Context

• Patriarchal society

  • In Elizabethan England, men held power and women were expected to be obedient especially to their fathers and husbands
  • Fathers ruled the household and their authority was seen as natural and God-given
  • All women was expected to obey her father, then her husband with little room for personal freedom
  • Disobedience, especially by daighters was seen as disgraceful and could damage a family’s honour and reputation
• Religion

  • England was a deeply Christina society, and disobeying parents or committing suicide were considered sins
• Diana

  • goddess of the hunt, moon, wild animals and chastity
  • Protector of young women and childbirth
  • Women worshipped her seeking to remain chaste or safe during childbirth
  • Known for punishing those who tried to dishonour her or other virgins
  • Associated with innocence, purity and female independence
• Wet nurse

  • woman who breastfed and cared for another women’s birth often from birth
  • In wealthy or noble families, it was common for upper-class mothers to hire a wet nurse so they didn’t have to nurse or raise the child themsleves
  • It was considered unladylike or inconvenient for noblewoman to breastfeed or do hands-on childbearing
  • Mothers often gave birth young and frequently, so hiring a wet nurse allowed them to move on quickly to the next child or focus on social duties