Life in the 16th Century

748 Words2 Pages

Life in the 16th century had many aspects that determined life experiences though gender roles, social status, and religion; which gave everyone completely different life experiences.

To start with, gender roles in the 16th century played a vital role in life experiences. The main responsibility of a husband “in the accepted role as head of the household was to give moral direction to his wife and children” (Best, “The wife’s status”,http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/society/family/status.html). Men plowed the land, raised and slaughtered livestock and provided shelter for their families. On the other hand, as a wife, woman was to “submit and subject herself to her husband in all such duties (Dodd and Cleaver “A Godly Form of Household Government,” 1). A wife’s household obligations were to prepare food, birth children, and have a “managerial role” over the household (Best, “The Housewife’s Economic Importance”, http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/society/huswifery/economicimportance.html). Men had the experience of outdoor labor and time outside the dwelling to provide for his family as the head of the household; and women experienced being subservient to her husband and administrating the home. Although women did work outside the home, her work was considered to be unskilled and was not recognized as vigorous physical labor.

Secondly, social status gave a significant difference in life experiences. After a day of work men of the community would congregate in a bar-like atmosphere. The wealthy, nobles, spent time outside of work at taverns that catered “food and drink” to them (Best, “A Tavern Meal”, http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/society/city%20life/tavern.html). A noble was giving ra...

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...stants such as; the Jewish and Muslims who had completely different experiences. Unlike Catholics, endured persecution for their faith and disparate Protestants were not later recognized as accepted religions making it difficult and almost impossible to practice their religions publicly.

In conclusion, experiences to people in the 16th century varied throughout gender roles, social status, and religion. Men were head of the household and their labor was considered useful and skillful were women submitted to their husbands and performed tasks that were not considered skillful (Dodd and Cleaver “A Godly Form of Household Government,” 1). Social classes received separate types of leisure accommodations and work ethic expectations. Religion showed the vast differences in how beliefs defined how a people experience Godly relationships and how people were accepted.

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