The Elizabethan era was the era of Queen Elizabeth I who reigned  over England from 1558 to 1603. This era was marked by distinct change, as society became more liberal, and this was relfected in its literature. In this period, there was a large emphasis on drama, tragedy, and romance, which was often portrayed in exaggerated, luxurious, or elaborate ways. Furthermore, writers such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe emerged from this period and were very influential to other writers, especially playwrights. Many chapbooks that were printed in Scotland have elements that suggest that they were influenced by the Elizabethan style of writing. The example used here is the "Hermit of Powis," which evinces similarities to Elizabethan ballads. The Hermit of Powis shows many of the defining characteristics of Elizabethan literature, as it is an elaborate tragic love story that ends in the death of the maid. Furthermore, the story shares similar elements to the plays of William Shakespeare, including Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. Lastly, the ballad was written in rhyming couplets, which were also common throughout Shakespeare's plays. 

This ballad is about the love that a Scottish Earl had for a maid. In the text, the Earl iss called to battle and has to leave his love behind. Upon his return, he is forced to marry the princess Lady Arabella Stewart or risk being hanged for refusal. The Earl reluctantly marries, and is later informed that his first love (the maid) has died. He then comes to the realization that he truly loved the maid. The chapbook depicts the class difference between the maid and the Earl, showing the stigma attached to social standing. The maid is ostracized by the other women and men, who laugh and sneer. This section is reminiscent of the Elizabethan writer William Shakespeare, as the two seem to be "star crossed lovers," and were not meant to be together. 

The Earl comes back from battle and was told by the king that he had to marry a princess that he did not love named Arabella. If the Earl was to refuse the marriage proposed by the king and marry the woman he loved, he would be hung. He professes his love to the maid and suggests that he might die instead of being married to another. This further shows how the difficulty of the situation and how the Earl and the Maid were destined to be apart, as they face dramatic obstacles. The story continues with the Earl deciding to get married to Arabella Stuart. Following the marriage, the Earl comes to a bleak understanding that his true love, the maid, had died. In this strange course of events the Earl realizes that he did not marry the best suited person for him, and wished to bring her back from the dead. This section shows the tragedy of the situation, and was similar in nature to the character Ophelia in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Ophelia, the potential wife to the character Hamlet, died tragically.