Medieval Women In The Good Wife's Guide

In life, there is a certain expectation of what rules one must follow in order to fit the molds of their society. The Good Wife’s Guide is a handbook where many of the rules for medieval women are assembled. Unlike today, where women enjoy their hard-earned freedoms, women in the medieval era were often looked at as second-rate citizens in comparison to their male counterparts. This is because of religious traditions that imparted men as ‘sons of God’ and women as corruptible creatures, and the tradition of marriage as a device for passing ownership from father to husband. Medieval women faced adversities that are unknown to most women in our society today. The medieval household was built around a hierarchy in which women were oppressed with the use of harsh religious rules,

The basis of a woman’s daily life in the medieval home was adhering to strict religious rules that impacted their freedom. In the medieval era, religion was an important part of everyday life, but for women this was used as a way to control and dehumanize them. Religion was often used as an excuse for husbands, and fathers, to control their wives. For example, in The Good Wifes Guide, it is stated that “God commands women to be subject to their husband as lords, because the husband is the head of the wife just as Our Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the Church”. The bible is often used in this way to provide a basis for the harsh treatment of women. It equates husband and wife just as you would Jesus and the Church, although they truly have very little to do with each other. The author of The Good Wife’s Guide, who is speaking to his young wife, also gives examples of biblical women