Role of Women in the Elizabethan Age By Rebecca Agle

Daily Tasks of the common women Women had to cook and clean the house and take care of the children. They were also responsible for buying groceries and making cloth from cotton. Women were also responsible for doing what their husbands told them to such as planning gatherings, weddings, or other celebrations.

Education Women often started their education when they were around five, but they never received as good of an education as their brothers would. Women were considered inferior to men so they were taught that their duty was in the home. Most grown women could not even write their own signature.

Privilege s Women had few if any privileges. They were aloud to go to the theater with their husbands and partake in the merriment though it was still frowned upon. Although women in Elizabethan England didn't have many privileges, they still had the most out of any country in Europe. Women from wealthy families had more privileges than those from poor families due to the “connections” with important people.

Place at Festivals Women were a major part of planning gatherings, weddings, and other various celebrations. Women decorated events, dealt with gifts, and had a major hand in christenings and weddings.

Freedom Women had many restrictions even on what they wore. They were many laws that said women could not wear such things as furs or velvet unless permitted. Women were under their fathers control until they were married. Their marriages were always arranged to benefit both families. Once married they were under their husbands control.

Legal Status Since the ruler of England throughout most of the Elizabethan Age was Queen Elizabeth herself, women were considered more important than they use to be especially in politics. Women never had much of a say in politics even during Queen Elizabeth’s rule.

Free Time Women in their free time loved to gossip, play cards, and more gossip. Women also loved to accompany their husbands to plays.

Moral Standards When a woman was proposed to it was expected of her to accept whether she wanted to or not. Women were also suppose to be very modest about their opinions and what they wore. Women also weren’t aloud to marry whomever they chose. They had their marriages arranged.

Miscellaneous Women were thought of as weaker less intelligent beings next to men. Women whose husband couldn’t make enough to support the family would work as servants to other families.

Bibliography Davis, William S. Life in the Elizabethan Age. New York: Harper and Row, Yancey, Diane. Life in the Elizabethan Theater. San Diego, CA: Lucent books, 1997