Jacobean England

Jacobean England

1. Race

   • Race was of little importance during this time.
     • There was a social hierarchy in the Jacobean period on the basis of occupation of an individual.
       • At the top of this social ranking were the King/Queen and the royal family, followed by the members of the aristocracy class.

2. Religious Divisions

   • Puritans played a crucial role in the Jacobean society. By the time King James I came to power, the Protestants had become powerful and the Catholics became a minority group.
     • The Ottoman Empire (Turks, Muslims) opposed the Christians as a very powerful force. They demanded 5,000 children per annum to use as warriors or galley slaves.

3. Women's Rights

   • More or less, women were confined to looking after the house. Women were considered to be subordinate to men. They had little or no rights at all.
     • They could not even own a property in their name. A woman was supposed to obey her husband and help him in earning money for the survival of the family.
   • Over a period of time, women got opportunities to work outside the house or get higher education, as there was a little bit of exposure for women in respect of job opportunity. Many of the plays, including that of Shakespeare, had women playing crucial roles.

4. Theatre Customs

   • Jacobean period was the time when theatre was flourishing. One reason that can be attributed to the growing popularity of theatres was the plays written by the playwrights of that period. They used variant genres to catch the interest of the audience.
   • Theatres were either public playhouses or private playhouses. Public playhouses were the places where the commoners went to watch the plays. These theatres sold the tickets at affordable prices. Private playhouses were places where royals and other members of the affluent class enjoyed the performances of the actors. Jacobean theatres did not contain seats in thousands.