...SHORT PAPER 1 Women’s Role in Medieval Society Southern New Hampshire University SHORT PAPER 1 Discussion Sadly in Medieval Ages women had a secondary role to men. A women in medieval time life was torn between marriage, religion and family. A women’s forced concern during these times were procreation. In medieval times a person’s family was so large that the role for a woman was to be a good mother and a good wife. If a women attempted emancipation they were shunned by the church for betraying the man which in turn control public opinion (The Role of Women, 2009). Also for women that attempted to fight back against the conditions that there husband and society placed on them would fall victim to chastising by the church and would be victims of abuse from not only their husbands but also their society. Sadly the only way for a women to be safe was to please the husband. The women during these times always been made to look inferior and weak compared to men for the status quo could remain in effect which was created by the church. The women during these times were taught to provide meals, clothes for husband and children, and tending on the house. Some women during these times would be forced to sell products to provide extra income for the household and on top of providing extra income they would still be forced to do all the work they require of a wife. Women during medieval times had little to no rights if they were...
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...Women held many different positions during the Medieval Times such as wives, mothers, peasants, artisans, and nuns. They were treated very differently than the men. They were taught to be obedient to their husbands and were expected to run their households and raise children. Women were seen as inferior by men and society. Women’s jobs were picked for them. They could not choose what they wanted to do; they were assigned a job. Women were paid less than men doing the same job. Most who lived in rural communities lived off the land and had farm work. The role and life of women in medieval towns depended on social statuses. Noble women ran the household and raised children. Less wealthier families, such as peasants, were expected to help...
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...The perception and roles of women has been a topic of discussion for many years. The views different from those like Brigham Young, who states, “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation” while many others view women in a more subservient role. Though Protestant and Catholics view woman differently than other cultures by considering them to be equal to males in the sight of God, each of these denominations differed by their views of a woman’s dependency, limited rights, and the view of marriage. The views of these two denominations help begin to change and shape the views of women that we see today. Both the Protestant and the Catholics viewed man and women equal and they both believed Ephesians 5:22 that wives were to submit to their husbands....
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...usually passed from the control of their fathers to the control of their husbands. Certain women, however, did not follow this path, which led to their marginalization in society and often to their turn to prostitution. Since prostitution is widely believed to be the oldest profession in history, one might imagine that it was considered an acceptable profession in society. However, prostitution was an area of great debate during the Middle Ages, as it was a practice which was considered morally repugnant, but its value in society could also be seen. Considering the large influence that Christianity had on medieval European society, the church’s opinion of prostitution was adopted by society at large. Since Christianity valued virginity in women so highly, it would seem natural that the church would be against prostitution and would try to eliminate it as a profession in society. However, in practice, the medieval church did not go to great lengths to punish prostitutes. Considering this fact, what was Christianity’s and more generally society’s attitude toward prostitution? In what ways did the church and the legal authorities face the morally unacceptable practice of prostitution? Based on the laws of the late Medieval period and evidence of the abundance of prostitutes in Europe, it is clear that society had an ambiguous standpoint towards prostitution, denouncing it as immoral while simultaneously accepting it as a necessary evil. The understanding of the definition of...
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...WOMEN IN SOCIETY, HISTORY. Writer Hester Eisenstein, claim that Feminism or feminist thoughts is traceable back to the fifteenth century and also to earlier times, such as the age of Sappho. However, it is mainly observed from the mid 1960’s and 70’s, when the organised women’s movement began to revitalise itself and make a statement, that feminist perspectives began to influence the outpouring of publications on women history and female education. (Purvis June 1985). This piece of work is taken from the document written about Medieval Education in England. It shows that what little education given was mainly received by boys and girls hardly ever got any sort of education or as little as possible, instead they where to stay at home and learn home keeping. My commentary is focused on the history of women from the Roman to Medieval times. Except for a few exceptions, all Roman women were for their entire lives subject to some degree of limitation on the capacity for independent legal actions. (Jane Gardner 1986). Authority to act must either be obtained from, or was ordered by a man, which could either be a father, husband or guardian. For girls, puberty was written in law, and a girl is said to have reached it at the age of twelve, and to be of marriageable age at 12 and sometimes before they actually reach puberty. A woman married with Manus (creation) was effectively in the position of an adopted daughter and a part of the family, she had no legal independence and no independent...
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...women are still faced with obstacles. The roles of women in Medieval Times had many limitations and it all depended on their level of class. It is hard for one to imagine what it was like for women back in the medieval times because very few women were literate and had the opportunity to record their thoughts and feelings, and other women were not allowed to learn how to read or write, and it was restricted for women to record their thoughts. As young women in Medieval Times from a wealthy noble family, they were sent away to complete their education. Girls as young as seven were sent away to live with another noble family and there they were taught skills and a variety of subjects, with emphasis on manners and etiquette, riding and archery were also taught. Young girls were expected to act as the servants to the ladies of the house, take care of the clothes and assist the ladies in dressing. In doing all of this these young girls were learning how they were to act and behave once they were married off. “During this period a young Medieval woman would also learn about the Medieval Code of Chivalry and Courtly Love. The romance of Courtly love was completely opposite to the practicalities of medieval marriage” (Medieval Women). Boys as young as fourteen and girls as young as twelve were allowed to be married upon the parent’s permission. A betrothal was often made between a boy and girl as young as seven years old. Women in medieval times had very little say in who they were...
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...I do not believe it was a radical departure from the middle ages, instead of a radical departure, I believe it was simply a start of early modern period. The renaissance happened over centuries, many of the influential artist from the renaissance were separated by 100 years. Most of the changes were happening in the wealthy societies and not so much the poorer ones, which made up most of the population. The renaissance was a significant departure from the middle ages in history to us now, the major changes were more impactful collectively, however it was not as noticeable to people at the time it was happening. Parents were not telling their children, “okay kids hold onto your hats the rebirth is here!” The Renaissance was the start of the...
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...New Art Forms of the High Middle Ages Throughout history Europe has experienced countless changes in culture and other aspects. The Middle Ages, or Medieval Period, lasted from around 800 into the 1400’s (349). This period can be subdivided into three categories: early, high, and late. The Middle Ages brought about changes in religion, law, and daily life. Changes also occurred in the arts with the introduction of Gothic architecture and troubadour poetry. Although the Middle Ages began as a time of violence, the emergence of Gothic architecture and troubadour poetry are examples of devotion and expression. During the tenth and eleventh centuries cathedrals were constructed (367). The style of the cathedrals resembled Roman architecture, which was the preceding time period. (367). Features of Roman architecture included “massive walls, rounded stones arches, and small windows” (367). By the twelfth century, this new style gained the name “Gothic.” The Gothic style introduced new engineering improvements and emphasized more emotional expression. The structures of Gothic architecture consisted of pointed arches, high ceilings, and flying buttresses (367). A flying buttress carried the weight of the roof. “Midieval Archtechture” states: “The walls of Gothic buildings could be thinner than previous styles of architecture because the weight of the roof was supported by the arches rather than by the walls. The pointed Gothic arch provided greater flexibility could also span...
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...17th century European countries such as France and pressure for mostly consisting of absolutist governments and monarchs. Absolutism is a form of government where all the power is directed towards one single ruler. Medieval times can relate to the 17th century Europe. Medieval monarchs would occasionally attempt to centralize their governments and authority, but it would never be carried through because of the nobles in the church opposing to absolutist influence during the middle ages. Also women's rights in roles in society did not change much from medieval times to the 17th century. France and Prussia experience significant changes during the 17 century. Both countries developed absolute monarchies after wars occurred, and also form strong economic systems do absolutist rulers. However, some characteristics did remain the same, four instance, having a single, base religion for each country in social status for women....
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...Abbott's chapter on The Umayyads takes an in-depth look at the rise and fall of this dynasty, paying close attention to women of this time and the roles they played. Abbott discusses early Umayyad Caliph's and their wives, giving awareness to Uthman and Na'ilah as well as Mu'awiyah and Maisun bint Bahdal. Each of these matches is portrayed by Abbott as somewhat equal or at least a mutual respect between the couples. But as time wore on slowly the ideal Arab wife was being infringed upon by the harems that the elite Umayyads were setting up. Filling their halls with slave women from far off lands, such as Persia. An example of the impact that these women had on the Caliph can be seen during Walid I reign, where although he had eight different free Arab wives only one borne him any children, the rest of his off spring came from his servant girls. This shows that Walid I preferred these foreign women to those of his own Arab decent. Abbott states that with the rise of the Umayyad Empire came a change in the political status of Arab women. Pride and race and other virtues were gradually receding into the background. With the accession of Yazid III dealt the royal Arab women a hard blow since the sons of the harem wives stood up to become the next heir. With this the Arab Islamic women officially became a prisoner with in the political society. In the conclusion of this chapter Abbott blames Arab women as the case for the decline in the status of Muslim women, saying if such wives as...
