CitlaliOlivares

January29,2016
HonorsEnglish

R&JFinalResearchPaper

TheElizabethanErawasmarkedasthereignofQueenElizabethIfromthe
years1558to1603.ItisconsideredasthegoldentimesofEnglandbecausemany
thingswerediscoveredlikewhentheveryfirsttheatrewasintroducedandmany
famouspeoplewerearoundsuchasthegreatestwriterofalltime,William
Shakespeare.WilliamShakespeareisknownformanyamazingplayshewroteandone
ofthemostknownisRomeoandJulietwhichtakesplaceintheElizabethanEra.The
ElizabethanEraisaverydifferentfromtoday,culturally,politically,etc.Thecommunity
cultureoftheElizabethanEraregardingcrimeandpunishmentinfluencedRomeoand
Julietandthedecisionstheymade.

DuringtheElizabethanEra,crimeandpunishmentwasverydifferentfromwhat
isnowcrimeandpunishmenttoday,itwasmoreharshandwasevensometimesused
forentertainment!Commoncrimesthatwerecommittedinthattimeperiodweretheft,
cutpurses(pickpocket),begging,fraud,forgery,adultery,etc.
(ElizabethanCrimeand
Punishment2015).
Thereweretwogroupsofpeoplethatusuallyhelpedchoosewhat
thepunishmentofapersonwasdependingonwhatgrouphe/shebelongedto,the
upperclassesandthelowerclasses.
(WilliamShakespeareSiteMap).
Whenan
upperclasspersoncommittedacrime,themostcommonpunishmentwasbeing
beheadedwithanaxe
(ElizabethanCrimeandPunishment2015).
Whenalower
classpersoncommittedwouldbeeitherhanging,burning,whipping,thewheel,etc.It
wouldusuallydependonthecrimetheycommitted.AnElizabethannamedWilliam
HarrisonchronicledlifeinElizabethanEnglandincludingcrimeandpunishment.
(
LindaCrimeandPunishmentinElizabethanEngland2012).

ManypeoplewereaffectedbycrimeandpunishmentintheElizabethanEra.
Peoplewhocommittedacrimewereusuallysenttodeathortortureforeventhe
smallestcrimes.Inconsequenceofsuchastricttimeperiodmostpeopledidnottravel
becauseitwasillegaltotravelwithoutalicense.
(WilliamShakespeareSiteMap)
Whenpeoplewerepunishedpubliclyitwasactuallyandexcitingeventforthelower
classesbecauseitwouldusuallyentertainthem.
BecauseRomeoandJulietlivedduringtheElizabethanErathisresearchproves
thatthecommunitycultureoftheirtimeinfluencedtheirdecision.Inthefilmthe
CapuletsandMontagueswerebattlinginthegasstationandthepolicestoppedthe
fight.Latertheprincewarnsthemthatifanotherfightbreaksoutthentheywillbe
punishedwiththeirlives.ThisconnectstomyresearchbecauseintheElizabethanEra,
forthelittlestthingspeopleweresentencedtodeath,justastheCapuletsand
Montaguesweretoldinthefilm.Peoplewereaffectedbycrimeandpunishmentin
RomeoandJulietbecausewhentheCapuletsandMontagueswerefighting,itwasall
overthenewsanditwasthecenterofattention,andaccordingtomyresearchwhen
peoplewerebeingpunishedpubliclyitwasusuallyadayofexcitementtoothers.
Overall,theElizabethanErawasaveryroughtimetoliveinbutwithoutitbeingtheway
itis,RomeoandJulietwouldhavehavemadethedecisionstheymadeifittookplacein
differenttimeperiod
Reflection
:
Mycommunityculture,Chicago,influenceswhoIamandmydecisionsfor
severalreasons.Onereasonisbecausethecitylifeusuallyresultsinadaygoingby
fastsosinceIlivethatwayIneedtomakequickdecisionsinlifeandbeontopofthings
tocatchuponlife.AlsoChicagohasmanyrestaurantsanddifferentplacestoexplore,
whichovertimehasmademeaverycuriousandadventurousperson.Ihavealso
learnedtoprotectmyself.Chicagoisknownforallthegangviolenceandbeingraised
herehastaughtmetoprotectmyself.Lastly,Ivelearnedtobeverysocial,inacityso
bigitisimpossibletosurvivewithoutbeingverysocialwithpeersandevenstrangers.