Women's Role
Take a deeper look into the role of women during the 1600s and where they stood in relation to men
During the 1600s woman were placed lower in ranking in comparison to men. They were seen as their property, and were not involved in much outside of the house. In the play, Romeo & Juliet this lower and "property" type of view is shown both through, Romeo, Juliet's father and Paris. Knowing about the women's role during the 1600s helps the reader of the play further understand the content, dialogue and decisions the characters make. For example, Paris asked Juliet's father for Juliet's hand in marriage, instead of asking Juliet herself. This shows that her father was in charge of her and who she was to marry. During the 1600s, this was common because women were subordinate to their fathers, brothers and husbands and were to do as they say. In the upper class, women were expected to be married off at a young age. In the middle and lower class, women being married off was less common and women were usually older. This helps the reader by giving them some information about the social status of Juliet's family. She was married off when she was 13, which tells us her family was higher up in society and considered royalty. Once married, women during the 1600s were expected to know how to clean,cook, sew, preserve food, spin, and understand the medical field of medicine and first aid. Women in the lower class were usually working at home and in the fields. Women in the middle class worked at home and some worked in their own small businesses and shops. Upper class women, like Lady Capulet, usually had a "nurse" or maid who did most of the at home work.
Left: A painting of middle class women outside their homes talking and collecting crops. Right: A photo of an upperclass family, which shows the women only needed to take care of the children the rest was done for them.