Dashed left edge = started before May 1603 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond May 1603
Events in May 1603 1
1603The King's Men — royal patronageOn the accession of James I, the Lord Chamberlain's Men are taken under direct royal patronage and renamed the King's Men. Shakespeare and his colleagues are issued scarlet livery as Grooms of the Chamber — royal servants. The company now performs at court more than any other. The new royal patron is a man fascinated by witchcraft and political philosophy, and his interests are directly reflected in the plays Shakespeare writes over the next decade.