Question

Importance of virginity in elizabethan and jacobean period

Answer 1

The Elizabethan Era took place from 1558 to 1603 and is considered by many historians to be the golden age in English History. During this era England experienced peace and prosperity while the arts flourished. The time period is named after Queen Elizabeth I who ruled England during this time.

Answer 2

The play The Tempest by William Shakespeare puts a lot of emphasis in a woman’s purity. The character Miranda, who is the only female in this drama, is given a value by Ferdinand, her would-be lover, and Prospero, her father. That value of her virginity is not monetary but has significant value as a way of demonstrating how she is untouched by man and, once lost, would be the most evident proof of paternity. Female virginity during this period has also been used as a metaphor for colonialism, where the newly discovered land is represented as the virgin woman and the conquerors or discoverers of this new land are depicted as the source of the lady’s defloration, but this essay will not be covering that side Elizabethan culture in reference to virginity.