Elizabethan England was a time of Renaissance and Humanism. Queen Elizabeth I ruled from 1558-1603, establishing the Church of England and defeating the Spanish Armada. Shakespeare's plays were performed in outdoor theaters in London on the south bank of the Thames. Acting troupes were made up of shareholders and hirelings, mostly male, who performed for a wide audience. Plays were subject to government censorship. Shakespeare wrote around 38 plays in various genres over his career from 1564-1616.