Women’s life in the English Renaissance

The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement dating from the early 16^th century to the early 17^th century. The English Renaissance was from the Italian Renaissance but it is different in several ways.

In the English Renaissance women were inferior to men and they were instruments of the devil.

Most people in the first half of the 16th century didn't believe in education for women.

The women should obey to their parents, marry and bear children but the women belonged to rich family received a good education, they received the same education of men but they hadn’t the same rights.

Very few men and women of noble birth chose their own partners.

Royal marriages were contracted largely for political, military, or trade advantages.

The chief function of Queens and of wives of lesser status as well, was to produce sons to ensure continuation of her husband's dynasty.
 Women of the highest class, though attended by servants, most often engaged in the tasks of the household, sewing, cooking and entertaining.

The wives of middle class shop owners and merchants often helped run their husbands' businesses as well.
Women who did not marry didn't have independence of thought and action and it was not permitted to live independently: they lived in the households of their male relatives or joined a convent , the only career accessible to them.