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Roles Of Women In The Middle Ages Research Paper

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During the time periods from the Middle Ages to the end of the eighteenth century, women’s roles began to change. This was still the time when people lived in a male dominated society, and women were subservient to men. Women were meant to be innocent and uneducated, or at least this is what men thought. Women were not allowed to engage in society. Only the husbands could do that, and the women had to be obedient to their husbands. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance Period, and the Restoration Period, the role of women began to change. This idea was reflected in many of the literary works such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Book of Margery Kempe, Astrophil and Stella, Utopia, The Rape of Lock, and A Modest Proposal.

During the Middle Ages, women had few rights. They were meant to serve their husband and children and tend to the household chores. Many people used religion to show that men had authority over women. They compared Christ with women, saying that men were inferior. If women disagreed with this they were challenging the stereotype. Marriages during this time were arranged. Women had very little, if any, influence in choosing the man they had to marry. Women were meant to marry young, then immediately begin childbearing and household …show more content…

N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2016.

Masters, Rachel D. "The Portraiture of Women During the Italian Renaissance." The University

of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community. N.p., May 2013. Web. 21 Dec.

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Staley, Lynn. "The Book of Margery Kempe: Introduction." Robbins Library Digital Projects.

N.p., 1996. Web. 21 Dec. 2016.

Westfall, Cassandra . "The Negative Images of Women in Pope 's "The Rape of the Lock", page

1." The Negative Images of Women in Pope 's "The Rape of the Lock", page 1. N.p., n.d.

Web. 21 Dec.

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