Challenges During The Elizabethan Era

Women served inferior roles in Elizabethan England. This society thought of women as property to men. “There was little dispute over such arrangements as Elizabethan Women were raised to believe that they were inferior to men and that men knew better.”(Alchin 1) They were socially restricted their entire lives. Anything outside had to be chaperoned. These injustices were major, and had an impact on almost everything concerning women during this time.

In the half century during which she ruled, her kingdom became known for its pageantry and glamour. When Elizabeth Tudor had succeeded the throne, religious strife, a huge government debt, and failures in war, had caused England to be considered a poor credit risk on the Continent. Though popular and much-admired, Elizabeth did not inherit a stable and prosperous country, thus the quest for stability and prosperity became the guiding force of her reign. She constantly avoided foreign entanglements and religious extremism. The motto Elizabeth “Semper Eadem” Latin, meaning “Always the same” was highly appropriate. Queen Elizabeth I left behind an extraordinary image of a dazzling era of excitement and achievement, nearly superhuman heroes and daring deeds, with the Queen, larger than life, radiating inspiration at the center of it all.

The Elizabethan era, named for Queen Elizabeth who reigned from 1558-1603, was a very relaxed time in England because no wars or conflicts were happening at the time (Davis 231). Many people believe that all people lived wonderful lives in the Elizabethan era, yet most people were poor and lived hard lives. “Undeniably the span of life is shorter in the sixteenth century than it will be in subsequent ages” (Davis 162). Important parts of life in London during the Elizabethan era were social classes, living conditions, recreation, education, and gender inequality.

Life for the women in the Elizabethan times was very hard. Women were expected to find some rich and successful guy to end up marrying and then expected to have babies and spend their life caring for the children, their husband, and their home. Women were not able to have paying jobs or schooling. All they did was clean and obey the men around

In the Elizabethan period, women were subordinate to men. They were considered to be ‘inferior' beings who were controlled by their husbands, fathers or any other men in the family. Women were not allowed to hold their own opinions, views or lifestyles. Men had control of everything, some of these included money, politics, work, children, women and home.

In her speech to Parliament in 1559, she claims that she has already been married to England (Document 7). This means that she will take care of England like a dutiful wife would care for her husband. However, because it was published after her death, the purpose of this document was to explain the legacy of Queen Elizabeth, and how great of a ruler she was despite being a woman. Another response to views on women in leadership was the execution of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, due to the threat Elizabeth felt from Mary in an attempt of assassination. This shows how Elizabeth is able to make the most difficult decisions, which is a skill required to have when ruling over a nation. One must also note that women were viewed as weak emotional human beings. But Elizabeth showed that she was not weak by executing her family member and thus, shows her sense of duty to her kingdom. Another example of a positive response was at the start of her reign, when England was on the verge of bankruptcy, due to the financial destruction caused by the previous Tudor reigns. Nonetheless, she managed to make England debt-free, proving that she had the capability of dealing with difficult monetary tasks and therefore, responded to the opinions of women not being able to rule successfully. Finally, before the invasion of the

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

Though women in the Elizabethan Era hardly married someone for love, they often did marry to improve their position in society. By this, women could gain immense authority over their household and those in it. After the husband, the man of the house, of course, the wife had the most authority over the estate. The woman had power over the servants, so it was her job to watch over them to see that they completed their jobs properly and timely. In addition, the lady must watch over her ladymaids to keep them out of trouble and even help them find suitors to marry themselves.

In the Elizabethan era, there was a standard women and men had to follow. The Elizabethan society was patriarchal, meaning men were considered leaders, and the women were inferior to men. The men in Elizabethan life was to be of power, authority, and head of the their families, and above all to be obeyed. In this time wealthy men were to become courtiers, diplomen, clergymen, and lawyers. The men made the decisions and whatever decision they make women have to obey them. They were also responsible for taking care of the family while working different jobs..And they were expected to improve the positions of all members of the family through influence and patronage from wealthier people and families than their own. As for the women in this time frame they were raised to believe that they were inferior to men. Their roles in Elizabethan society was very limited, and their job was to be housewives and mothers. Women at the time were to be watched for and if she was married it would be her husband but if she was single then her father or brother. Gender conventions in Elizabethan Era is key to understand my argument about how women in Shakespeare’s plays break their gender conventions. I will be using parts from Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Twelfth Night, to show how women in this time period broke gender conventions.

