nder the queen, England flourished. The recent civil war had been resolved and England was able to defeat the famous Spanish Armada. Under Elizabeth England emerged as a powerful nation.
Is it any wonder that Shakespeare gave us intelligent and sometimes powerful female characters, especially in his comedies? Think of Portia, beautiful, intelligent, and rich.
It is interesting to note that except for The Merry Wives of Windsor, all his comedies are set outside of England. He might be reflecting things within his own society but had distanced himself from criticism.
His history plays are a warning about the recent past and what happens when the line of succession is in doubt or usurped or in any way interfered with. Minority kings aren't good especially in times of conflict. Civil wars tear families apart and everybody suffers. These are good lessons.
As a great student of human nature, his tragedies explore man's passions and what happens when they are out of control.
In the plays of Shakespeare, there isn't a human condition or human conflict that he doesn't explore using the world that he knew, his own, but what is extraordinary is that he was right.