At the end of 15^th century was experiencing a deep change: the war of the Roses came to an end, in 1474 was born Modern English, in 1492 Columbus discovered America, the globe was circumnavigated and Copernicus denied the Earth its central position within the universe.

The new dynamic society was based on trade and commerce, religion was not enough and people need to be revaluated. There was a shift away from an essentially religious world view to a secular world view.

The Renaissance was linked to the consolidation of the Tudor dynasty. Elizabeth I was the powerful monarch who provided political stability.

During the Renaissance religion represented a pressing issue. The Reformation brought about Henry VIII had changed England's religious life. On the other hand Elizabeth I made sure that the Church of England remained a Protestant Church, with the sovereign as its head.

Queen Elizabeth had also to face the serious economic problems that were caused by the increase in population and price inflation. However her reign also saw prosperity, the birth of scientific learning, the increase in foreign explorations and a flourishing literary culture.

Literature was inspired by Italian poets, it was born under the patronage of the court and it did not have a religious prospective. In fact the new poems favoured individual expression with the consequence that the individual's task was to give the world a new meaning.

Elizabethan literature found its greatest expression in drama, that was focused on man.

Poetry instead was more personal and private, it examined the relationship between the individual, God and the universe.

The Renaissance represented also the age of questions, people needed to define things again.

A life of action and fame was praised, the ideal of the courtier was a man devoted to both love and war, poetry and politics. People tried to obtain the ideal harmony of mind and body.