What Is The Social Hierarchy Of The Elizabethan Era

The wealthiest social class during the Elizabethan era was the Monarch. “Queen Elizabeth was at the top of the social pyramid” (BBC). Queen Elizabeth was considered to be at the top of the social pyramid because she had the most power and authority. The queen and king had a lot of power over the people; for example, “they can make the decision to switch social classes for certain people of their choosing” (Sharnette). The monarch class had a lot of money and did not have to work because they had enough money to hire people to do work for them. They typically hired nobles and a few people from the Gentry class.

The women during Elizabethan era were dependant on their males relatives to support them. They were used to forge alliances with other powerful families through arranged marriages. Women were generally tutored at home as there was no schools for girls. They can not heir to their father's title. They were not allowed to have vote and were not allowed to enter politics. Moreover, they were not allowed to act in theatres.

During this time the social class depended on how much land you owned. Royalty in your Kings and Queens was part of the upper class; the noble lords and vassals followed the

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.

Lower Class The way of living for the poor was a sea of despair in the Elizabethan Era. The lower class lived in damp, dark, overcrowded rooms (Toht 44). In these types of huts, there was barely enough room for a family to live in; hence it was over-packed already. There was certainly no room for anything extra, such as a large kitchen table.

Specifically, the six social classes during the 16th century in England were Monarchy, Nobility, Gentry,

During Elizabeth I’s reign, she was forced to face many stereotypes in England. In document 1, Knox expressed that women had no place to hold a high position of any form. This belief was prominent throughout the entirety of the 16th century. Many people doubted Elizabeth, justifying these criticisms through their

Comparing the culture of France and England during the sixteenth century reveals a commonality that the women were not considered worthy, whether as the heir to the throne or as those that might want to think theologically. (Davis, 77 and Lindberg, pg.

During the 1500s, one woman prevailed in a society dominated by males. Queen Elizabeth I of England served for forty-four stable and prosperous years. She claimed the throne in 1558 and reigned until her death in 1603. Because of her strong leadership, this time period was known as England’s Golden Age or Elizabethan Era. Queen Elizabeth’s accomplishments were possible because of her educational background, Protestant upbringing, and unmarried status.

In Shakespeare's time, the English lived with a strong sense of social class -- of belonging to a particular group because of occupation, wealth, and ancestry. Elizabethan Society had a very strict social code at the time that Shakespeare was writing his plays. Social class could determine all sorts of things, from what a person could wear to where he could live to what jobs his children could get. Some families moved from one class to another, but most people were born into a particular class and stayed there. There was a chance of being granted a title by the crown. This was uncommon at the time and a relatively new thing for Europe where ancestry always defined nobility.

Malik Hicks Mrs.Halfmann English 9 8 September, 2014 Have you ever thought of the upper class people in London during the Shakespearean times? They spoke differently for example. “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” ( They attended the best schools, drunk fine wine, ate plenty of foods and held the most elite jobs. They also dressed differently than the other members of society.

The social classes had many varying roles which were important to the different classes and their functions in society. Queen Elizabeth was at the top of the social pyramid (“The Social Structure in Elizabethan England”). Being the head of the country, the Queen was the most respected person in England. She had full control and governed everyone. Following the Queen, came the higher middle classes such as the nobility. The nobility were the fighters and knights, which many had died in the War of the Roses. The Queen saw this class as a threat and

In the Elizabethan (Eliza B thin) era, social class and standing were very important to the society and culture. The highest in standing had access to a better life, homes, jobs, and a longer lifespan. The best jobs peasants and serfs could hope for was to be a slave or servant to nobility, because whatever class you were born into was the class you were stuck with. The average civilian lived in a village that were mostly self-sufficient, meaning they didn’t need to travel very far to get resources they lacked. In more rural villages men and women were farmers and tended to the crops and animals. Whereas in more urban villages, men and women had more leisure time which they filled with games, theatre, and sports. Women in wealthier cities were

Social Class in Medieval England Medieval England was a society based upon feudalism. The feudal system separates citizens into categories based upon birth. There are certain things members of different social classes can and cannot do because of their respective class. At the top of the of the social ladder were the king and people of nobility. Still part of the noble class, but below the others were knights.

The Regency time period was an era of great wealth. Both men and women worked vigorously to become part of the upper class. Marrying for upper class women was the only way to gain a source of income (Hall). Women would even change their way of life to be able to marry into wealth. A truth universally acknowledged, that a single main possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife, said Mrs. Bennett (Hall). In the Regency time period, wealth played a huge role in both men and women’s lives