Life during the Elizabethan Era was called the Golden Age because of the flourishing arts and exploration. However, it was also a time when patriarchy was big. The Elizabethan Era was a time when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne as the first woman to rule England. However, non-noble women of the time were still struggling with their rights. According to the people of this time, women were only useful when it came to childbearing and taking care of the children and household. They weren’t seen as useful for anything else. And to me, that is very unfair and judgemental. In the Elizabethan Era, everyone had duties and responsibilities in society. “Men and women are treated very differently. Many restrictions were imposed upon women, whereas there were no rules for men in the renaissance society. Men vested all the authority and were very domineering. They had the ruling voice. “All forms of public and domestic authority in Elizabethan England were vested in men; in fathers, husbands, masters, teachers, preachers, magistrates, [and] lords” (2). Women did not have any identity and were living the …show more content…
But on a rare occasion when a husband dies, the wife inherits everything. “In some cases women could not inherit estates, but they could be heiresses to property, and some women, especially if they were the only child of a great nobleman, could be very affluent heiresses indeed. Robert Dudley’s first wife, Amy Rosbart, was Sir John Rosbart’s only child and inherited two estates he owned in Norfolk. It was not always clear what happened to these estates when a woman married i.e. whether the estate became the property of her husband or not “. Usually it was the sons that inherited the estates, but if there weren't any sons, then the daughters would inherit them. This is a big step in a woman’s life. She could finally be in charge of something and she could earn the respect of
The Elizabethan Era was a Golden Age for the English people during the late 1500s and early 1600s. This time period is referred to as the English Renaissance because new ideas were introduced to Elizabethan daily life. People enjoyed learning; they enjoyed art, culture, music, and food. The people also enjoyed celebrating many customs and festivals. These celebrations became a major part of daily life, and there were many customs to celebrate.
The Elizabethan era lasted from 1558 through 1603. In American history, this time period is known as the golden age because during this England became much more of a wealthy nation. In this era, the nation was able to invest in arts and exploration. Many writers and poets, such as Shakespeare, shaped the ways of theatre and literature. This era is also vastly known for its ways of handling crime and punishment. In the Elizabethan era, unsparing, common crime and punishment flourished for reasons fluctuating because of social class, gender, religion, and the satisfaction of antiquated torture devices.
The Elizabethan Era is the period of time over which Queen Elizabeth I reigned over England and Ireland. The crime and punishment techniques that were once considered normal and necessary are now considered violent and cruel. Crimes were met with punishments and executions witnessed by many people. The lower class and upper class had separate crimes and punishments with levels of extremity.
In Shakespearean time and even up to the turn of the 20th Century men were expected to be the sole provider of the family, entailing them to be either well educated or hard working. They were also expected to be good with the handling of finances and property. It was also acceptable for them to be barbaric, boisterous and socially well connected. This has given the men of this time an overwhelming sense of power, respect and freedom; rights which were not given to women at this time. Far from what was socially acceptable in regards to men, the gender identity of women was of a somewhat weaker nature. Women during Shakespearean time were regarded as docile, quiet and non-opinionated. Their socially acceptable role in many cases was to be domestic, entailing them to spend countless hours in the home, tending to basic familial needs, such as cooking and cleaning. This position prevented many women to receive an education or to socialize outside of the home. As a result of their inferior social status, they were expected to be submissive and to cater to her husband’s needs at all times. Women in Shakespearean time were also treated as property, either by their husbands or fathers, which diminished any sense of self-worth they may have possessed. This gender ideology ultimately paralyzed women, as the majority were helpless to alter their social standing or designated familial role.
Do you believe in equal rights for women? During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, the rights of women were restricted when compared to the rights of men. Many of these rights were based upon the social and marital status of the woman, but regardless of her status, she had less rights than her husband. As I will argue in this paper, men controlled women and limited their rights with regard to guardianship, serving as a witness, and owning property. Women were viewed as inferior to men and often considered unable to make intellectual decisions. As Professor Byars stated in class, women at this time had illegitimate power rather than legitimate power. Anything they received, they received from someone or something else. Women only obtained wealth or power in a manner deemed appropriate by men. Women faced restrictions and lack of personal control their entire life and were under the authority of men.
