Did Queen elizabeth support shakespeare?
Shakespeare was greatly indebted to the support of royal patrons such as Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
The Virgin Queen, Elizabeth, was a patron of the arts, devoted herself to studying ancient classical periods, and enjoyed personal theatrical entertainments. She used her influence to progress English drama and encourage Shakespeare’s genius. She even had her own acting company called the "Queen’s Men" and stood strong against Puritans who desired to close theaters.
Shakespeare provided as a faithful servant to Elizabeth. This can be seen in A Midsummer-Night’s Dream where he writes kind words of Elizabeth saying "a fair vestal throned by the west."
However, it is difficult to see if they did have a relationship because Shakespeare did not write her an elegy like all the other famous poets. He worked for her as she desired, but there are little indications that their relationship was anything more.
Queen Elizabeth enjoyed the arts and had a direct effect on artists by supporting learning and supporting artists. Shakespeare was one of the biggest writers of his time because he had funding from Queen Elizabeth I.
Shakespeare’s plays were admired by Elizabeth and were also popular with the royal family. Shakespeare’s group performed several of his plays in front of Elizabeth I. It is believed that Elizabeth suggested the subjects of several of the plays that he wrote. During the last ten years of her reign, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men performed at court thirty-two times, compared to thirty-seven performances by all other companies combined. Fun Fact: William Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century, almost 200 years after Shakespear’s time.
