Shakespeare A to Z | Death and Funerals
Death was a constant presence in the everyday lives of Elizabethans. Most people died at home rather than in hospitals. Each evening church bells tolled to announce the deaths that had occurred that day (six rings for a woman and nine rings for a man). Funeral processions— an almost daily sight—were another reminder of death. In addition to providing an opportunity to mourn, funerals enabled well-to-do Elizabethans to display the wealth and status of their families.
Children were the most vulnerable to DISEASE, and records indicate that about 25 percent of them died before their...
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