Were Shakespeare's plays considered "lowbrow" in his day? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Were Shakespeare's plays considered "lowbrow" in his day?

by pubtothemax

I know I've heard people make claims like this all the time, including one most recently that Shakespeare's plays were the soap operas of their age. How fair is this characterization? Did Elizabethans make clear distinctions between high and low culture?

Searocksandtrees

hi! you may be interested in a few earlier posts

I've often heard it said that, in his time, Shakespeare's works were looked down upon by literary critics and the upper class. How accurate is that and what literary works were held in high regard at the time? - featuring u/texpeare
When Shakespeare's plays were first performed, was the average theater goer able to sufficiently understand the dialog to be able to follow the plot and understand the character's motivations? - several users comment on the diversity of the audience