Do you like to laugh? Elizabethan comedy is the place to watch. Puns and jokes like Much Ado About Nothing are sure to make you laugh. Although their comedies were funny, the era was very serious. Even that didn't stop people of that era from laughing from time to time. The theater of the Elizabethan era, particularly Much Ado About Nothing, is remembered today because it influenced the theater of future generations. This era was ruled by Queen Elizabeth who “loved the theater immensely” (Benson 169). “The queen was intense, intellectual, and difficult to please, a strong-willed and outspoken woman who ruled in an era when women kept quiet, especially when it came to public issues such as religion or politics” (Yancey 17). “English women were considered the weaker and less intelligent sex, and their options in life were limited, but they were not overprotected or confined to the home” (Yancey 56). “There were no rights to free speech or freedom of the press in Elizabethan England” (Benson 142-4). “the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) which is often considered the golden age of English history” (Benson 181). “The population increased significantly during his reign, reaching approximately 4.1 million” (Benson 183). Although it was a pinnacle of civilization, it had its drawbacks. “The agricultural economy of England was forever changed by the outbreak of a terrible plaque, or infectious disease…killing more than a quarter of the population in a few years” (Benson 182). “Smallpox, scarlet fever, and tuberculosis are just a few of the diseases that regularly kill thousands” (Yancey 35). “Elizabethians rarely drank water because it was impure and could lead to disease.” (Benson 188). “In Elizabethan England, we are... middle of paper......speare). Due to a case of mistaken identity involving Margret and Hero, the wedding is annulled, leading the police to discover the villainy of Don John (Shakespeare). In the end, Don John, Conrad and Borachio are all arrested for their crime and Claudio and Hero manage to get married (Shakespeare). In Much Ado About Nothing, the themes are love and don't believe everything you hear. These themes are still common today. Elizabethan theater is still evident today. We still have sharers, screenwriters and theaters. With many companies all over the world. Comedies “…always focus on themes of courtship and marriage,” as they did in the Elizabethan era (Benson 176). Shakespeare also left his mark on the theater of this century. Shakespeare's plays are still performed and read today. Although Elizabethan theater influenced us, it also allowed us to grow and make theater even bigger..