10EN - 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare

Hi there Year 10

Poor Juliet has a very hard time of it in Act 3 Scene 5 with her father wanting to marry her off to someone of his choosing, Paris. Imagine that! Obviously she is not best pleased with this idea and as a result they have a blazing row.

Was Shakespeare basing this scene on what happened in Elizabethan England? Well, it's your job to find out. Go to this site http://www.william-shakespeare.info/elizabethan-wedding-customs.htm and answer the questions below, either in your books, on refill or they can be word processed. Read all of the information first before answering the questions.

1. Who benefited from an arranged marriage?

2. Name two reasons why families might arrange a marriage.

3. What class in society preferred arranged marriages?

4. How might a gentleman know what his intended bride looked like before seeing her on the wedding day?

5. What reputation did single women have in Elizabethan England?

6. What was the usual age of consent for a boy to marry?

7. Shakespeare's marriage to Anne Hathaway was carried out in extraordinary circumstances. What were they?

8. What was the dowry?

9. What was the first stage of the wedding ceremony and why was this undertaken?

10. How was a typical wedding celebrated?

11. What materials were wedding garments made from?

12. Which colour would you not wear at a wedding and why?