Elizabethan Society

Social Structure

• Unequal society – a small number of rich landowners and many poor people.
• The middle class was beginning to develop.
• The nobility (titled "Lord" and "Lady") held wealth and high social positions.
• No democracy – ordinary people could not vote.

Women's Role

• Limited rights – could not inherit titles from fathers.
• Women were expected to be housewives or servants.
• Only wealthy women received an education.
• Poor women had little to no formal schooling.

Religion and Daily Life

• Christianity was central to people's lives.
• Church attendance was expected and played a major role in society.
• Life expectancy was short – around 40 years old.

Health and Diseases

• Many diseases were common and deadly.
• The plague, spread by rats, killed thousands.
• Doctors lacked medical knowledge, and there were no effective cures.