Social Classes Elizabethan Era

favorable Classes Elizabethan timeAbeni FigueroaWhen first this rear was ordaind, my lords, cavalrys of the garter were of noble have,Valiant and virtuous, full of snide courage,Such as were grown to credit by the warsNot fearing death, nor shrivel up for distress,But always resolute in most extremes.He whence that is non furnishd in this sortDoth but usurp the sacred lift of knight,Profaning this most honourable order,And should, if I were worthy to be judge,Be rather degraded, like a hedge-born swainThat doth presume to boast of gentle blood.(Henry VI, Pt.I, 4.1).The Elizabethan Era occurred (1588-1603) marked by reign of promote Elizabeth. Some mountain call it the golden age of English history. It was the start of poetry, music, and literature. This era was similarly known for theatre including William Shakespe atomic number 18s plays and poems that are still read and shown today. It also was the starting signal of exploration and setting up colonies under english r ule to farther Eng brings empire. The cordial screenes were monarch, nobility, g creation, merchant, yeomanry, and laborers. The monarch was the ruler of England, during that time the ruler was queen Elizabeth 1, the ordinal and last ruler of Tudor. The nobility was at the top of the social be given and in truth rich and magnateful. gentry were knights, squires, gentlemen and gentlewomen. They became the most important social class in England. Merchants emerged from the ashes of the War of Roses. Yeomanry was named the middle class and were not very soused and only saved enough money to live comfortably. The laborers, the bottom of the social class in the Elizabethan Era, were very poor and only do enough to live comfortably.Social classes were very important and very strict. It was very difficult for one person to move from one class to an early(a). in that respect were very few opportunities to change your social term and for near it was impossible. These rules were no t taken lightly and people were pushed harshly if the rules were broken. These rules were very strictly oblige and everyone had to follow. These rules were in the form of laws that maintained the social structure. For example, one law state the color and type of clothes a person could wear This do it easy for separates to know which social class they were in.These classes determined a persons spot in society, but also determined what kind of job they had, what rights as a human they had, and sometimes it even determined what they could wear, even their jewellery and furniture.The MonarchyIn the days of queen Elizabeth the people thought the queen or the king were Gods representative on Earth and the king or queen were thought to be greater than angels, all the animals, and all the living things on earth. Naturally they were better than any other humans.A person obtained this status usually by birth, they spent their entire life in this status. From birth on they were told how t o act, what to say, and how the rest of the kingdom should treat them. They k stark naked how all others should behave round them and punish those who did not behave properly.The highest social class was the monarchy in the Elizabethan era, also known as Queen Elizabeth 1 was the attraction, she was the last leader of the era and she ruled for forty five years.The NobilityThe second highest sheer(a) was Nobility. They were very rich and had hugh houses. closely owned macroscopical amounts of land that they inherited. on that point was distinction between old and new families. The old families were Catholic and the new families were Protestant. These people were members of the court and Parliament. A direful could only be a Noble if he was born into it or was made a Noble by the king or Queen. They had special rights. They could not be shake off in jail for debt. They could not be tortured. They could not be penalize for a capital crime by hanging or other abuses. If put to death they had to be beheaded. They could only be tried by other Nobles. The most rich people were usually Nobles.The GentryThe Gentry is the third highest order of society in the Elizabethan Era. They were sometimes called the Aristocrats. This order was made up of masters, that owned a lot of land, Gentlemen freeholders who took care of the land owned by the Lords. They did not have to lean hard and did not do manual labor. They supported themselves off the rent paid by their tenants. They were thought of as the true rulers of the countryside.The Gentry often held the local offices, such(prenominal) as sheriff and surveyor of the roads. Some were the Justice of the Peace. This gave them much power. Of interest, they held these offices without pay.The Knights came from the Gentry. Being a Knight did not mean you made more(prenominal) money or had more power. The Knighthood could not be inherited.Below the knights were the esquires. They too could hold offices and be in Parliamen t. What made them special was their right to have a Coat of Arms. Most of them designed their Coat of Arms themselves.The MerchantsThe fourth order of society were the merchants. contrary the first three classes, they had a very quiet lifestyle. Most of them lived in London. Most had a goal in life to become Lord Mayor of London. This would give them a lot of power. So much power that they could take on the King or Queen. These men were shop defenders, traders, innkeepers and citizens of London. The merchants were responsible for producing reliables for others to use.The YeomanryAnd you, good yeoman,Whose limbs were made in England, show us hereThe mettle of your crease let us swearThat you are worth your breeding which I doubt notFor there is none of you so mean and base,That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.(Henry V, 3.1)Yeomanry was the fifth order of society. These were the people who had large amounts of property and had a Noble title if they could buy one. They did not wo rk much since they usually had enough money to live.. Those that did work were farmers, tradesman or craftsman. It seems they were happy not to be part of the lowest part of society.The PeasantrySir, I am a true labourer I earn that I eat, get that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no mans happiness, glad of other mens good, content with my harm, and the greatest of my pride is to see my ewes trim and my lambs suck.(As you like it, 3.2)The Peasantry is the lowest order of Society. These people worked very hard to keep what little they had. At best, they owned a very small cottage (which gave them the name of cotters) and perhaps one to two acres of land. They could help themselves if they had a skill (carpentry or weaving) that allowed them to pretend some money. They most often worked for other large landowners. But they did not get paid well.The tenant farmers were and a little better off than the cotters. They were able to get jobs on the job(p) the land they had rented. They ren ted the land from the Yeomanry, Gentry or the aristocracy. There was a arrangement in which a tenant farmer could get a subscribe for the land he worked. These leases could be good for many generations and support a family for a long time.SummaryFor the most part, living well in the Elizabethan Era seems to have been a matter of luck. If you were fortunate enough to be born into a rich family or a family with some nobility, you had it made. You didnt have to work hard and others gave you a lot of respect. There were laws to make sure you kept your status, and others laws to make sure no one move up into your position. I like the system we have here in America. You can be born dirt poor, work hard and enwrap up in White House or Trump Towers or maybe even both.Works Cited Find the information for each website that you are using.1. Authors last name and first name (If you cannot find the authors name, begin your entry with the title of the article.)2. The Title of the Article th at you are using3. The Name of the Webpage or the Publisher (If you cannot find the publisher, write n.p.)4. Last updated date for the page or copyright date (If you cannot find the date, write n.d.)5. URL (address)6. The date you accessed the information.Pickard, Liz. The Social Structure in Elizabethan England. The British Library. n.d.https//www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/the-social-structure-in-elizabethan-england.Accessed March 1, 2017.Social Classes in Elizabethan Era Nobility and Gentry. Elizabethan Era England Life. 2017.ww.elizabethanenglandlife.com/social-classes-in-elizabethan-era-nobility-and-gentry.ht ml. Accessed February 23, 2017.https//www.google.com/urlthe-social-structure-in-elizabethan-englandhttps//www.google.com/elizabethan-era-social-hierarchyhttps//www.elizabethanenglandlife.com%2Felizabethan-era-hierarchy-classes-ranks-in-society.https//www.google.com elizabethan-era-class-system.htm