William Shakespeare is one of the most famous English poets and theater writers in the world. Shakespeare has many plays written and performed to create an effect on his audience by creating thoughts and discussions about the social, cultural, and economic values ​​and perspectives that took place during his time. Shakespeare's famous play, Hamlet, was a duplication of the events that occurred during the Elizabethan era. The main focus of this essay is a speech given by Hamlet himself in Scene IV of Act IV. This essay focuses on answering the question of the effect Hamlet had on audiences in the Elizabethan era. This essay will answer this question through Hamlet's reference to God during his speech, which was significant in showing that the people of this era, whether Catholic or Protestant, had the same God. Furthermore, the study of the four humors was common in that period, thus making Hamlet's psychology of great interest to the audience. Furthermore, Denmark was always under the threat of war from countries like Spain and France. This allows the audience to relate to the play because of the reference to war in Hamlet's speech. First, no matter what religion a person is today, it is accepted. However, being Catholic or Protestant was of great importance in Shakespeare's time. Depending on whether they had a Catholic or Protestant ruler, people's perspective on religion changed. For example, during the Elizabethan era and Shakespeare's time, Queen Elizabeth I was a Protestant and therefore England was under Protestant rule. In Act IV, Scene IV, Hamlet mentions that “[God] made us with so wide a speech/Looking before and after, he gave us not/That ability and a divine rea......in between on paper…… (IV, IV, 31-2). This quote shows that Hamlet is attracted to asking questions that cannot be answered with certainty due to his extremely deep and thoughtful personality. This attracts the audience because Hamlet is a very mysterious character and often the other characters in the play cannot even understand him. Even very careful and intelligent readers end the play feeling like they don't know everything about Hamlet, which leaves the reader and audience lingering. In conclusion, William Shakespeare's Hamlet served as a mirror, reflecting the events that were happening during the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare, being one of the most famous English poets and playwrights in the world, was able to create an effect on his audience. Works Cited Crowther, John, ed. “Don't worry, Hamlet.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Network. March 31. 2014.