By today's standards, Shakespeare lived close to the seat of government at Westminster. Crossing London in his day would have taken about 10 minutes on today's underground railway. But the Elizabethans enjoyed no such convenience - they crossed the city on foot, on horseback, or by boat. This image shows that traffic on the river was quite dense.

Westminster Hall (with the blue roof) and Whitehall Palace (towards the north of the picture) were two powerhouses of English government. The major law courts are also here - the court of the Star Chamber is just to the north of Westminster Hall.