Elizabeth I

The Tudor Royal Court | Birth of a Princess | Perils of Youth | Forms of Identity

Forms of Identity

In sixteenth-century society, individual identity could be defined in various ways. Many people thought that family connections and inherited social status determined one's position in the world. Some considered education to be a way that individuals could shape their own nature and change themselves and the world around them. Others thought that education was more properly used to prepare a young person for his or her allotted role. Many people also believed that human nature was fixed and one's destiny was shaped by the influence of the stars.

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