Primogeniture In Elizabethan England

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Primogeniture in Elizabethan England is a rule in which the first born son receives all property, land, and wealth upon his father’s death. It is known as the “preference in inheritance given by law[…] to the eldest son[…] to keep the estate of the deceased[…] whole and intact” (Britannica 1). Although it is seen as a law, the use of primogeniture also causes familial issues in As You Like It. In this comedy, written by William Shakespeare, Oliver, the older brother of Orlando, despises his younger brother for everyone loves and appreciates him, although it is Oliver that has inherited all of the land from his father. He plans on murdering Orlando, so he runs away to the Forest of Arden, where Rosalind and Celia, disguised as Ganymede and Aliena, have been banished along with Duke Senior. …show more content…

Following the rules of primogeniture, if there are multiple siblings, only one will receive the wealth from their father. In this case, with the first pair of brothers, Oliver gains access to all of the land and property from his deceased father, since he is the eldest son, while Orlando and Jaques are not given money, land, or wealth. Within the second pair of brothers, Duke Senior, the eldest of the two sons, had received the land. However, since the younger of the two had not received the majority of it, he had a lust for power and money. This results in the overthrow and banishment of Duke Senior, simply so that Duke Frederick could obtain authority and affluence; “the/old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and/ three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile/ with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke[…]” (Shakespeare I.i.3). While obtaining this fortune, Oliver and Duke Frederick also develop a hatred for anyone that proves to be an obstacle of acquiring more of what they already have, expanding into

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