dark intrigue, and fratricidal violence.

Key Aspects of the Elizabethan Era:

• Expansion of the Arts: Literature and theater flourished, with the works of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and other poets and playwrights becoming cultural cornerstones.

• 

  Queen Elizabet 
  Art Gallery London

  Religious Settlement: Elizabeth’s establishment of the Protestant Church of England laid the groundwork for religious stability, though tensions with Catholics persisted.
• Naval Power: The defeat of the Spanish Armada and maritime exploration under figures like Sir Francis Drake established England as a rising naval power.
• Social Change: The era saw the rise of the merchant class, the expansion of trade, and the beginnings of England’s imperial ambitions.

The Elizabethan era is remembered as a time of exploration, artistic growth, and relative political stability, despite the challenges of religious conflict and international rivalry.

Noted Writers: Ascham ; Wyatt, and Surrey ; Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Hooker, Raleigh, Lyly, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Kyd,, Greene, Peele, William Shakespeare, George Chapman, Ben Jonson, Francis Beaumont and john Fletcher, and others.

Important Short Questions from the Elizabethan Era (1558–1603):

1. Who was the monarch during the Elizabethan Era?
Queen Elizabeth I.
2. What is the Elizabethan Era often referred to as?
It is often called the Golden Age of English history.
3. What was the religious settlement established by Elizabeth I?
The Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity.
4. Which famous playwright was born during the Elizabethan Era?
William Shakespeare (born in 1564).
5. Name two famous playwrights from the Elizabethan Era besides Shakespeare.
Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson.
6. What was the Spanish Armada, and what happened to it in 1588?
The Spanish Armada was a fleet sent by Spain to invade England, which was defeated by the English navy.
7. Which famous theater was opened in 1599?
The Globe Theatre.
8. What was the Essex Rebellion, and who led it?
A failed rebellion led by Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, in 1601.
9. Which famous naval explorer circumnavigated the globe during the Elizabethan Era?
Sir Francis Drake.
10. Who was Mary, Queen of Scots, and why was she executed?
Mary was Elizabeth I's cousin and a Catholic threat to the throne. She was executed for her involvement in plots to overthrow Elizabeth.
11. What were some of the key literary works produced during the Elizabethan Era?
Shakespeare’s plays, Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, and Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus.
12. Why is the Elizabethan Era known as the "Golden Age"?
It was a period of cultural, artistic, and political growth, with advancements in literature, theater, exploration, and a strong navy.
13. What significant event happened in 1603?
Queen Elizabeth I died, marking the end of the Tudor dynasty and the start of the Stuart reign with James I.
14. Name two social changes that occurred during the Elizabethan Era.
Rise of the merchant class and expansion of trade.
15. How did the Elizabethan Era contribute to England’s future colonial expansion?
Exploration and naval victories during this period laid the foundation for England’s future imperial ambitions.

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