Divorce During The Elizabethan Era

Imagine a world where two people were randomly paired together based off of their parent’s interests… Yikes, right? In this world, these two people typically didn’t date, and couldn’t divorce. That was exactly what went on during the Elizabethan or Shakespearean era. Courtship, or the Elizabethan version of dating before marriage, was not very popular with upper to middle class. Typically, a male and a female in the same social class were set up together by their parents. Young men were rarely allowed to go out to look for a future spouse, and had little to no say on who they married. When a couple was allowed to date, it was usually to decide if they really wanted to commit their entire lives with the other person. This is completely opposite from modern dating, which can last for years before actual marriage. Also divorce was highly looked down upon, which created

Marriage was based on the benefits for both families. The contract begins with the pair joining hands and he gives her a ring that she wears on her right hand until the wedding. The contract is sealed with a kiss and signatures. The Bridesmaids make a garland of rosemary and roses that the bride carries. If the groom is not part of the procession, he meets the bride at the door of the church or at the altar and the guests stand in the church instead of sitting. The ring would be switched to the third finger of the left hand. It was common belief that women there was a vein in that finger that leads to the heart. After the ceremony the bride wears the garland on her head. A proper wedding is based on three things: consent, exchange of tokens (such as the ring) and consummation. It can be annulled only if it is not consummated. A marriage contract includes provision both for the bride's dowry and for a jointure, or settlement, in cash and property by the husband's family, which guarantees her welfare should her husband die