Woman’s Role in Renaissance Society
When viewing the place of women in society, it is common to view their struggle for equality as a long, gradual ascension culminating in their liberation in the twentieth century. Michael Kaufman in an article entitled "Spare Ribs: The Conception of Woman in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance" (Soundings Summer, 1973) asserts that the place of woman actually declined with the advent of the Renaissance: The forces that gave rise to the Renaissance radically transformed most aspects of English economic and social life. The change from an agrarian community to an urban marketplace helped to accelerate and extend woman's subjugation (150).
The conception of woman in medieval literature is split between the clergy's portrayal of her as a seductive sinner or the aristocratic courtly love tradition in which she serves to transform earthly love into spiritual sublimity. According to Kaufman, this medieval view represents only a very small, male, aristocratic population (3%); her actual situation was better than the literature would indicate. But that gap narrowed during the Renaissance and as the "medieval agricultural economy . . . yielded to Tudor mercantile capitalism, . . . woman became an economic cipher and social possession" (141).
It seems that only Queen Elizabeth, shrewd and headstrong, could provide a female presence strong enough to counter certain aspects of a male-dominated Renaissance culture. The Elizabethan sonnet provides a paradoxical example of woman's inferior status. Although she has all the idealized virtues--"meekness, constancy, beauty, and, of course, chastity" (155), the sonnet itself functions as a measure of "masculine vitality" (156). It is the male who eme...
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...I would be fascinated to know more about the relationship of unrequited love and artistic creativity; I doubt that there is a simple cause and effect relationship. To what extent does modern romantic love follow the tradition of Petrarch? Or does our age of instant gratification, sexual equality, premature cynicism and irony make him largely irrelevant? Is it possible to spiritualize romantic love? What happens to one's spiritual health when a relationship comes to an end? Given the importance of Petrarch in history and the current debate over the status of women, these questions are crucial in gaining an understanding of our society.
Works Cited
West, Morris. Petrarch and His World. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1963.
Kaufman, Michael. "Spare Ribs: The Conception of Woman in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance." Soundings 56.2 (1974): 139-163.
In the beginning of Holy Feast and Holy Fast, Bynum provides background information on the history of women in religion during the Middle Ages, highlighting the different statuses of men and women in society during that time. It is important to understand the culture of the Middle Ages and the stereotypes surrounding men and women to appreciate Bynum’s connection between status, accessibility, and piety. As an example, Bynum mentions that there appear to be basic differences between even the lives of holy women and the lives of holy men, which was because “women lacked control over their wealth and marital status” (Bynum p. 25). Men are clearly construed here as having more power in their daily lives than women—this is a simple, but major, distinction between the two genders which provides reasoning towards their divergence in practices. Women’s s...
The upper class lives far above the poor, causing the lower class to feel shame which then stimulates the desire to achieve equality and happiness which the American dream promises. The narrator, Esperanza, admits that when looking at the homes on the hill, "I am ashamed--all of us staring out the window like the hungry. I am tired of looking at what we can`t have." She feels self-conscious not only for her lack of money and house, but also because her family looks at these houses with such longing that their expressions are comparable to "the hungry." Since she feels that her family's income and means exists beyond the starving class, she does not want to look at the houses with an appearance of hunger. She feels ashamed for belonging to the lower class who can only look and admire the houses but cannot own them. Ezperanza no longer feels content with looking at the houses because she wants her own yet knows that at the moment, she cannot have it. In addition, Esperanza notes that "People who live on hills sleep so close to the stars they forget those of us who live too much on earth." The upper class lives on a metaphorical hill, near the stars and heavens because society raises up those with money. Because society places the wealthy on a pedestal or "hill" they become unaware of anyone other than those who live leisurely lives. They do not see the poor who struggle and work through the everyday hardships life throws at them. According to Esperanza, the poor live "too much on earth" signifying that they have experienced too many trials and tribulations yet have not spent anytime amongst the stars.
Medieval Jewish society, like all traditional Jewish culture, was run by patriarchal hierarchy “Philosophical, medical, and religious views of the time all supported the view that men were superior to women both in nature and in deed” . Women’s position in society was secondary in comparison to that of men. They were characterized as lightheaded, weak, easily seduced, and linked to sorcery.
...racter who has great skill and ability and who attains respect and honor, in reality, she acts hesitantly and comes to the realization that all her skill and ability renders itself as completely useless as she has no value to her parents as a woman. In concluding "White Tigers," Kingston claims, "The swordswoman and I are not so dissimilar. May my people understand the resemblance soon so that I can return to them" (53). Kingston essentially asserts that the woman warrior and she carry the same heart, the same values, the same aspirations. However, the swordswoman has the ability to carry out these dreams whereas Kingston's only achieves such aspirations in her fantasy of the warrior. She hopes, though, that someday soon her "people" will realize the value of woman so that she too can become a female avenger, strong and admirable, standing up for her beliefs.
