The Key Role Of Marriage In The Elizabethan Era

Marriage is a big part of life today and it has been for a long time. But despite how important it is, marriage hasn’t always been done the same way it is today. In fact, marriage used to be played out in a lot of ways, and those differences were shown in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. One way that those differences were key is how marriages were set up in the Elizabethan Era, the setting of Romeo and Juliet. Another way marriage played a key role in Romeo and Juliet was how the actual marriage went down. The way Romeo and Juliet wedding would have actually resembled Shakespeare’s own wedding. The normal and legal marriage ages were all over the place at the time of Romeo and Juliet from modern day. The bride and groom actually didn't really get to pick who they would get married to. There were a lot of things about marriage at the time that varied from today’s ways that
were important to Romeo and Juliet. One of the things about marriage that impacted Romeo and Juliet was what the bride and groom brought to the marriage.
In Elizabethan times, the bride would bring high dollar things and money to the marriage, in return for political or social status. This was key in Juliet’s arranged marriage to Paris, in which there are some main reason for the marriage, Paris and the Capulets would benefit from this marriage in wealth and status. One other marriage tradition about what each person brought to the marriage that impacted Romeo and Juliet was the rights the bride had. Comparing Elizabethan times, the time which Shakespeare lived, to the modern day, a lot of things in society have changed majorly. Some are extremely a like, as well. However, today, in different parts of the world, customs could be more similar to Elizabethan times than in the US. Marriage and the role of women have made some serious changes to what they can do. In many countries, women can do anything from ruling the nation to having full time job work. Divorce papers litter the offices of government
officials.
Marriage in the Elizabethan times was based on power and how much money you had, not true love. Many marriages were arranged to grant wealth and higher ranking stature to families. Today some marriages in modern times are still based on wealth to further their family, and now also fame, but there are a lot because of love. Now days, you don't have to be religious to get married, It can be done by a Justice of Peace instead of by a religious leader. Women can do any job they want to do. Some women are doctors, and teachers the way thing are ran now days are a lot different. Elizabethan and modern marriages and roles of women are the same in a lot of ways. But there is some really big differences in the Middle East, women are still have to be uneducated. Burning oil dousing girls on their way to school sometimes is the sad, unfortunate truth there. There are still reported instances of abuse in modern marriages, but now it is illegal. Not all that long ago, Women of the Elizabethan time had it much harder time living than the ones do today. They were expected to sit at home and do nothing at all, that is, after they did all the work around the house. modern women can go out with their friends and really do whatever they want to do. Past women basically had no rights to do anything. These two different type of marriages are not totally different, now days you can wear what ever color free or type of dress. what was bad about Elizabethan time marriages was, that people were not getting married to people they didn't love or even liked, marriage is suppose to be about you loving someone and wanting to make a family with that person. I feel it was more so to make people richer and never about love. On a website is stated that In Elizabethan marriages and families, each individual had their own roles to do and maintain that were strict and put everyone in place, and disobedience was a crime that was against the Protestant religion of the era. Regardless of gender or social class, everyone was expected to marry and bring benefits of status or wealth to their family, but the women were mainly seen as dowry and expected to have as many children as possible. For this reason, many families were not as strongly bonded and social status was aspired instead, and those who stuck out of place were outcasted and isolated, for they have committed a crime against their religion and against God. In the modern era, however, people are free to live their live and choose to marry and start a family. Although the roles of women and men were completely different back then, the roles of everyone was considered essential for marriage and family.