Hatred towards Jews was prevalent in Elizabethan society, and this sentiment is reflected in the plays from that period. Two significant examples of plays that feature strong anti-Semitic themes are Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta and William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. In Marlowe’s play, the main character, Barabas, is depicted as ruthless, self-serving, and greedy. During the Elizabethan era, he was portrayed in an exaggerated and somewhat comedic manner, with the actor wearing a red wig and a long hooked nose.

Similarly, Shylock, the Jewish merchant in The Merchant of Venice, is portrayed as both greedy and vengeful. However, Shakespeare offers Shylock a bit more complexity and humanity than Barabas. The anti-Semitic attitudes of the Elizabethan era were further exacerbated in 1594 when Queen Elizabeth’s Jewish doctor was executed on accusations of attempting to poison her.

Disguise is a common tactic employed by characters in Elizabethan drama. It enables them to gather information that would be out of reach without such a guise. For example, in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Rosalind discovers that Orlando, her true love, returns her affections while she is disguised as a young man. Some critics argue that having female characters dress in male clothing allowed the male and boy actors, who portrayed these roles, to perform part of the play in more comfortable and familiar outfits.

In Elizabethan psychology, the idea of four bodily humours—blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile—was fundamental. The belief was that maintaining a balanced state among these humours was crucial for both physical and mental well-being. Each humour was linked to a particular emotion or mood, and an excess of any one humour was thought to intensify the associated emotion. The play Every Man in His Humour by Ben Jonson marked the emergence of a new comedy genre focused on the interaction of these elements, called the “comedy of humours.” These humours were also important in tragic works. For instance, Hamlet is often called the “melancholy Dane,” indicating a subtle mental imbalance.

Revenge is a significant theme in Elizabethan drama, often initiated by a ghost who reveals the circumstances of their murder to a character, prompting them to become the avenger. This is exemplified in Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, where the Ghost of Don Andrea narrates his death, demands retribution, and observes the demise of his foes from the stage. Revenge is also a key theme in Hamlet, where the Prince of Denmark pledges to avenge his father's death. In her article “Common Plots in Elizabethan Drama,” Madeleine Doran examines the reasons behind the theme's popularity:

The lasting appeal of revenge as a theme from the early Elizabethan era through the Caroline period raises intriguing questions. It likely resonated with the realities of life during that era. However, its continued prominence in tragedy, even after losing some of its initial impact, suggests more than just imitative realism. Its persistence may partly result from its utility in play construction, offering an effective means of advancing the plot.

In the Elizabethan era, superstition was rampant, and belief in the supernatural was widely accepted. Queen Elizabeth even had a personal astrologer whom she consulted regularly. Diane Yancey mentions, “Almost every village had an old woman who could be persuaded to cast a spell to protect cattle from illness or keep one’s lover faithful and true.” Given this backdrop, it's no surprise that supernatural themes are prominent in many Elizabethan plays. Characters like fairies, ghosts, and witches often play pivotal roles in the stories. Ghosts, in particular, are essential in revenge tragedies and are often used to set the plot in motion. Many Elizabethan plays include a ghost who recounts his own murder, triggering a cycle of retribution. This is seen in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy. Sprites and fairies were also popular characters during this time. Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a prime example, filled with magical creatures.