Question 4 - Revised

Were men and women classified differently in the Elizabethan era? In the story, we see that women and girls were treated differently than men or boys. Back then, people thought higher of males than females. They thought that men were stronger, and perhaps smarter, so the men were what people looked for to hire and use for jobs. Women had rights, but they were not as valued. They could have jobs, but were either paid less, or were only allowed to have minor jobs. (Such as helping or working for the men). They also were not allowed to go to university or school, but could get an education from tutors at home. Basically, women were taught to obey or listen to men.

Through the characters throughout the novel, we can learn some interesting points. Kit meets Mr. Desmond, pretending that she is a boy. The reason for that was because if she introduced herself as a girl and told him that she wanted the job, they, the company, would have not wanted her, or would not have allowed her, since she was a girl. Kit also knew that they would not respect her, or see any talent or value in her if she told them the truth. Also, other evidence from the story that shows there was a great difference between genders was when Shakespeare realized that Kit was a girl. He was surprised, but he kept it to himself. Shakespeare knew that if he told someone, they would kick her out of the company, and possibly kill or torture her. That was how serious and huge the society thought the difference between genders were.

Women usually all acted and were treated in similar ways. The way the women were treated could have been classified as “poor”. They were thought of as mediocre or less. People usually expected the women the stay home and cook, or to take care of the children, which also, they were expected to have. Ladies walked around showing class. They acted very “ladylike”, as in respectful, kind, and polite.The portrayals of these women were very appropriate for the time period. This is because back then, every woman, including the Queen, were very ladylike. However, they also needed to do tough and difficult jobs too like taking care of the children, and helping the men or masters with their jobs.

In the Elizabethan times, men and women were treated very differently. Men had more rights than women. Men were more respected, valued, and were thought to be able to do more things than women. Gender played a big part in society.