Through a combination of original essays and primary source material, Elizabethan and Jacobean England records the transformative changes that defined English society during the Renaissance. * Combines original source documents with critical essays to chart the transformative changes in English society from the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558, to the end of the reign of James I in 1625* Brings together a variety of source material including new public and private documents, providing a vivid portrait of life in late Tudor and early Stuart England* Features newly commissioned essays by leading scholars, which assist readers in navigating and interpreting the source material* Accessibly structured into sections covering government, society, economics, literary arts, religion, and learning; with contextual introductions included at the start of each* Challenges readers to confront their assumptions about Renaissance literature, as well as to consider problems of evidence and interpretation, new theories, and methodologies