More handpicked essays just for you.
Content of Elizabethan era
The lives of men and women in the Elizabethan period
Elizabethan female roles in society
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Content of Elizabethan era
Life for women during the Elizabethan era was just as hard as it was before Queen Elizabeth went into ruling. Society at this time was biased towards men, and as a result, the treatment and expectations of women were much harsher. Women were expected to only look after their household, and to become skilled in the duties of a housewife. Since the expected duties of women were relatively simple, this meant that girl’s education was not something that was always given. For most girls, they would never learn more than counting to ten, unless they married a nobleman, a situation which was unlikely in itself. However, this is an entirely different story if you were a female in the nobility class. Because of their status and wealth, they would be
given the privilege of an education. The women would begin at the age of 5, and they would be taught many skills such as the ability to read and write. In addition to that, they would also be taught many languages, such as Latin, Italian, Greek and French. But this would be as far as the women would go. Women were not allowed to go to University, so they could not study to be doctors or playwrights.
Mortimer's work, Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England , was written as a travel guide for the time traveler. Mortimer used the concept of time travel to achieve many things. He visits a time era from the past and compares it to our modern ideas. By applying the concept of time travel to tell a story; he makes it a unique and thought provoking read. Mortimer takes common misconceptions head on and gives an in-depth analysis of life in Elizabethan England.these range from the politics of the era to the bad smells Elizabethans were tolerant of.
Women have always played a major role in history. Despite the hardships, pain and trials most of the women experienced, they still succeeded in enduring some of the differences between their opposite sex. Throughout history, women have always been fighting for their freedom, thus this fight still goes on in this present time. Women had a great role in shaping America as what it is right now. They, not only the fact that took care of the welfare of their family, but also were responsible to the increase in the population of early settlers causing expansion, diverse ethnicity and distinct cultures among the early colonies.
Medieval society was completely dominated by men, making a women’s life at the time difficult. Medieval law at the time stated that women could not marry without their parents consent, could not divorce their husbands, could not own property unless widows, could not inherit land if they had surviving brothers, and could own no business with special permission (Trueman, “Medieval Women”). When a woman married a man, he would get any property she owned and she would forfeit any rights she had to him. When the husband dies she would get one third of the land to live on and support herself. Unmarried women who owned land had the same rights as men (Hull). Whenever a woman got into trouble it would be her closest male relative who would appear in court, not the woman herself (Medieval).
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.
It was a difficult life for women in the 14th century. The women were not valued as much as men. They did not receive much respect and did not have many rights. They were treated like objects by men. Women were not educated as they weren’t allowed to go to school. Three of the main things women in the 14th century did not have were the right to own property, the right to take part in a job, and respect.
Although it was common for a woman to give birth just a little more than every year, she still ended up with a small family. The woman taught her children appropriate manners and how to dress from a young age. The Sumptuary Laws dictated what people wore, women wore clothes that were dictated by that specific law. The law told what colors and fabrics were allowed for each rank of people. For example, Upper class women were allowed to wear fabrics made of fur, silk and velvet that had gold and silver colors. But the lower class people had to wear dull colors like brown, beige, yellow, green, grey and shades of blue, and the fabrics were less appealing; they commonly used wool, linen and sheepskin. Women had less freedom than they do now. Social activities, such as voting were not allowed for women to participate in. In fact, politics could not have women involved. They were not allowed to perform plays onstage, as it was seen dishonorable by the church, and all female roles had to be acted by males. They could only write literature if society deemed the subject of her writing was appropriate (Seeley, “Role of Women in Elizabethan
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?
Have you ever wondered what people in the Elizabethan Era wore? Fashion was just as important in those days as it is to some people today. What people were wearing mattered to others, and even the government. During the Elizabethan Era clothing, accessories, and cosmetics were all a part of daily life.
The Elizabethan era gender roles were much different than they are today. Women were regarded as the weaker sex, and men were always dominant. These “rules” are shown prominently throughout Romeo and Juliet, and paved way for obstacles they went through in their relationship. The gender conventions for women and men were prodigiously stereotypical and unreasonable, as they made men out to be the superior gender. Women should not have been perceived as inferior to men, and these unwritten rules for masculinity and femininity were shown throughout the play. Romeo acted very feminine which contradicted his gender conventions while Juliet did not abide by rules and disobeyed her parents. Romeo and Juliet had many ways in which they followed and
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?
Women’s roles in the Elizabethan period were very specific. Women were seen as property to men. They had gender specific roles; such as non-participation in the army or navy, they were not allowed to act in the theaters with in turn explains how they were not equal to men because men were superior to women. As for marriage during the Elizabeth Era, women maintained all house work and were home schooled from the age of five. As for society during the Elizabethan period, women were very well known for their fashion. They wore beautiful big gowns with their hair pin up in curls. They also worn corsets that would often cause breakage of ribs because they wore them too tight. I also learned that women during this era learned many languages such
In the English colonies during the eighteenth century, women had multiple roles which involve doing mostly housework. During that time, the women were expected to obey their husbands, nurture the children, and do other jobs including outside the house. This was called normally by “women’s work”, and the women had been working in addition to the house, as well as the garden and fields. In addition, women were also been served as tavern hostesses and shopkeepers in different towns. The reason for the women to do so much work is because of inequality with the opposite gender. An example of inequality is when a New England minister stated, “The woman is a weak creature not endowed with the strength and constancy of mind of men.” Eventually, there
The Elizabethan Era is often referred to as the Golden Age of England (A Changing View...). The Elizabethan Era, named after Queen Elizabeth I, was a time of change and discovery (Elizabethan Superstitions). Elizabeth ruled in a time of religious turmoil; both the Catholics and Protestants fought to be the official religion of England. (Elizabethan World View). Many people throughout England struggled to find the “correct” religion (Elizabethan World View). Religion was changing and so did science. During the late 1500’s science began to evolve; new ideas, concepts, and beliefs were starting to emerge (A Changing View). Magic was considered to be very similar to science in this era. The belief in magical creatures served as the roots for many superstitions.
Educational opportunities for women improved slightly during the Renaissance, especially for the upper classes. Some girls from wealthy families attended schools of the royal court or received private lessons at home. The curriculum studied by young women was still based on the belief that only certain subjects, such as art, music, needlework, dancing, and poetry, were suited for females. For working-class girls, especially rural peasants, education was still limited to training in household duties such as cooking and sewing (Couglin, A8).