The People for Whom Shakespeare Wrote

"The People for Whom Shakespeare Wrote" by Charles Dudley Warner is a historical reflection from the late 1800s that focuses on the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, exploring the social and political climate of the time and how it all influenced William Shakespeare and his plays. Warner begins with the end of Queen Elizabeth I's reign and the start of King James I's, using figures like Sir Robert Cary (who told King James about Elizabeth's death), Sir Francis Bacon, and John Donne to show the environment of the time. The narrative emphasizes how beliefs in the supernatural were common, influencing Shakespeare's plays. Citing different reporters of the time, Warner paints a picture of the dynamic society of Shakespeare's time, underlining all the different events that helped make his work so powerful.