The beliefs in the Elizabethan century, the chain of being,love and marriage

From Jana, Keno, Svenja and Rebekka

Content

The Great Chain of Being

Tudor London

Tudor England

Tudor Sports and Pastimes

Elizabeth I.

The Poor in Elizabethan England

Women and marriage in Tudor England

The Grat Chain of Being

God

Angels

Humans

Animals

Plants

Non living objects

KingsQueensNoblesMerchantsPeasants

FatherMothersSonsDaughtersServants

• everything in the universe has a specific place• Shakespeare believed in the Divine Order• Plays revolve around beliefs• desire to maintain God’s order

Tudors London

London was the biggest city in western Europe

Monarchs were Henry the VIII and daughter Elizabeth I.

City of future

Rich and poor live next together, hard punishments for crimes, put the heads onto the bridge for deterrence

Narrow and full streets, the probability that one get robbed was very high rich travel by boat

Much entertainment: theatres, bear baiting, many inns and alehouses

Tudor England

Most important trading city of Tudor England Main exporter of wool

Ever increasing population and a lack of a structured sewage system all rubbish lands in the Thames

Big plague epidemic in 1665

Fire was a big problem because of wooden houses: city burned down in 1666

No police, Rich make the laws as judges

Executions were popular events

Tudor Sports and Pastimes

Kings or Queens decided on which sports and pastimes were allowed Henry VIII liked especially hunting, Elizabeth I. liked especially bear-baiting and bear-gardens

Not everyone was allowed to participated in sports working class has to work, the rich have no regulations

Heavily controlling

Football was well liked, but banned in 1540

1585 bear-baiting was banned, but Elizabeth ignored it because she loved it

Arena: poor standing, rich sitting

Elizabeth saw a great growth in the popularity of the theatre, she witnessed the career of Shakespeare and the popularity of globe theatre

Elizabeth I.

Queen from 1558 to 1603 in which year she died

Two important points:

Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587

The Spanish Armada of 1588

Personality:

Intelligent, very educated, spoke Latin, French and German

Famous for her temper

Half-sister Mary became Queen in 1553, Elizabeth was locked up in the Tower of London because she was a protestant

As queen of England she took it nearly to the heights of its power

In her last years she was getting very unpredictable and dangerous

However, her reign is considered by some to an era of glory

The poor in Elizabethan England

Very harsh life

No welfare state

More poor than rich people, so there was the fear of an peasants revolt

Not easy to find a job

Concern about poor was at it greatest in Elizabeth’s time

Government made every parish responsible for the poor, landowners had to pay the so called Poor Rate which should help the people

Benefits:

Made the poor feel that something was being done for them

The poor done good work within the parish to help

Three groups of poor:

Helpless Poor old, sick, disabled and children

Able bodied group people could work and also wanted it

Rouges and vagabonds people who could work but preferred to beg or steal

Great increase in crime in Tudor England (mostly thieves)

Poor live in now called ghettos in the east, were punished when they were found in the rich places

Developed their own language protection against the law

Poor in the countryside suffered because of enclosure

Women in Tudor England

Church told that girls were inferior, used bible to show that they are right men and women believed it, because the priests say it was ordered by god

Protestant leader John Knox: Women were made to serve and obey men

Function in life: marry, have children, look after home and husband

Have to be obedient to men

Education:

Rich: learn things like managing a household, needlework and meal preparation

Poor: no real education, learn things from their mothers

General: teaching girls writing or reading was a waste of time

Clothes: long dresses which covered the hole body

Marriage in Tudor England

Young rich ladies have no choice over who they marry

Reason for marriage:

No legal age for marriage, many get married at the age of 14

Main function: bear a son to continue family line, not unusual to be pregnant every twelve months

Birth and be pregnant was dangerous (health, e.g. puerperal fever and post-birth infections)

Hair

Married women: have to hide their hair under a wood or veil

Not married: can wear it loose