Roles Of Women In Medieval Europe

Summary Women in medieval Europe were oppressed by the beliefs of religion, laws, and the men that ruled society at the time. Because of this, women were restricted to a tight-knit set of rules and boundaries. Yet, some women such as, Joan of Arc, broke these constraints and took leadership roles in society. While this was rare during the time, it was somewhat accepted in extreme cases. For example, France and England were at war when Joan of Arc arose to prominence. Unfortunately, the majority of women in medieval Europe didn’t have the same opportunity. Instead, they were restricted to certain jobs like: nuns, housewives, maids, and servants. Also, women faced difficulty in other areas. Death during childbirth was common at the time. Furthermore, women married younger than they do today. It was not uncommon for a woman to marry in her teenage years. On the other hand, women like Joan of Arc also existed.

Next, daily for women was difficult, as their responsibilities were vital to the household, but also overwhelming. Women were expected to care children, manage farms, or other businesses their husbands were involved in, care for any animals the family owned, clean and maintain the house, and prepare daily meals. Peasant women experienced this type of daily life. In the higher levels of the social chain women gained more rights, but were still controlled by their husbands, or other men involved in their lives. On the flip side, some women rose to positions of power. For example, if a king was absent or deceased, the queen has to maintain the kingdom and assume the king’s responsibilities. In these cases, the queen was the leader of the kingdom, until a new king was found. Women could also rise to power through war, which is the case for Joan of Arc, who became of symbol of hope for France during the Hundred Years