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Nathan Gitter English 8-4 4-17-09 Math and Science During Shakespeare’s time, many advancements occurred in the fields of math and science. The most noticeable advancement during his time was astronomy. According to www.elizabethan-era.org, many people believed in astrology- the idea that stars and planets can control or influence events on the Earth. Shakespeare even stated in one of his works, King Lear, that “these late eclipses of the sun and moon portend no good to us.” The famous astronomers of Shakespeare’s time were Galileio and Kepler. Galileo introduced one of the fist telescopes and observed the sun and the planets. While observing the moon, he recorded his notes and published them into his book The Starry Messenger. He observed the moon’s orbit, phases, and surface. Galileo found that the sun nor the Earth was the center of the Universe. Many people, and the Church, disagreed with this idea. Meanwhile, Kepler was figuring out laws of planetary motion and orbits. His theories soon led to the discovery of gravity. These new discoveries were making people interested in the stars and the planets. Also during Shakespeare’s time, advancements in the medical field were being made by Vesalius. Vesalius was the first person to give a careful description of the human body. His descriptions were made by dissections of humans. To find bodies, scientists would go to graveyards and dig up recently buried bodies. This practice was hated by the Church and was illegal because it went against morals of the time. These new medical advancements made people interested in parts of the body and how they function. Lastly, math was an important part of discoveries in Shakespeare’s time. Newton had just invented calculus and more applications of math were emerging, such as astronomical distances, heights of very tall objects, and ship navigation. Math was used more than ever on ships because of the inventions of the sundial and compass. From Louise Pritchard’s book //Shakespeare//, I learned that navigators could now predict the ocean tides, and distance needed to travel from one port to another. Through many discoveries in math and science, people were becoming more intrigued in the world around them.

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell was an important figure during Shakespeare’s time. He was the leader of a powerful religious group called the Puritans. According to the website William Shakespeare Info, the Puritans were “'those who wanted to completely change the Church of England, with its Roman Catholic type of structure and traditions, for another reformed and plain church model.” They wanted to remove all features of Christian worship that weren’t in the bible; such things included bishops, church clothing, elaborate ceremonies, and decorated crosses. In 1642, after Oliver Cromwell was elected to Parliament, he came into a conflict with the Royalists who were led by King Charles I. The Royalists were the group of people who didn’t rebel with Cromwell and who were on the side of the Royalty (Queen and Parliament) of the time. This conflict led to the English Civil War. During this war, many things occurred that effected Shakespeare’s life directly. First, the Puritans were against plays because of their strict beliefs. According to the website “In Search of Shakespeare”, Puritans believed that “all forms of entertainment, especially the theatre, served as a graphic illustration of the moral decline of the country.” Second, because of these beliefs, many plays were shut down, theaters were burned, and actors, if caught performing plays, were beaten. In 1644, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater was burned. Lastly, anyone who was caught attending a play could be charged five shillings. This greatly decreased the number of people attending Shakespeare’s plays. Just before his death, he was ordered to be hanged. In 1658, Cromwell died and the Puritans’ power slowly faded away. Oliver Cromwell was most known for destroying Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. Many people think that he is a very bad person because he ordered the deaths of many and revolted against the leaders of the time. All in all, Oliver Cromwell was a very important figure during Shakespeare’s time and had a huge impact on Shakespeare and plays in general.

“The Lost Years” of Shakespeare’s Life Today we know a multitude of things about Shakespeare’s plays and poems, but very little is known about his life in general. One particularly cloudy time period from 1585 through 1592 is known as “the lost years” of Shakespeare’s life. His life was “lost” from age 21 to 31. Around 1585, he was married and had three children, but then in 1592, he was in London working as a playwright and owned a theatrical company. Terry Gray in his website “The Lost Years,” he explains that we have found no evidence of him even existing in this time period. If he had written any letters, made any official documents, or written anything down, we have either not found them or they have been destroyed. Through close analyzation however, people have looked at his life before and after these years to guess what he was doing. Many theories suggest what Shakespeare did during this time to transform his life. Some seem more likely than others. One view is that he helped his father in the family business of leathers and grains. This is what most twenty-year-olds during his time did. Another reasonable idea is that he worked as a scribe, clerk, or schoolmaster. They believe this on the basis that in many of his plays, he demonstrated great knowledge of many areas of study. There are other, more far-fetched, unreliable ideas about his work during these “lost years.” Some say he took a trip to Italy, or that he worked as a soldier or sailor for England. The facts behind those theories are that Shakespeare has much knowledge of the sea and of Italy. The most accepted theory is that he worked at a regular job in England. However, I believe that he could have learned of these things if he read books, met new people, or worked as a teacher. These “lost years” have puzzled many people why no evidence of Shakespeare’s life has been found, but through logic, reason, and a little bit more searching, these “lost years” will soon be filled.

The Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company is a company that puts on Shakespeare’s plays for modern audiences. They are based in the UK in London, but they have theaters in Stratford-upon-Avon, and on tour. They employ over 700 people to get their performances on the stage. Some plays that are soon to be produced are The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, The Drunks, and The Grain Store, just to name a few. They have many programs to get people interested in Shakespeare. The Royal Shakespeare Company has many goals and tries to “keep modern audiences in touch with Shakespeare as our contemporary.” The Royal Shakespeare Company’s history and mission is different than most Shakespeare organizations. The company started in 1875 when a Stratford brewer named Charles Edward Flower launched a campaign to build a theater where Shakespeare was born. He donated a large piece of land for the theater to be built. Later on, in the 1930’s through 1960’s, they grew greatly in respect and size. Many new actors and Shakespearean specialists joined the theater to make it as it is today. In the late 90’s, the company received new directors, built new theaters, and attracted more audiences. In Stratford-upon-Avon, they are currently constructing a new theater that is due to be completed in 2010. The company’s goal is to teach as many people as possible about Shakespeare’s stories and to educate the public. Right now, they are supporting a “Stand up for Shakespeare Campaign” to expose young people to Shakespeare. They hope to leave kids with a positive experience of Shakespeare's work. Through the 535,000 tickets that the Royal Shakespeare Company has sold, they have taught many people about the importance of Shakespeare in today’s society.

Works Cited "About the RCS." Royal Shakespeare Company. 5 Apr 2009 . "A History." The Royal Shakespeare Company. 5 Apr 2009 . Alexander, Catherine. Shakespeare: The Life, The Works, The Treasures. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. "Elizabethan Astrology." Elizabethan Era. 16 Apr 2009 . "Elizabethan Science and Technology." __Shakespeare Info__. 5 Apr 2009 . Gray, Terry. "The Lost Years." 02/25/09. 16 Apr 2009 . Laroque, François. The Age of Shakespeare. New York: Abrams, 1993. Love, Mark. "Puritan." In Search of Shakespeare. 2003. PBS. 5 Apr 2009 . Macauley, Thomas. "Modern History Sourcebook: Thomas Macauley: On Oliver Cromwell." Modern History Sourcebook. 1998. 16 Apr 2009 . Mowat, Barbara, and Paul Werstine. A Midsummer Night's Dream. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993. Porter, Roy. London: A Social History. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1995. Pritchard, Louise. Shakespeare. 1. New York: DK, 2002. "Shakespeare's "Lost Years"." Shakespeare Resource Center. 18 Feb 2009. 5 Apr 2009 . "The Lost Years." In Search of Shakespeare. PBS. 5 Apr 2009 . "The Old Globe Theater History." Shakespeare Info. 5 Apr 2009 . "William Shakespeare The Second Lost Years." Shakespeare Info. 5 Apr 2009 .

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