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...the Ways in Which Chaucer and Duffy Convey the Ideas about Lust and Love Chaucer’s ‘Wife of Bath’s Tale’ is a medieval text set in a patriarchal society in which women were treated in an unequal manner. In contrast to the social factors in medieval society, Chaucer’s story is dominated by women, making this a matriarchal story which presents themes of women‘s independence. This idea is accentuated due to the fact that the Wife of Bath narrates the story. The main character of the knight who reflects the personality of promiscuous males in the medieval period who were mostly lustful towards woman and the roles between men and women showed inequality. Conversely, Duffy’s poems are contemporary in contrast to Chaucer’s patriarchal influence in his story, there is more of a sense of equality as she is a modern feminist author which presents the genders in the poems ‘Adultery’ and ‘Valentine’ in a quite ambiguous nature. The reader is unable to understand if the narrative voice is a male or a female. As a result the gender of the narrator in ‘Adultery’ and ‘Valentine is ambiguous. In addition, due to the ambiguity her poems, primarily ‘Valentine’ as she compares love to an onion and does this by using imagery, symbolism and choice of lexis. Both Chaucer and Duffy present ideas about lust and love in their work. However, Chaucer presents the idea of love in a medieval fairy tale which is more idealistic as the story ends on a happy note. By contrast Duffy presents the idea of lust...
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...anti-Semitism manifest itself in medieval Europe? Kenneth R. Stow, Alienated Minority: The Jews of Medieval Latin Europe; Mark R. Cohen, Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages; Solomon Grayzel, The Church and the Jews in the Thirteenth Century 3. What was the position of prostitutes in medieval society? Ruth Mazo Karras, Common Women; Leah Otis, Prostitution in Medieval Society; Margaret Wade Labarge, A Small Sound of the Trumpet: Women in Medieval Life 4. Why did the French choose to follow Joan of Arc during the the Hundred Years War? Kelly DeVries, Joan of Arc: A Military Leader; Bonnie Wheeler, ed., Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc; Margaret Wade Labarge, A Small Sound of the Trumpet: Women in Medieval Life 5. Discuss the significance of siege warfare during the crusades. You may narrow this question down to a single crusade if you wish. Jim Bradbury, The Medieval Siege; Randall Rogers, Latin Siege Warfare in the Twelfth Century; John France, Victory in the East: A Military History of the First Crusade 6. Why did the persecution of heretics increase during the high and later Middle Ages? You may focus on the persecution of one heretical group if you wish. R.I. Moore, The Formation of a Persecuting Society; Malcolm Lambert, Medieval Heresy; Gordon Leff, Heresy in the Later Middle Ages 7. To what extent did the ideals of medieval knighthood match its realities...
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...It’s difficult to pick a side of this issue. On one hand, I agree with France. Women should have the same roles in the church that men have. They are people too, and to deny them equal rights based on gender seems a bit medieval. I’m glad women’s roles have changed with society. If they hadn’t, we would still be living in a sad time of gender inequality. After all, people are people regardless of race or gender. I completely understand denying someone rights based on decisions that a person has made. Instances include crime, where someone may be denied certain amounts of social privileges because they may present a danger to society. However, denying a sector of society certain rights based on qualities that they had no part in choosing seems a tad bit harsh. In this way I feel that Christian practice should change with society. After all, Biblical writers are writers of their times, and social no-no’s of the first century are no longer in play. On the other hand, I disagree with France. Yes, women’s role in society has changed, but does that mean we should change...
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...portrays a common issue happening in society. This being that women are seen to be the weakest gender. There is no equal pay, women are underestimated and thought of to be incapable at performing at the same level as men. Although, it isn’t as radical as it was during the time of King Arthur, in this story, the power that men hold is suddenly withdrawn from their hands and put into the delicate hands of the “weaker sex”. It starts off with a flirty knight who thinks that he has every right to take a maiden’s virginity away, against her will. Of course, the knight knew what he was doing and chose to do it anyways, feeling that he has superior power of the innocent maiden’s virginity. It’s like having a perfect rose in your palm and suddenly destroying it with your own hands. You can’t get that perfect rose to be perfect once again. Once committed, the damage cannot be undone. At this point it is evident that the superiority is held by men. Although when the knight is brought to trial, this is not the case. Being charged with rape, during the medieval times, was a crime punishable by death. King Arthur held his knights to the idealized code of honor known as chivalry and was not going to let one knight stain the reputation of them all. But suddenly his jurisdiction is stripped away by her beloved wife, the queen. She simply asks the king to grant her the power to decide the fate of the sinful knight. Now the queen comes to represent women's sovereignty. Even more amazing then...
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...I find it difficult to reach a conclusion, but I am tempted to say that both Chaucer and Langland do not treat women as a distinct class. William Langland and Geofffrey Chaucer have in common the satirical view point in which their works are done. From a subtle but elaborated language, both of them reflect women's gender roles in patriarchal society. In medieval times women were considered inferior beings. This statement came strongly supported by the Church, where, according to the Bible Eve was guilty of the first sin and temped Adam to sin also and of the rest of the sins committed by men. So that’s mainly why women didn't have any control on their fate. By using characters like Baths wife in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales...
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