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Elizabethan Marriage and Divorce

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Elizabethan Marriage and Divorce
Base of Society As Lyndon Baines Johnson says, “The family is the corner stone of our society. More than any other force it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child. And when the family collapses it is the children that are usually damaged. When it happens on a massive scale the community itself is crippled. So, unless we work to strengthen the family, to create conditions under which most parents will stay together, all the rest — schools, playgrounds, and public assistance, and private concern — will never be enough” (Danes). He believed that family is the base of the society. The way that family is set up affects children in all ways. Family structure is very important and that no matter what we do, it will never be enough. No matter what era it is, family structure and relationships will always be part of the citizens everywhere. During the Elizabethan Era, society was controlled by the Protestant Church and the citizens had to follow the rules. On the other hand, modern day society is controlled by the public and the people have more freedom in their actions. Shakespeare’s writing was influenced by the way family structure was set up.
Elizabethan marriages were arranged, and many took place at a young age with several customs to follow. The common age most men married was at twenty one. The legal age for boys to get married was at 14 and for girls at 12 with parental permission (“Elizabethan Marriages and Weddings”). Most people today would find this shocking because the age was so young, today many people get married at an older age therefore the age difference is odd of the opinion of people of modern time. One of the reasons why the age was so young was because most marriages were arranged in the Elizabethan Era. Elizabethan woman had very little choice in who her husband might be. The Elizabethan women were inferior to the men. They were dependent on the male figure in the family to support them (“Elizabethan



Cited: Alchin, Linda. "Elizabethan Family Life." Elizabethan Era. Ed. Linda Alchin. N.p., 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. - - -. "Elizabethan Wedding and Marriages." Elizabethan Era. Ed. Linda Alchin. Linda Alchin, 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2013. Brown, Susan L. "Marriage." World Book. N. pag. World Book Student. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Coontz, Stephanie. "American Family: Where We Are Today." Stephanie Coontz. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Danes, Chuck. "Family Quotes." Abundance and Happiness. Ed. Chuck Danes. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. Eisenach, Emlyn. "Divorce." Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. By Eisenach. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 2004. N. pag. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "Family Quotes." Notable Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Nock, Steven L. "Divorce." World Book. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. World Book Student. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. Pan, Wendy. "Parent - Child Relationships - What 's the Problem with Them?" Ezine Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Secara, Maggie. "Betrothal & Wedding." Life in Elizabethan England. Ed. Maggie Secara. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. Stewart, Gail B. Life in Elizabethan London. Farmington Hills: Lucent, 2003. Print.

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