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Q: When was Shakespeare able to call himself a gentleman?
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What social class was Shakespeare in?

He was from a middle class family. His mother's family, the Ardens, were minor gentry, but the Shakespeares were tradesmen. His father had made application to have a grant of arms given to him, which would have raised him one level to "gentleman". Although John was not able to follow through with this project, William was. As soon as those arms were granted to the Shakespeare family, Shakespeare was entitled to call himself "William Shakespeare, gent." and was probably able to wear fancier clothing under the sumptuary laws of the time.


What was Shakespeare's England's class society?

No, he was middle class. His father was a prosperous merchant and tradesman; his mother was of the minor gentry. Shakespeare himself worked hard to obtain a grant of arms for his father and himself, which enabled him to call himself a "gentleman", a step upwards in the class structure.


How would shakespeare say Ladies and gentlemen?

Since the words "Ladies" and "Gentlemen" were both in his vocabulary, he could have said "ladies and gentlemen". However, these terms in his day were very specific markers of social class. He himself worked very hard to be entitled to call himself "William Shakespeare, gentleman". The only way he was allowed to call himself that was because his father had been granted a coat of arms. You will note that when Viola in Twelfth Night describes her parentage to Olivia she says, "I am a gentleman." That would specifically describe Cesario's social class, a class below Olivia's. Women were often called "ladies" when they were of various social classes. Thus Shakespeare conjoins lords and gentlemen, lords and ladies, and ladies and gentlemen. E.g. "Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have their toes Unplagued with corns will have a bout with you." (Romeo and Juliet, 1,5)


What was the class system like in Shakespeare's time?

The class system in Shakespeare's England was very rigid. People were only allowed to wear the clothes permitted to their social class. For example, only the highest classes could wear purple clothes. Shakespeare worked like crazy to get the College of Arms to grant a coat of arms to his father. This pushed Shakespeare up a class, so he could call himself "Mr. Shakespeare" and refer to himself as a "gentleman". Although it doesn't seem important to us, such signs of class were of extraordinary importance to Shakespeare and his contemporaries. On the off-chance that you might have been thinking of classes in school, the classes in Shakespeare's time were very different from what they are now: each school had only one class of all boys aged 7-13.


Did Shakespeare's parents love his theatre job?

Probably not. John Shakespeare was a man interested in social status, as he was a businessman who rose to become an alderman. He made application for a grant of arms which would make him a gentleman, a step up in the social ladder. Being an actor was not a socially acceptable job, and, in fact, the court officials wanted to revoke the grant of arms because our man William S was a "player". They didn't, though, much to the relief of Will who inherited his father's concern with social standing and was awfully proud to call himself "William Shakespeare, gent."

Related questions

Was shakespeare a member of aristocracy?

No, he was an aspiring middle-class type. The social event of his life was when he got a grant of arms which allowed him to call himself a "gentleman".


What social class was Shakespeare in?

He was from a middle class family. His mother's family, the Ardens, were minor gentry, but the Shakespeares were tradesmen. His father had made application to have a grant of arms given to him, which would have raised him one level to "gentleman". Although John was not able to follow through with this project, William was. As soon as those arms were granted to the Shakespeare family, Shakespeare was entitled to call himself "William Shakespeare, gent." and was probably able to wear fancier clothing under the sumptuary laws of the time.


What was Shakespeare's England's class society?

No, he was middle class. His father was a prosperous merchant and tradesman; his mother was of the minor gentry. Shakespeare himself worked hard to obtain a grant of arms for his father and himself, which enabled him to call himself a "gentleman", a step upwards in the class structure.


What was Shakespeare obsessed with?

There is no reason to believe that Shakespeare was obsessed with anything. He did spend a lot of time and energy getting himself a grant of arms which enabled him to call himself "Wm. Shakespeare, gent." but you cannot say that he was obsessed with social status, just that it was important to him.


How would shakespeare say Ladies and gentlemen?

Since the words "Ladies" and "Gentlemen" were both in his vocabulary, he could have said "ladies and gentlemen". However, these terms in his day were very specific markers of social class. He himself worked very hard to be entitled to call himself "William Shakespeare, gentleman". The only way he was allowed to call himself that was because his father had been granted a coat of arms. You will note that when Viola in Twelfth Night describes her parentage to Olivia she says, "I am a gentleman." That would specifically describe Cesario's social class, a class below Olivia's. Women were often called "ladies" when they were of various social classes. Thus Shakespeare conjoins lords and gentlemen, lords and ladies, and ladies and gentlemen. E.g. "Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have their toes Unplagued with corns will have a bout with you." (Romeo and Juliet, 1,5)


What was the class system like in Shakespeare's time?

The class system in Shakespeare's England was very rigid. People were only allowed to wear the clothes permitted to their social class. For example, only the highest classes could wear purple clothes. Shakespeare worked like crazy to get the College of Arms to grant a coat of arms to his father. This pushed Shakespeare up a class, so he could call himself "Mr. Shakespeare" and refer to himself as a "gentleman". Although it doesn't seem important to us, such signs of class were of extraordinary importance to Shakespeare and his contemporaries. On the off-chance that you might have been thinking of classes in school, the classes in Shakespeare's time were very different from what they are now: each school had only one class of all boys aged 7-13.


What did Shakespeare like?

We don't know. He did not leave behind any diaries nor do we have any contemporary accounts which reveal what he did or didn't like. We can only make guesses or assumptions based on what we know he did. He spent a lot of time and effort getting a grant of arms for himself so he could call himself a gentleman; clearly that was important to him. He does not seem to have ever had money problems; possibly his father's bankruptcy made him careful about money.


What are SIX specific things a Gentlemen during Romeos time was either expected or not expected to do.?

What does "Romeo's time" mean? The play is not precise about when the action is supposed to take place. It is most consistent with the action being contemporary to Shakespeare's day. And we can take our lead from Shakespeare himself, who was entitled to call himself "William Shakespeare, gent." There were expectations of marriage: nobody was supposed to marry someone from a class too different from his own. There were expectations of dress: plain gentlemen were not entitled to the fancy lace collars and ruffs that the nobility wore, and still less the furs of the higher nobility. Romeo and his pals had studied the use of the sword; this was expected of a gentleman.


What did William Shakespeare hope to do?

Different things at different times of his life, no doubt. There was a time when he was eighteen when what he hoped to do was roll in the hay with Anne Hathaway. There was a time when he was fifty-ish when he hoped to see the next day's sunrise. There was a period when he hoped to get a coat of arms approved for his father, so he could call himself "Gentleman". After he succeeded, he didn't hope to do that any more.


Did Shakespeare's parents love his theatre job?

Probably not. John Shakespeare was a man interested in social status, as he was a businessman who rose to become an alderman. He made application for a grant of arms which would make him a gentleman, a step up in the social ladder. Being an actor was not a socially acceptable job, and, in fact, the court officials wanted to revoke the grant of arms because our man William S was a "player". They didn't, though, much to the relief of Will who inherited his father's concern with social standing and was awfully proud to call himself "William Shakespeare, gent."


What do you call a spanish nobleman?

"caballero" as in gentleman "don" or "señor"


What do you call an old gentleman in France?

un vieux monsieur