Women In The Elizabethan Era

Imagine not being able to go to school and not being able to get a job because of your gender. Imagine having to marry a total stranger, meeting on the day of your wedding. This was life for most women in the Elizabethan Era. The roles of women in society today are much different from those in the Elizabethan Era, pertaining to social class, education, and marriage. It was normal for Elizabethan women to receive little education and were often only allowed to be housewives. In the Elizabethan Era, education wasn't a given for many of the women and girls. In order to be educated you had to meet certain requirements. A girl had to be from a noble or wealthy family to be taught, as "Elizabethan Women" explains. Even so, the girls were only taught music, dance, and a few languages. However, if a girl was not of a noble family she was to be taught by her family. Most of the things taught to them was by their mothers, and that wasn't much. Some things they learned were about how they inferior to men and where they were in the social class (Elizabethan Women). One of the only other things they learned was about how to be a good wife and take care of the house and kids. Social classes in the Elizabethan Era were very strict. Women were …show more content…
For example, dowries and age requirements have changed drastically, along with the ability to choose your spouse. Nowadays dowries are not required by law, the legal age of marriage is eighteen, and you can now choose who you want to marry. Also, other customs have changed, like the social class and where women stand in it. Today, all girls are required to go to school and are considered equals to men. Although some things are still the same, like the importance of their wedding day, or traditional locations like church. In conclusion, the customs of the Elizabethan Era, although accurate in Romeo and Juliet, are no longer the same in today's