The Controversial Margery Kempe

The Controversial Margery Kempe

Throughout history, there have been a select number of women with extraordinary talent, intelligence, and passion that have challenged and defied society's subjugation of women and have stood their ground under the pressure of patriarchy. The Middle Ages, in particular, generally cast women in a negative light. Some medieval women used their abilities in the arts to leave a lasting impression on a society that affiliated women with Eve, who was believed to be the reason for man's fall from grace. Others had a religious perspective, immersing themselves in God's work on earth. One such woman was Margery Kempe, a fifteenth-century visionary who was widely criticized as being a heretic and worshipper of Satan. Kempe set aside her roles as wife and mother to pursue what she felt was her true calling: preaching God's Word. Labeled a religious mystic by some, Margery was a highly controversial figure in late medieval England. Not only was her public behavior deemed ridiculous and motivated by evil, but she broke the rules of proper conduct for women in the Middle Ages, reversing power roles and defying societal expectations. From a vain, materialistic young girl in an upper middle-class household to a loud, confrontational (and often annoying) woman who drew much attention and criticism through her public displays of grief, Margery experienced much opposition and created controversy at all levels in late medieval society. But throughout her life, which included bearing fourteen children, failing at two business ventures, and traveling to holy places, Margery insisted that Jesus communicated with her and chose her specifically as His messenger on earth.

Born in 1373 in the trade town of Lynn, Engla...

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