In conclusion, gender role in Elizabethan era is very complex with respect to women’s role. Men are the masters of the home and society; they preside over every aspect of life. They are however, expected to take care of their family and also be actively involved in politics, war, and they inherit their father’s properties. Women role varied a according to their social status. All women were raised to be subservient to men. Unlike upper class women, lower class women were denied any kind of education. And all women are expected to get married and bear children. The qualities Shakespeare gave Beatrice are very significant because it contrasts traditional Elizabethan theater. Gender role has evolved over time, especially women’s role and it will continue to evolve as long as there are women like Beatrice around.
The Elizabethan era was a time that had very strict expectations of what it means to be a man or a woman. However, these expectations are not followed by Macbeth. In Macbeth, Shakespeare investigates and challenges the common gender roles of the time. Through defying the natural gender roles, he shows how people can accomplish their goals. He challenges the stereotypical Elizabethan woman through Lady Macbeth and the Werd Sisters and he investigates how the stereotypes for men are used for manipulation.
The Elizabethan era was an era of art above all else. Elegance reflected in all areas of the peoples’ lives. From the entertainment and language to the churches and castles, beauty shone bright.There were many vents for artistic creativity during the Elizabethan era; countless instruments, painting, books, playwright, and last but not by any stretch the least, architecture. Elizabethan architecture has a vast amount of variety and personality, the buildings reflected the pride of both the inhabitants and the builders.
Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the “Iron Queen”, was a remarkable woman of her time, she ruled with great power and longevity. She was one of the greatest feminist of time. Coming to the throne in 1558, she took the place of her father, Henry VIII. She was given one of the most difficult jobs fit for a man or King, ruling England. At the time women were second class citizens, they could not vote nor own properties and such. Surprising England with her intelligence and fierce rulings, she changed herself to make better decisions. She proved through her rulings, to everyone that females were strong and could rule just as well as a king. She refused to marry, giving a feeling of “I don’t need a man for anything.” The Queen was responsible for giving females a voice in literature and it is shown through Shakespeare’s writings.
Gender was the leading cause of distress in the 1500’s: King Henry VIII wanted nothing more than to have a son, yet was “cursed” with the legacy of a frail son, whom died before the age of 18 and two daughters, one of whom broke every convention of her gender. Queen Elizabeth I never married nor had children, yet can be considered one of England’s most successful monarchs. By choosing King James VI of Scotland as her heir, unbeknownst to her, she created the line that leads to the modern Queen of England, Elizabeth II. The question posed is then, how did Elizabeth I’s gender affect her rule?
Gender was the leading cause of distress in the 1500’s: King Henry VIII wanted nothing more than to have a son, yet was “cursed” with the legacy of a sickly son, whom died before the age of 18 and two daughters, one of whom broke every convention of her gender. Queen Elizabeth I never married nor had children, yet can be considered one of England’s most successful monarchs. By choosing King James VI of Scotland as her heir, unbeknownst to her, she created the line that leads to the modern Queen of England, Elizabeth II. The question posed is then, how did Elizabeth I’s gender affect her rule?
In the Elizabethan society, it was expected for women to be obedient and to be in her place.
In a patriarchal society, the father is the head of the household and men have authority over women and children. During the Elizabethan era, the conduct toward women was vicious. Women are considered second class citizens. Males only consider women as possession, who are obligated to remain submissive and meek. Additionally, women are expected to be quiet, obedient to male figures, and chaste.
In The Elizabethans by A.N Wilson, Wilson states “ The Elizabethan woman was not necessarily ...
Since both The Bridegroom (First published by Heinemann in 1958) and Things Fall Apart belong to the category of African literature, the relationship between black and white men in Africa is a subject that the two literary works must deal with. In Things Fall Apart, readers get in contact with first phase of colonialism in lower Niger, and in Bridegroom, readers catch glimpses of the period of apartheid. Writers of The Bridegroom and Things Fall Apart successfully use the description of relationship to stress on the themes, which are racial segregation in The Bridegroom, and social disintegration in Things Fall Apart. The ways of achieving this is through the use of narrative viewpoints, diction, dialogue and conflict.