Romeo and Juliet was written in 1595

Elizabethan Era

www.lepg.org/sixteen.htm

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-food.htm

1/3 and ½ of the people died before

the age of 16

1590’s Europe poor crops and wars - destroyed

transportation and food supplies.Bread is scarcePrices of food, fuel, and housing are high,

while wages are low. starved to death farming. lifespan 35 years1/3 and ½ died before the age of 16 If you survived to mid-teens you would

probably live to your 50s or 60s

Nobility owned huge amounts of land.

Gentry and rich merchants owned huge amounts of land usually educated had a family coat of arms. never did any manual work.

Yeomen and craftsmen owned their own land they could be as wealthy as gentlemen but they worked alongside their men. often able to read and write.

Tenant farmers leased their land from the rich.

Wage earners often illiterate and very poor

50% lived at subsistence level – they had just enough food, clothes, and shelter to survive.

The rich had grand houses The middle class

sturdy houses with a timber frame. roofs were usually thatched some well off people had tiles.

Furniture was very basic – was expected to last for generations.

slept on feather mattresses rather than straw ones.

Chairs were expensive so many had stools and/or benches.

rich people - lots of meat, few vegetables Poor people – little bit of meat, lots of vegetables On certain days by law people had to eat fish instead of meat. At first this was for religious reasons but later it was to support the fishing industry. Lower class

½ lb. bread, 1 pint of beer, 1 pint of porridge, and 1/4 lb of meat the beer had a very low alcohol content! Morning - Bread and cheese and onions Only 1 cooked meal/day Mixed grain with water and added vegetables and meat (if they could afford it) They though fresh fruit was bad for you – they did eat it cooked They liked sweet food but sugar was very expensive so they used honey to sweeten their food

Travelled by horse Rich people rode in carriages (without

springs and roads were very bumpy) You would be lucky to travel

50-60km/day – the rich deliberately traveled slowly. They felt it was undignified to hurry.

The rich enjoyed tournaments – dressed in armor and rode horses – used wooden lances and swords

Hunting Billiards Board games – chess and backgammon Gambling – poor people with dice Music and dancing Reading – rich people Football – much rougher, no rules – broken

limbs were common Watching public executions

Boys nursery school = “petty

school” Grammar school – age 7 School 6am-11, 1-5pm,

6 days/week Discipline was savage 15 or 16 of the brightest

boys might go to one of England’s two universities, Oxford and Cambridge.

Many boys did not go to school – might do an apprenticeship and learn a trade.

Some craftsmen could read and write but few laborers could.

Girls rich – tutor taught them

at home Middle class – mother

might teach them Lower class girls were

not educated. Children who did

not go to school were expected to work.

Women inferior to men. obey their parents without question. function in life was to marry and bear children. obey their husband because they were commanded

by God. husbands were chosen by their fathers or other

male relatives.

Men Head of the house Take care of the family Passed their trade onto their sons

Children from rich families – arranged marriages. If they refused – beaten until they changed their

minds. Children from poorer families could choose

whom they married. Boys married between the ages of 18-21,

girls 15 or 16. No legal age for marriage. Marriages were arranged for

political reasonsRiches land or statusor to forge bonds between two families.

Marrying for love - bizarre and foolish.

Made of wool

Men Breeches “hose”Layers: Doublets jerkin cloak or

cape

Women Petticoat Wool dress – bodice/corset

and a skirt Everyone wore hats – by

law all men except nobles had to wear a woolen cap on Sundays (to give the wool cap makers plenty of work!)

Buttons were for decoration – clothes were held together with laces or pins

Dyes were expensive – only the rich could afford bright red and black Poor often wore brown