The woman of the Middle Ages tended to be pawns of men in religion, politics and economics (Gies). "Although a woman could
From the 14th to 17th century, the Renaissance was considered a notable era of great shifts and reformation throughout Europe. From the flourishing of classical sources to the greater accessibility to education, this significant period marked the end of the Dark Ages and the birth of modern history. Yet, despite the Renaissance being an era of immense prosperity and cultural development, it was also a time of extreme societal patriarchy. For most of history, women have remained anonymous figures and have spent centuries struggling to escape the wraths of male dominance. After the upswings of the Renaissance took place, many began to question whether women were included in this notable period of resurgence. While historians have endlessly disputed this great debate, the arguments made could however not challenge nor deny the anonymity and oppression deeply rooted in the way women have been both treated and perceived during this era. Thus, through analyzing the regulations of female versus male sexuality, the ideologies about women presented in literature and philosophy as well as the life of significant female Renaissance figures, it is clear that Renaissance women did not have a period of rebirth, ultimately delaying the future development of feminine hope and emancipation.
While historians and scholars use a variety of lenses to analyze American history, the examination of the role that gender has played in society provides a view of history broader than the typical patriarchal tunnel vision taught in most history classes today. Men’s roles in society have been molded and crafted by the changes occurring throughout these societies, but women’s roles both in the home and in the workforce have arguably undergone many more radical transformations since the inception of the United States. Specifically, the transformation of womanhood in the first half of the nineteenth century, beginning with the market revolution, permanently changed how women are viewed in society, by both men and other women, and how women relate
eastwood, kay. women and girls in the middle ages. 305.4. manhattan: crabtree publishing company, 2004. Print.
It is clear that women of the Renaissance experienced hardships and injustices throughout their lives. Women had to be "perfect" and not question the authority of men. Obviously, the times have changed but we should never forget how the women of the Renaissance were treated and how much improvement was
Kemp, Theresa D. Women in the Age of Shakespeare. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2009. Print.
Madame Ratignolle simply does not understand Edna; to her, sacrificing one’s life is the utmost that a mother can do for her children. It is as if Edna was not even “talking the same language.” In fact, the two women might well be speaking different languages. Unlike Madame Ratignolle who seems to have a baby every couple of years, Edna’s head is not filled exclusively with thoughts about her children. Whereas Madame Ratignolle is motherly at all times, Edna often seems irritated by her role as mother, and her attentions to her children often occur as an afterthought. Madame Ratignolle’s entire being is bound to her children; Edna’s being is of her own design. For her there is more to life than marriage and babies and social obligations. Edna might well, at least in this passage, be asserting an early version of what Betty Friedan discusses in The Feminine Mystique.
While neither Machiavelli’s The Prince nor Shakespeare’s Henry V focus explicitly on gender roles, they both make assumptions and implications sufficient to illustrate their opinions about the nature and place of women in relation to men. In Machiavelli’s The Prince, men and women are depicted in traditional gender roles with women as tricky and unreliable, but ultimately yielding to men who are portrayed as tough and immovable. Shakespeare’s Henry V acknowledges these ideas, but also portrays women as able to influence events within the small domain they are given.
... ailment and she knows that "faith will heal the sick" (James 5:15). Phoenix is so confident in her faith that even while traveling through silent cornfields, crossing streams, and braving a swamp, she makes the journey with her eyes firmly clamped shut. For as it says in Scripture, "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Traditional female characteristics and female unrest are underscored in literary works of the Middle Ages. Although patriarchal views were firmly established back then, traces of female contempt for such beliefs could be found in several popular literary works. Female characters’ opposition to societal norms serves to create humor and wish- fulfillment for female and male audiences to enjoy. “Lanval” by Marie De France and “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer both show subversion of patriarchal attitudes by displaying the women in the text as superior or equal to the men. However, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” also incorporates conventional societal ideas by including degradation of women and mistreatment of a wife by her husband.
At the beginning of "A Doll's House", Nora seems completely happy. She responds to Torvald's teasing, relishes in the excitement of his new job, and takes pleasure in the company of her children and friends. Nora never appears to disagree with her doll-like existence, in which she is cuddled, pampered and patronized. As the play progresses, Nora's true character appears and proves that she is more than just a "silly girl" as Torvald calls her. Her understanding of the business details related to the dept she incurred in taking out a loan to help Torvald's health shows her intelligence and her abilities beyond being merely a wife. The secret labor she undertakes to pay off her dept demonstrates her determination and ambition. In addition, her willingness to break the law in order to aid her...