English Literature at its Peak

Wars, fights, controversies—these all roamed around mainland England. Not only did these political and religious tribulations put men’s lives on the line, it also put the arts into hiding so to speak. English Literature reached its peak during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. This was the time when religious arguments were put aside through Puritanism, an agreement between the extremes of Catholicism and Protestantism. This gave way for the courts to take more notice in Literature.
It can be noted that even before the reign of Elizabeth I, performers of the arts already received recognition, even in the palace courts. History tells us that Henry VIII hired actors and playwrights for productions and presentations staged on the court. Outside the palace, literature was practically prominent among the nobilities. Even among the lower classes, a handful of plays were presented at inns and other public places. These though didn’t give much recognition to the literary, nor to Literature itself.
The people of those times of course cannot be considered apathetic towards Literary Arts, but far from that. It’s just that there was a need to pay attention to other things. It is well known that with Renaissance came along Reformation. This opened a lot of discussions, even fights. During the reign of Mary Tudor, wife of Philip II of Spain and a devout Catholic, there was public persecution of the Protestants. She is more popularly known as Bloody Mary, her having sentenced hundreds, even thousands, of the Non-Catholic faith killed. Subject matters like this gave the English less opportunity to pay heed to Literature.
Even when Literature is up on its feet, there were still arguments against play productions. For one thing, the Catholic Church didn’t really approve of these, and many of the English were Catholic. Plays started inside the church—the morality, mystery, and miracle plays which discussed Biblical principles—and when it got out, the themes became more and more secular and the language vulgar. All these may have stumbled the Literary Arts, but it was not put into silence. Its climax finally took place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Aside from settling religious and political issues that dug holes in Literature’s pathway, Elizabeth I also gave high favors to playwrights and actors. In films like “Elizabeth” and “Elizabeth, The Golden Age,” her palace is shown accommodating plays in its courts, along with dances and songs. In the film “Shakespeare in Love,” the actress playing her even said “They are played for me.” This tells us that the Literary Arts received might we say, full recognition among the English. From there on out prominent playwrights took into scene. In a turn of the sixteenth century, writers like Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare vigorously wrote to make their way into the lime light.
The 45 years reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the Golden Age of England, is also the Golden Age of English Literature. Now, it is called Elizabethan Literature, English Literature at its peak.