Patriarchy In Early Modern Europe

Essentially, marriage in the 1700’s was seen merely as a means of birthing heirs and finding a way to financially support yourself, so it resulted in both men and women being devalued. It is universally known that women were often treated as inept and helpless rather than sophisticated people with autonomy and capabilities. In fact, during this time, “married women were consistently compared with minor children and the insane-- both categories of people considered incapable of caring for themselves. To marry a woman was, in one sense, to ‘adopt’ her-- or at least to adopt responsibility for all the circumstances of life with which she entered the marriage” (Teachman 39). Furthermore, when women got married, they would legally cease to exist.

Women were supposed to be meek and subservient to their husbands fulfilling their every need. It was the woman's job to cook and clean and maintain the household. Women could not file for divorce only the husband could, and if she did get divorced from her husband she would lose everything, and would be looked down upon by society. Homosexuality was thought of as a crime

During the Elizabethan era, woman’s roles were still very limited, and the society was patriarchal. Men were supposed to be the breadwinners, while woman were expected to be housewives. It was estimated that a woman gave birth every two years, but children died from sickness, so it prevented families from ever becoming large. Childbearing was considered a big honor to woman, as children were seen as blessings from God. However, many woman were highly educated.

Women were assigned the role of homemaker, where they were expected to be good wives and mothers. Both women and men belonged to a family, they were all individuals under the power of the paterfamilias which is the oldest living male, it is this person that is responsible for everyone under his control. Unmarried daughters were under the control of the Patria Potestas but upon marriage, the responsibility for the woman is moved to the Manus of the husband. A woman was expected to be chaste and to act with modesty. For women, actions like drinking wine, leaving the home without covering their hair, having private conversations with a common freed woman or attending games without the knowledge of the husband results in divorce (WLGR V 109).

Throughout history the existence of patriarchy has threatened women’s rights to equality and self-determination. Patriarchy manifested itself in the marriage practices of early modern European society and became the foundation on which couples built their love and partnership. During the sixteenth century, literature describing ideal wives and husbands was a popular genre, but works about female gender roles were more prevalent. The Bride, a poem published by Samuel Rowland’s in 1617 details the duties of a good wife and life partner.1 The duties listed in Rowland’s poem were very common for women at that time and can also be seen in Steven Ozment’s book, Magdalena and Balthasar. Ozment’s book documents the relationship of Nuremberg Merchant Balthasar Paumgartner and

The seventeenth century medieval society was one of patriarchal rule. Men used religion to assert their authority over women. It was their "God-given prerogative" (Mckay et al., 464). Secular laws also allowed men to use physical force to enforce their will. Women were to be the caretakers of the home and children and once married could not get a divorce.

During this time period gender roles were extremely strict on the portrayal of women should act inside and outside the house. They were considered property and supposed to be the lesser of men. Being a mother was considered to be good and righteous. Madame Ratignolle, is a perfect example to this, she is een under an angelic light. Independent women were always shunned.

In early modern England, notions about female gender roles tended to be constructed by two forms of discourse: the theological and the medical. Theological sermons and pamphlets emphasized the biblical injunctions that women should be silent and obedient and that they were subject to the authority of their husbands. Callaghan (1989, 9) argues that Renaissance society was ‘profoundly hierarchical ' and that the chain of authority extended from God, via the monarch, to men and women who were expected to conduct their household relationships inconformity with the idea that women were subject the authority of their fathers and husbands. Belsey (1985, 9) emphasizes thatmen and women are not symmetrically defined. Man, the centerand hero of liberal humanism, was produced in contradistinction to the objects of his knowledge, and in terms of the relations of power in the economy and the state.

Women in the 1600s to the 1800s were very harshly treated. They were seen as objects rather than people. They were stay-at-home women because people didn’t trust them to hold jobs. They were seen as little or weak. Women living in this time period had to have their fathers choose their husbands.

This society originated based on the belief that women were destined to be mothers and wives and no more. During this era, women struggled to attain gender equality as the ideology during this period rested on the belief that women were both physically and intellectually the inferior sex. (YILDIRIM,46) The topic of gender equality is a very controversial topic to discuss even today in the modern world. Female oppression has been

Zophy writes of women, “for the most part, did not have much of a “renaissance” ” (Zophy 3). In “The Family”, Alessandria, a woman attempts to connect her exiled soon with a prospective bride with the help of a man, only to fall short in her attempts. This reveals the power dynamics between men and women. Regardless of the gender, both men and women were married to each other with the parentings arranging the ordeal.

In the essay, "Did Women have a Renaissance?”, Joan Kelly-Gadol, presents a feminist insight into women's role in society during the Renaissance and how women did not have a Renaissance. While Margaret L. King, who wrote, “Women and High Power”, offers the roles of women and learning from 1300-1800 and argues that women did . The question of, “did women benefit from the Renaissance?”, is an extremely loaded question. Like every argument or question there are two sides to every story. One way, like Margaret L. King to look at this argument is that women experienced the Renaissance just like men did.

Different societies view women in different lights. Therefore, a woman’s position is greatly different from one society to the other. The societies in question do not necessarily have to exist at the same time. Even in the same time frame, two societies could exist, where one treat women as equals to men, and another that treats women differently than men, whether better or worse. The societies in question are: Mesopotamia, Greece, China, Rome & Europe, and this essay aims to study different societies’ viewpoints on women, and to compare and contrast them against each other.

Introduction Women in the Middle ages were treated as the second class members within their social class. They were taught to be obedient to their husbands and were expected to run the household and raise children. Their role in the society, however, was much more complex, while some medieval women achieved a high level of equality with men. In the Middle Ages women had a secondary role, coming second after men.

The Renaissance: a period where women’s independence grew or a time of no change? When people think of the Renaissance they think of a period full of great change for women´s roles in society. In reality, it didn't change how women could live in a lot of ways. Although this was a struggle for women, some women stood out because they prove that women should have more freedom and voice in society.