England in the time of William Shakespeare was still a volatile place. It is difficult to talk about society without talking about religion and politics as well as the three were inextricably linked. One minute you could get your house, land and family impounded for being a catholic, the next the same for being a Protestant - depending on who was monarch. No-one was ever safe from suspicion as everywhere there were spies looking for treasonous rebels plotting against whoever happened to hold the crown. Anyone, for example an author, who wanted to make any kind of observation or statement, had to be very careful and approach it in other terms - look for this in Shakespeare's plays. He seemed to have had the knack of pleasing whichever monarch was in at the time.
For a writer living in the time of Shakespeare, some challenges were very different from todays and some were similar. For example, there was no television in Shakespeare's time, so to enjoy a good drama, citizens would have to either wait for travelling players to come round to their village, or townies could go to the theatre. This was surprisingly popular among rich and poor alike - those who were too poor to pay for a good view would simply crowd together in the pits. A writer would need to have enough money to learn to read and write of course (a given in today's society) and he would need to be well connected (same as now!) to have his plays and enterprises supported. Even then, the plague could shut down his show and he would have to write sonnets indoors instead.
The English Elizabethan Era is one of the most fascinating periods in the History of England. The Elizabethan Era is named after the greatest Queens of England - Queen Elizabeth I. The Elizabethan Era is not only famous for the Virgin Queen but also for the era itself - Great Explorers, such as Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh.