3 The Victorian Period

The Victorian Period

Why it matters

1837 to 1901

Society and Morality

Key Aspects

Social Expectations

The Victorian Period

Song

Social Rules & Morality

HistoricalContext

Literature & Art

Task

The Victorian Period

SONG 1

SONG quiz

SONG quiz

3. Life in the Victorian Period wasn´t all good. Which famous author wrote stories about the workhouses and poor living conditions?

Charles Dickens

Gender Roles • Men were expected to be strong, rational, and the breadwinners. • Women were seen as pure, emotional, and meant to stay in the domestic sphere — as wives, mothers, and moral guardians. • A woman’s reputation was everything; being seen as “improper” could ruin her social standing.

The Victorian Period (1837–1901) The Victorian Period refers to the time when Queen Victoria ruled Britain, from 1837 to 1901. It was a time of big changes in society, technology, and ideas.

Unscramble all this information into words. Type or Write the lyrics. Listen to the song and check your spelling and punctuation.

The Victorian Period laid the groundwork for modern Britain. It was a paradoxical time—marked by both progress and inequality, innovation and repression. Its legacy still echoes in literature, architecture, and social norms today.

People followed strict rules about behavior, especially around gender and emotions. Women were expected to be quiet, modest, and stay at home. Talking about feelings or sexuality was considered inappropriate. Yet, many people felt trapped by these rules and wanted more freedom.

During the Victorian Period (1837–1901), British society followed very rigid rules about how people should behave, especially regarding gender roles and sexuality. These rules were part of what’s often called “Victorian morality.”

“Victorian Morality” emphasized modesty, discipline, and respectability, though often with underlying contradictions.

This Period was known for strict social codes, especially around sexuality and gender.

Sexuality • Public discussion of sex was taboo — considered shameful or indecent. • Premarital sex, homosexuality, and even flirtation were socially condemned. • Yet, paradoxically, prostitution was widespread, and many men visited brothels, showing a double standard between public morality and private behavior.

Britain became the most powerful empire in the world. The Industrial Revolution brought factories, trains, and cities—but also pollution and poverty. Society was divided into rich and poor, and many people worked long hours in harsh conditions.

Key Aspects

Britain was the world’s leading empire during the Victorian Period, with vast colonial holdings and industrial power.

There was rapid growth in industry, railways, and urbanization.

There were harsh working conditions for laborers, especially women and children.

Rise of middle-class values, literacy, and consumer culture.

How old was Queen Victoria when she took to the throne?

18

Can you name one of the new discoveries featured in the Victorian Song?

stamps, Christmas trees, Post Boxes

Writers like Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë, and Thomas Hardy showed the struggles of everyday people. Novels became very popular and often talked about poverty, love, injustice, and emotional conflict. Poetry and drama also explored deep feelings—but often in hidden or symbolic ways.

The Victorian period refers to the era in British history during the reign of Queen Victoria