Woolgar-Nastacio

It is interesting to note how the household was viewed in the British Isles in the Middle Ages. The idea of a household varies from what we would today call a modern household. The idea of a household back then dealt with a more formal idea of lordship and turned into a political statement. The household's goal was to demonstrate their opulence or imitate the wealth of royalty. For those citizens who could not afford such luxuries, their households were brought together by a common set of ideals. This propagates the idea that the main purpose of the household was to exhibit the honor, status and general livelihood of the lord. Therefore, privacy was not a idea that was readily acknowledged-instead it was the public life that appealed to most. It is also interesting to note that a household was not only made up by those persons who were receiving food and receiving payment but also a household compassed the poor who were receiving charity from members within a particular house. However, it was still seen that those within the household were present only to serve the lord and his family. This brings up the question: to what extent does the household exist to please the head of the household?