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Elizabethan Women and Marriage Insights

Elizabethan society placed strict limitations on women's independence and education. Women were fully dependent on men - first their fathers, then their husbands. They had very little choice in marriage partners, which were arranged to benefit families through wealth and prestige. A woman's primary role was keeping house, and her education focused on domestic skills rather than academics. While a female monarch and expanding global trade offered some new opportunities, women's lives remained largely confined to the home.

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11 views2 pages

Elizabethan Women and Marriage Insights

Elizabethan society placed strict limitations on women's independence and education. Women were fully dependent on men - first their fathers, then their husbands. They had very little choice in marriage partners, which were arranged to benefit families through wealth and prestige. A woman's primary role was keeping house, and her education focused on domestic skills rather than academics. While a female monarch and expanding global trade offered some new opportunities, women's lives remained largely confined to the home.

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Curkz
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Article Summaries

By Curtis Godfrey

Elizabethan Women
[Link]/uploads/elizabethan [Link]

The Elizabethan era was one of great transition for women. A female monarch and rapid expanding
globalisation was increasing womens horizons and placing more value on their decisions. By todays
standards, Elizabethan societys treatment of women was seemingly barbaric but these advances at
the time were large.
In those times, a negligible number of women were wealthy. Inheritance laws dictated that property
would be passed down to the son regardless of age. However, if there were no sons, the eldest
daughter would inherit the property. Womens only means were through relying on the men that
provided for them. In childhood and adolescence, a woman was dependent on her father, when she
grew into adulthood this responsibility shifted to the husband. Women who did not get married fell
into destitution and were labelled witches. The only viable path for a women who did not want to
get married was sisterhood and becoming a nun. A womens virginity on her wedding night was
considered very important and regardless of religious implications, having premarital sex was
considered shameful and brought dishonour to her and her father.
Women were not allowed an education as we understand education today. Some were allowed into
grammar schools but none were allowed into university or work on those associated professional
fields. A womens proper education consisted of learning to sew, paint, dance and play musical
instruments. Her primary occupation was keeping the house clean and looking pleasant.
Notes

Subservient and dependent on men (father during childhood and husband during adulthood)
Property was passed down to eldest son or eldest daughter in absence of sons
Premarital sex brought shame to the daughter and her father
No higher education or professional work of that kind
Taught to sew, paint, dance and play an instrument

Elizabethan Marriage
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Just as today, a womans wedding was one of the most important days of her life. The difference
being that woman had very little if any choice in who her husband might be. Marriages were arrange
so that both families would benefit. They were arranged to bring wealth and prestige to the family.
Many couples would meet for the first time on their wedding night.
With parental permission it was legal for boys to marry at 14 and girls. The age of consent was 21
and boys would generally not marry until this age. A dowry was an amount of money, goods, and
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Curtis Godfrey

property that would be attached to the bride that she would bring to the marriage. The event would
occur at a local church and were conducted by a minister.
The bride did not wear a white wedding dress as this was a later tradition. Instead she wore here
best gown and kirtle. The gown would cover most of her body and be at full length. A cloak was used
as an outer garment. Velvet, satins and corduroy were worn by nobility as it was expensive and flax,
cotton and wool were worn by the other classes.
The bridegroom wore his best clothes consisting of a doublet, breeches, hose, box pleated neck ruff
and a cod piece. A short shift was worn as an undergarment and along with the women, velvet,
satins and corduroy were worn by nobility and flax, cotton and wool were worn by the rest.

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Curtis Godfrey

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