English During The Elizabethan Language

The development of the English language happened over the span of thousands of years, slowly advancing by adding more words to the lexicon and grammatical rules making the language clearer. Beginning with Anglo-Saxon, Old English was very hard to understand and read. Many translations and pronunciations are merely speculation of what we thought it may have meant and sounded like. This made it much harder to appreciate the writing of the time. However, the English during the Elizabethan era is very similar to the English we use today. We can see the great advances English made during this time by looking at the important events that occurred during the time, and by examining the life of Shakespeare, who helped expand the English language, as

Often called the golden age of England, it refers to the time when Queen Elizabeth I ruled the throne from 1558 – 1603 (“Elizabethan Era”, n.d.). During this time, trading began to greatly flourish in England. Trading routes were established and goods of all sorts were traded between England and nearby countries including “Turkish carpets, Persian Silks and Mediterranean fruits, as well as the spices and luxury goods” (Sommerville, n.d.). A surge in wool trade gave rise to weaving and the use of cloth, quickly becoming a prosperous business for the merchants, further leading a growth in prosperity and a development in buildings (“Elizabethan Era…”, n.d.). The art of the time period also made a major development. Despite that period’s literature being predominantly Latin, works written in English began to appear (“The Elizabethan Age”, n.d.). The theatrical industry also began to boom, often having famous theatres including the Globe, that often showed Shakespeare’s plays, struggling to support the overflowing number of audience (“The Elizabethan Age”, n.d.). Each of these events are important by themselves, however they all influence each other in a larger picture. The prosperous trade that occurred throughout England created an influx of wealth, and with it, a higher social class. Because of the development of a higher social class, they were able to support the growth of the inspiring art that blossomed during the time. Many of these great works of art would not have been possible without the support of the higher social classes (“The Elizabethan Age”, n.d.). The amount of writing increased as a result of gained support, giving way to the development of the English language. The Elizabethan Era also gave birth to one of the greatest playwrights of all time, William