Which Statement Best Describes the Sixteenth-Century Aristocracy

Which statement best describes the sixteenth-century aristocracy?

A) The aristocracy dominated society as it had done in the Middle Ages.
B) The aristocracy was largely surpassed by the up and coming merchant class.
C) The aristocracy was still powerful, but had little new blood to keep it vital.
D) The aristocracy was extremely uneducated compared to the nobility of the Middle Ages.
E) The aristocracy largely disappeared by the early seventeenth century.