So, how can Shakespeare not be the true author of his works? Well, Shakespeare had humble origins and much of his life is not known. Since he had received little education, it seemed unlikely that he could be the composer of his sonnets, a poem which is rather complex to write well due to its strict structure and form, as well as be the playwright of his plays. Furthermore, many of the court dealings which is displayed in his works could not have been known by a non-nobleman and someone who was not a court insider, therefore, it was unlikely he could have had access to such knowledge.
Queen Elizabeth I, the Queen of England at that time, was extremely religious and was also known as the Virgin Queen. During her time, international relations were generally good, as she continued the trade policies of countries, and was also well known for being thrifty. However, there were some religious conflicts with Spain, resulting in Spain sending out their Armada to attack England. Queen Elizabeth I was also a patron of Shakespeare's works and usually had Shakespeare put up special performances in her court.
Compared to modern day, knowledge at that time about many scientific things were extremely limited, therefore, their lifestyle was not extremely pleasant. Hygiene was extremely poor - human waste was dumped from windows on to the streets below. This encouraged the spread of diseases and due to the lack of medical knowledge, these diseases were often not cured.
The setting of Venice for the Merchant of Venice was probably due to the fact that it was a major trading port and the centre of commerce. Being a cosmopolitan place, it suited the motif of money very well. Furthermore, this was one of the few places where Jews were accepted by the country, though not so by the society, which as a result, is a suitable setting for the play.
The dominant religion at that time was Roman Catholic, while Judaism was a minority religion and viewed as inferior. The Christian community at that time commonly abused the Jews, and treated them as inferior. Jews were also expelled from certain countries, and were also not allowed to take on certain jobs. The reason for such animosity was due to the difference in believes of Judaism and Christianity, and the Christians view the Jews as the killer of their messiah.
Plays at that time were performed in a roofless courtyard, which could house around two thousand and five hundred people. It had no curtains, and the plays were performed in the open courtyard, therefore, the characters had to describe the setting in their speech, because there was no background scenery, and the audience had to depend on the characters speech to know where the characters were. Acting was also not considered an honourable job, as a result, only males were allowed to act.
So, how do all these factors contribute to the Merchant of Venice? Well, something that is extremely evident is the fact that the characters all describe what is happening, because, as mentioned before, there was no scenery or set. Also, Venice is a commercial setting, and one of the motifs in play is money, which suits its purpose extremely well. Venice also serves as a contrast to the more romantic Belmont, as the relationships there are mostly transactional, and everything is carried out with business-like authority. The Jewish community was also commonly abused, and having no fear that there would be Jews among the English audience, as they would already have been expelled, Shakespeare makes use of this fact to make Shylock an antagonist which the audience then, comprising of people from all classes, would dislike. Also, as Portia is representative of Queen Elizabeth I in the play, she was made to be especially good in order to in a way praise Queen Elizabeth I.
As can be seen, what affects a play is not just what the writer wants to create, but also on the traditions, lifestyles and customs then. Therefore, these can be factors that can be considered in the future when looking at a play.
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