"A voice shouting in the wilderness..."

Times were hard for anyone living in London during the mid-late 1500s. William Shakespeare was one of many in London who witnessed the unfolding of the bubonic plague. Youths above all were the ones who were mostly affected. The life expectancy for any newborn child was less then thirty years of age. As for those already grown, they weren't expected to live past fifteen (particularly children residing in poorer parishes of London; children of aristocrates had only a slight advantage). This Goliath-like plague caught my attention because of how quickly and effectively it sieged England. I couldn't picture something like this ever accuring in the United States because of all of our recent medical break throughs and discoveries. But what if we (as a country) hadn't evolved in medical science...we too can easily fall victim of what the citizens of England experienced. I can't tell what might've been going through Shakespeares mind during this time but I can imagine that it affected his writing. And perhaps it motivated him to write more often than usual because death was knocking on the door.
As I continued to read along about "Shakespeare's World," what struck me as a surprise (just a little I suppose) was to know how divided the people were, especially at a time when they should be uniting to help one another. There were two distinct classes: the rich and the poor. Within the "empowered" group you had aristocrats (monarch, nobles, and knights). These men were educated and wealthy. The "Poor" on the other hand, had little to no social standing and claim to authority. It's not surprising to know that poor people were affected more by the plague then the rich. I remember how it was during the first week of the 9/11 bombings, people of all classes united to help its fellow man. Not because it was socially right but because it was morally correct. Behind our social standings or class rankings, we are all human first. That is something that we all share and can relate to (whether rich or poor). Unfortunately for the people of England this wasn't the case (as a result more died than could've been saved). I'm pretty sure Shakespeare saw this too and was inspired to write about it.
As I conclude, I'd like to focus on the treatment of women in Enland at this time. Women were restricted socially, economically, and in legal standing. Being rich or coming from a rich family didn't benefit any of them. The only woman who was spared such treatment was the Queen (because she ruled). Any woman who asserted her views too vigorously was thought of as being shrewish and labeled a "scold." Such women were punished along side "whores" by local authorities. I can't imagine women like Hilary Clinton or Oprah Winfrey lasting more than twelve hours in a society like this one. After reading about this, I began to notice how far women have come in having civil rights. This too I know Shakespeare wrote about as he shouted in the "wilderness."