Why was Queen Elizabeth I important to the theatre and Shakespeare?

Answer 1

Queen Elizabeth supported the theatre and encouraged her courtiers to sponsor theatre companies. She herself sponsored a company for a period. She was, however, not as strong a supporter of theatre as was her successor, James I and his family.

Answer 2

Queen Elizabeth was not as important to the theatre or to Shakespeare as was her successor King James, but both these monarchs did encourage the theatre. Legislation passed in Elizabeth's reign distinguished between wandering vagabonds and legitimate actors and set out the conditions which would allow actors to escape the effect of the vagrancy laws, which conditions involved having a noble patron. Although the Queen was not the first person to patronize a company, she did do so. The Queen also encouraged the performance at court of plays and other interludes by the various companies including the Lord Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare's company. Her support of the theatre thwarted the policy of those people who thought that theatre shoudl be outlawed because it encouraged vagrancy, prostitution, lewdness, pickpockets and disease.

Under King James, royal patronage of the theatrical arts grew stronger--the King, Queen, Princes and Princesses all patronized playing companies, and court performances were very common. The King had a much more important and direct effect on Shakespeare than Queen Elizabeth because he himself was the patron of Shakespeare's company.

Answer 3

Queen Elizabeth I was important to the development of theater because she enjoyed and encouraged it. During her reign, the theater went through its 'Golden Age.'

Answer 4

she really really liked it, had her own theatre company and she wanted the theatre to stay open.

Answer 5

English. England.