Sixteenth-Century Family Life
Written by: fallendynasty
Sixteenth century family life was difficult for many who were poor, because people went to work at a young age helping out their parents wherever they could. And for most of the poor people they didn’t make it out of their caste. But for the people who were rich life was bearable, and couldn’t be any better.
Sixteenth century life was hard for men. The reason why is because they were always working. Parents tried to give their son a better life by sending him to school. But for the parents to send their son off to school it cost a lot. And for most poor families that didn’t that the money or the amount needed to send their son away then they. Their son couldn’t go and then couldn’t get out of his caste. But if they did have the money and if their son kept working hard, then one day their son would be a knight. A boy could be married without the parent’s consent at the age of 14. If the son was poor he got to choose his own bride. But if he was wealthy then his parents got to choose his future bride for him even if the two didn’t love each other.
Sixteenth century family life was difficult for women too. The reason why is because they were always working at home. Her parents could send her off to school to become a proper young lady, if they had the money. A girl could get married without the parent’s consent at the age of 12. If a girl was wealthy then her parent’s choose a wealthy husband for her. But if she was poor then she got to choose her own husband. But for most women that were in the middle and lower class didn’t get married until the age of 22. But since most of the men were dying at such a rapid pace that most women that were married became widows. The typical age for a woman to become a widow was the age of 30.
But the men and women co-existed even though the men kept dying at such a rapid pace. A man’s life and a woman’s life in the 16th-century were similar, but the men were the leaders of the house and the clan while the women were to follow what the men wished. It was a patriarchal society.
Works Cited
Stewart, Gail B. Life in Elizabethan London. San Diego; Thomson Books, 2003.
Kirkland, Elizabeth and Joseph Papp. “Family Life in Shakespeare’s Time.” Exploring Shakespeare. 2003. Gale. 14 February 2008. <http://find.galegroup.com>.
Kirkland, Elizabeth and Joseph Papp. “Family Life in Shakespeare’s Time.” Discovering Collection Print. 2003. Gale. 14 Feburary 2008. <http://find.galegroup.com>.
