The Commoner and Nobleman in Elizabethan Society.
In order to understand a Shakespeare play, such as the Merchant of Venice you must first understand life in the Elizabethan England. I will be talking to you about the lives of the commoner and nobleman in Elizabethan England. The commoner and nobleman were very different from each other, however they both played an important part in civilization. The commoner and the noblemen were segregated however; both roles helped organize Elizabethan society. Without the commoners and the noblemen Elizabethan life would be very different. .
Life for the nobleman in Elizabethan England was filled with privileges. Noblemen were highly respected in society. They were allowed to participate in sports, special banquets, and proper dances. These events were an opportunity for noblemen to show off their possessions. In Elizabethan times your status in society would be publicly displayed though things such as clothing, food, servants, and other things. Not only did the number of things you owned make an impression on people, but the quality of the things you owned did as well.
However, life for the commoner in Elizabethan England was very different compared to the nobleman. The average commoner was malnourished and lived on mostly bread alone. Commoners usually could not afford a proper doctor; they would fill medical prescriptions at an apothecary. Smaller country homes were inexpensive to build, for the materials needed to build a home were most likely available to the common people. Things such as mud, sticks, and straw were used to build homes for commoners.
Thus, country homes were a practical solution for common or poor people. Commoners lived mostly on bare-necessities. In their free time they did things such as sing songs and attend common dances. Dances for the common people usually featured the jig. Commoners also attended plays.
Overall, the lives of the commoner and nobleman were very different from each other.