Just like the economic insecurity of the era, many people were insecure about the fact that there was a woman seated on the throne and actually ruling the country. In such a patriarchal age, many said that a woman was not fit to run a country. “...while men were naturally endowed with authority, women were temperamentally, intellectually, and morally unfit to govern,” (The woman ruler in a patriarchal world), and thus was the ideal of the time. Women were meant to be quiet and subservient and never to govern, rule, or voice an opinion. If a woman did so begin to wish to dominate, “it was viewed as dangerous or grotesque,” (The woman ruler in a patriarchal world). Yet Elizabeth still thrived and refused to play into the chauvinist views of the

Having a female monarch was a sign of a country’s vulnerability; Queen Elizabeth exhibited strength and brought forth England’s golden age, this clearly shows that the cultural perception of the time were extremely unfair and inaccurate when it comes to women. In several speeches, Queen Elizabeth addresses her responsibilities as a female, she disregards the mandatory social and biological roles that are placed upon her. Queen Elizabeth firmly believes that her sex does not impede her from ruling with full dedication and with the most loving and most positive intentions, as indicated throughout her Parliamentary speeches. Queen Elizabeth was advised by her council to marry and produce an heir to the throne, but Elizabeth refused. Her refusal to produce an heir, and her self assurance disproved long standing cultural notions that women were inferior.

In the history of England, there have been many rulers, but none quite like the queens. Between the time of the first Queen of England and the present Queen, there have been many drastic changes. Though these two women share the same name, Elizabeth, they are known for their own contributions and styles during their life in the monarchy. Their eras were full of rich culture and historic importance. These two women made an impact on not only England, but all over the world. Their decisions and actions lead to both times of celebration and times of grievance.

Power and ascension to a throne always comes with a price as many have opposing views due to tradition, religion, and values. After Henry VIII’s rule of England came to an end with his death, a struggle of power was imposed, as his three children would later succeed him as rulers to impact England. Primogeniture allowed Edward VI to rule, but after his death, older sister Mary I claimed the throne. Lastly Elizabeth I claimed the throne as the last Tudor monarch and in the long run, bringing success and a golden age of England with her. With Elizabeth’s rise to the throne, ruling from 1558-1603, came strong influences of gender on her reign and affected her responses to them.

Elizabeth Tudor, perhaps England’s most famous monarch, grew up in complex situations, since she lost both her parents at a young age and was imprisoned and treated as a traitor while a princess. Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, otherwise known as the Golden Ages to some, was a time of stability and peace for England, as she solved religious and political complications and ended a war. During the Elizabethan era, there was a growth in art, plays, fashion, and music due to Queen Elizabeth’s support. Without Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the Elizabethan era would not have existed, causing art to not have had a chance to grow, women of the English Renaissance to be less respected, and England to have faced political and religious challenges. Due to Elizabeth’s difficult early life, Queen Elizabeth I grew up to be a clever and independent queen who caused stability and peace in England, caused English Renaissance art to advance, and showed women could be respected for great accomplishments

Although London during the Elizabethan Era was prosperous, life there would be difficult. The Elizabethan society revolved around status. The wealthy/people of higher class would have better food, better clothes, and/or better education. All Elizabethans attended church on Sunday, in addition, the popularity of hymns and worldly songs increased. This was the time of the Renaissance. New ideas were splattered around in science and literature then, there was the introduction of the printing press which resulted in the increase of education and learning. The printing press ended up promoting interest in the supernatural. Eventually, superstitions started and witch-hunts began. Women were considered lesser than men, depended on men for support,