From the start, Shakespeare was popular among the English. Shortly after his death, his plays were published in a collection known as the First Folio (1623), with a poem by Ben Jonson included that featured the lines, “He was not of an age, but for all time!” The memory of Shakespeare remained strong among audiences as well, since his plays were produced regularly by many companies. But, in 1642, during the English Civil War, the theaters of London were closed by order of the government and remained so for 18 years. By the time they reopened in 1660, styles had changed. The court of the new king wanted a more elegant, refined, classical world, and Shakespeare struck them as coarse in his language and careless in his plots. His comedies, in particular, fell out of favor as the years passed.
From the start, Shakespeare was popular among the English. Shortly after his death, his plays were published in a collection known as the First Folio (1623), with a poem by Ben Jonson included that featured the lines, “He was not of an age, but for all time!” The memory of Shakespeare remained strong among audiences as well, since his plays were produced regularly by many companies. But, in 1642, during the English Civil War, the theaters of London were closed by order of the government and remained so for 18 years. By the time they reopened in 1660, styles had changed. The court of the new king wanted a more elegant, refined, classical world, and Shakespeare struck them as coarse in his language and careless in his plots. His comedies, in particular, fell out of favor as the years passed.
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