Life as a Male
A Drawing of the inside of an average peasant's home
As a male during the high and
middle Renaissance, life was very redundant and simple for the peasants, but
fascinating and tremendous for the wealthy. His class in the European society
determined the life of a Renaissance male. The royal boys had a wonderful and
easy life ahead, where food and women were abundant. Noblemen basically did as
they wished, being that they had servants to do every sort of labor for them.
Men were expected to live chivalrous lives. According to the "Book of the
Courtier," men should be athletic, artistic, loyal, well read, and not give
offense. This balanced out the nobleman’s life to include sport, reading and
relationships. They often participated as the leading acts in local theater
productions, and threw great feasts in their own honor.
Peasant men were a different story. Not only
were they not entertained by anyone, they worked all day long. Their food supply
was meager, consisting only of coarse bread. The work done by peasants was
difficult physical labor, done mainly for survival purposes. It was a type of
farming, with shallow soil, that was not productive enough to offer the village
a surplus. In order to live, they had to toil from dawn till dusk. Toward the
end of the Renaissance, new farming methods were developed, making labor easier,
and changing the lives of everyone. Within the craft trades men joined guilds of
other craftsmen like themselves, sort of like modern-day unions. These would
allow them to control the benefits of their trade, and would ensure quality
products. This was helpful also because they could gain a part in the local
government and protect themselves from competitors.
When the person could no longer do the work
that they were required, they were more or less labeled as an elder or senior
citizen. They didn’t receive much respect and were looked down upon by the
village and royalty. They were often thought to be crazy. The society in no way
had an oligarchy, but rather a strong youthful governing body. Without steady
income and no home, elders would often move in with children. When somebody was
labeled as a senior, it became a grim reminder that they didn’t have a great
deal of time to live.
