London during the Elizabethan attracted many people with the enlightenment of the citizens, its economy, and the city itself.

Enlightenment

Quote #1 "London was also the capital of England...The city’s importance attracted people from throughout England and from other countries. Artists, teachers, musicians, students, and writers all flocked to London to seek advancement"(Lander).

Commentary All these intellectuals and variety of people going to London contributed to the enlightenment at the time. London was not only the capital of England, but also, in a sense, the capital for success. People from different places came to London seeking a better chance at life.

Quote #2 "London was still small enough so that a person could be close to its cultural and political life. The wide range of knowledge that Shakespeare showed in his plays has amazed many of his admirers. Yet much of this knowledge was the kind that could be absorbed by being in the company of informed people"(Lander).

Commentary Many people in London were well informed and educated. The society was enlightened with a new mindset and greater knowledge. Intellectuals going to London contributed to this enlightenment and as a result drew more people to come. This reflects the theater of the time, especially Shakespeare's plays.

Quote #3 "Elizabethans were extremely sensitive to beauty and grace. They loved many forms of literature, including poetic drama, narrative and lyric poetry, prose fiction, and essays. People of all classes enjoyed music, and English composers rivaled the finest composers in all Europe"(Lander)

Commentary Art and literature were highly valued during this time. Some of the best composers and play writes came out of Elizabethan London. With the population having more insight, they gained a greater appreciation for the fine arts. This attracted more people with the same appreciation adding to the flow of creativity and knowledge.

Quote #4 "England's first public theaters opened in London's suburbs during Queen Elizabeth's reign. They attracted such large, noisy crowds that they were prohibited inside London's walls"(Laugharne)

Commentary Elizabethan Era was a period of enlightenment and new ideas. During this time theater emerged, as a from of entertainment, and brilliant play writers came with it. With these writers came more people who wanted a taste of the theater. It all started as a form of entertainment for the peasants outside the city walls.

Quote #5 "Shakespeare moved to London, Apparently leaving his family in Stratford"(Anderson 777).

Commentary Shakespeare was a great play writer. He wrote scripts that were greatly influenced from what was going on around him. Moving to London is significant because London was where all the great theater companies where along with the educated people. London's enlightenment attracted intellectuals.

Quote #6 "In 1599, Burbage's theater was torn down and its timbers were used by Shakespeare and his company to build the Globe Theater. This was the theater for which Shakespeare wrote most of his plays"(Anderson778).

Commentary During this period theater became a large form entertainment. Shakespeare was a play writer who emerged from this time and lived in London writing brilliant plays. His plays and theater in general attracted large crowds in and out of London.

Economy

Quote #1 "Under Elizabeth, England advanced in many areas. Merchants formed a great trading company, the East India Company, in 1600"(Bumgardner).

Commentary Elizabethan London made some people very successful as areas advanced. One of these groups where merchants. Their trading companies allowed them to become wealthy and drove the economy. London became a center for trade and as a result more people came to the city.

Quote #2 "It was the commercial and banking center of England and one of the world’s chief trading centers"(Lander).

Commentary London's economy was centered around trading. It soon became one of the leading banking and commercial centers of the Elizabethan era. Merchants became wealthy as many came to London to trade.

Quote #3 "London developed into an important world trading center under Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558 to 1603. As the merchants grew increasingly rich, they built splendid homes, where they conducted most of their business. They also met and did business at the Royal Exchange building, which opened in 1570 just north of London Bridge"(Laugharne).

Commentary Merchants greatly benefited from the economy of the time, trade. They became rich and opened trading centers which only added to their income. This induced more people to come to London in hope that they too would become successful.

Quote #4 "The reign of Elizabeth I was a prosperous period. Clothiers (clothmakers) had organized their expanding industry into the domestic system. By this system, they bought wool from farmers, distributed it to spinners and weavers who worked at home, and then sold or exported the finished cloth. The clothiers offered good prices for wool, and sheep farming became profitable...In time, England's growing prosperity provided new jobs"(Morrill).

Commentary The Elizabethan era brought about wealth for the society especially in London. During this time period new businesses started opening up and making money. There were new ways of conducting affairs that made it more profitable and this attracted more people.

The City

Quote #1 "The crowded streets helped give London an air of bustling activity. But other factors also made London an exciting city...The queen and her court lived there for much of each year, adding to the color and excitement"(Lander).

Commentary London was a busy city filled with lots of things to do. It attracts people because London carries a sense of importance. Its significance is that it represents England and the era. Even the queen and her court came to London, staying there most of the year.

Quote #2 "1650, London contained 375,000 people. This exceptional population growth is remarkable considering London’s high mortality rate...However, London continued to grow as the result of a massive flow of migrants"(Lander).

Commentary London was a major city in Elizabethan times. As the capital city it attracts a large amount of migrants.

Quote #3 "The crowded and unsanitary city often experienced outbreaks of plague that regularly reduced the population. Sewage flowed in open ditches that drained into the Thames, and overbuilding led to slum conditions in many parts of the city"(Lander).

Commentary The living conditions of London during the Elizabethan area were very poor. People lived in an extremely crowded conditions that were also unsanitary. The plague was a constant threat to the citizens. However, this was the standard of living at the time and that did not discourage people from coming to London.

Quote #4 "Most Londoners lived outside the walls in such districts as Clerkenwell, St. Giles, and Whitechapel, which were rapidly becoming slums. The area inside the walls gradually came to be known as the City"(Laugharne).

Commentary London was set up into districts, with different standards of living, in Elizabethan times. The capital was split into different sections. The wealthier people living inside its walls and the poorer people outside. The city grew as more people came.

Works Cited

Anderson, Robert. “Shakespeare and His Theater: A Perfect Match.” Holt Literature & Language Arts: Mastering the California Standards: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, by G. Kylene Beers et al., Austin, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 2003, pp. 778-80.

---. “William Shakespeare’s Life: A Genius from Stratford.” Holt Literature & Language Arts: Mastering the California Standards: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, by G. Kylene Beers et al., Austin, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 2003, pp. 776-77.

Bumgardner, Jake. “Elizabethan Age.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 6 Dec. 2016.

Lander, Jesse M. “Shakespeare, William.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 6 Dec. 2016.

Laugharne, Peter J. “London.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 6 Dec. 2016.

Morrill, John S. “United Kingdom, History of the.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 9 Dec. 2016.