Elizabethan Era Women Essay

Words: 672
Pages: 3

Women’s lives in the Elizabethan Era were different than women’s lives today. They faced hard times and suffering. Women could not choose who they wanted to marry. They could not decide what they wanted to be professionally. Women were often treated unsafely medically. They were forcefully encouraged to convert their religions. Women were treated unfairly in this time period, most of this treatment being based on gender. In this era, women could not choose who they wanted to marry. Their fathers could decide who they marry beginning at the age of 12 (Women 1). This typically happened so young only if the woman was from a wealthy family (Women 1). They could not have weddings in secret (Amt 81). The main role a woman played in her marriage was childbirth (Amt 82). After marriage, women could do nothing without her husband’s approval. The only exceptions to this were widows, who got to own their land and be in charge of her life (Women 1). The third branch of the tree of chastity bonds of marriage stated that husbands and wives should keep themselves for each other (Amt 89). Even if the woman did not want to and had no say in what man she married. Unfortunately, women had no say in what they did and how …show more content…
Most women managed the household and raised their children. Raising children and maintaining the house was the most common job for women in the Elizabethan Era. Those things are what was expected of women in this time period. Many never had a job outside of the house. A few very fortunate women had the opportunity to be a maid for someone of the upper class (Amt 181). They could also be weavers and sell their work, if lucky enough (Amt 195). Although, they had to do these jobs a certain way. There were rules and regulations to be followed (Amt 199). If women who had these jobs did not follow these guild regulations and royal decrees, it was an infraction and they could be punished (Amt