Stereotypes Of Women In Medieval Europe

The life of a woman had always been difficult due to stereotypes society has created. These stereotypes emerged from hundreds, even thousands of years ago, but especially during Medieval Europe and Confucian China. During these times, women were often subjugated to roles of housewife and birth giver. Medieval Europe put women in their place by creating a code of chivalry that made women no longer real people but “damsels in distress” that often need to be rescued by knights or other men. They also used the idea of ‘witchcraft’ that forced woman to act like how they wanted. Confucian China put women in their place by creating standards of beauty that women had to meet in order to achieve filial piety. Filial piety is bringing honor to one’s family/ancestors. Both time periods put women in their place by creating propaganda that emphasized what it meant to be a ‘perfect woman’. Medieval Europe created chivalry that often lowered the status of women and made it seem as they were defenseless. This meant that women had to act like what society wanted them to; helpless. In today’s society, it's often a stereotype where a so and so “damsel in distress” wishes a knight will sweep them off their feet and carry them to safety. What this stereotype did to women, was

Both time periods scarred women mentally and physically. Medieval Europe used witchcraft which practically was a death threat and China used foot binding which would leave a woman mentally scarred either unable to walk or dead. Their motives were both the same, as they wanted to created a social order where men were on top and women were at the bottom. Although they were different, as women in Medieval Europe who chose not to act how society wanted them often worried about death. While women in Confucian China who didn’t act “right” often worried about failing to achieve final