Courtship & Marriage
during the Elizabethan Era
Marriage & Courtship
Courtship involves the goal of getting married being reached. Dating may just have the goal of getting married but may not be reached. Young men during the Elizabethan era, often asked the fathers of who they wanted to date or court for permission to prove that they were serious and also as a sign of respect. Many young men were 21 when they got married because they waited for consent from fathers. Fathers often were the ones who set up the weddings even if the bride didnt want to get married she will be forced to anyway. These marriages were arranged to keep wealth and reputation into consideration. Families of landowners were expected to marry just to gain land possession. Couples usually met each other on the day of the wedding .This was a very well known tradition among well known nobilities. However, people in the lower class would normally go for arranged marriages with the children of friends and neighbors.The lower the status a family holds in the society then the larger power a person may have in choosing life partners. After the wedding the bride became property of the groom, And he receives a dowry, property, and even goods. Most people didnt even know about the weddings until they were over because they didnt make big announcements about them.
Work Cited
"Elizabethan Marriages and Weddings." Elizabethan Marriages and Weddings. Web. 24 Mar. 2015. <http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-marriages-and-weddings.htm>.
"Love and Marriage." Life in Elizabethan England 10:. Web. 24 Mar. 2015. <http://elizabethan.org/compendium/10.html>.