"The Prioress," by Chaucer

During medieval time, many women decided to dedicate or devote their life to God. Some were from wealthy family others like the nuns not and therefore they had to do the hard work within the Convent. like nuns, the Prioress had to make the same vows to God such as leaving behind ordinary or material things. However, The Prioress differ from nuns, the way they dressed as well as way they behaved.

The Nun's Priest

The widow in the "Nun's Priest," by Chaucer reflects the life of a peasant woman who lives in poor conditions. this woman hasn't inherited any wealth from her husband only misery. Unlike the Wife's Bath who accumulated wealth by marrying several husbands. Due to her economic conditions, she lives a life very different from other widows because she had nothing to fight for and therefore her life is just like any poor person who has to work very hard to make the end.

The Wife's Bath

The character of Allison in "The Wife's Bath," by Chaucer was a woman who married several times with wealthy husbands. This brought her great benefits such as learning how to conduct business and how to behave within the most affluent social class. She also used her sexual attributes for personal gain. This is proven when she said, :I have the powere during al my life upon. Upon this proper body, and nat he time" (Line 164). Many of these husbands were wealthier and older than her so she had a purpose in her mind and that was the influence and money theses husband could give her in order to scaling a wealthier social class and independence.

Women and Will

One important achievement obtained by married women during the medieval time was the right to inherit the wealth of their husbands by their deaths. The will was a legal document that enable many widows not to be economically destitute like before. Among the widow women who benefit with this legal law was the Wife's Bath. She has the misfortune or fortune of widowed several times and as a result she became a wealthy and powerful women.

Working Women

During the Middle Ages, women exercised roles in the labor field as men. This sort of movement, where women have legal right to work, was called "Femme Sole." This was an improvement for women by conducting business apart from their husbands (page 3). Single widows as well as married women, were able to achieve independence. To illustrate, Margery Kempe was a woman who, in addition to performing household chores, was also a business woman whose profits were for herself. She decided to become independent woman, removing her husband's power.

Marget Paston's Life

Margaret Paston was a young girl who married at age of 18. Due to the absence of her husband, she had the responsibility to take over the house's administration as well as her husband's affairs. Among her chores she cooked smoked ham and bacon, baked bread, preserved fruits and ran the estates as though she was her husband (page 1). Be in charge of the affairs of her husband was not an easy task for her because she was not used to have a close relations with men other than her father or husband. likewise, the comportment book, "The Good Wife's Guide," reflected a married young girl who had to assume household responsibilities as well as assistant business of her husband.

The Daughter's Poem

In middle ages, mothers were devoted to the task of instilling into their daughters what society expects of them. Hence, the existence of books and poems to dedicate them. These poems were intended to explain the importance of home managing, subservience and so on (page 1), as well as their duties towards their husbands.

The Wife's Guide

During medieval times women, especially married women, had to bear in mind the position in their home as well as their duties toward their husbands. Even well-off women had to take care of household chores such as gardening, work within the farm (page 1). The Book, "The Good Wife's Guide," sets many examples written by a old man who wanted his wife to learn how to be an obedient wife. Also he cited the character of Griselda, in "The Clerk's Tale," to empathize the importance and rewards of being a submissive wife.

The Merchant's Wife

This story describes a merchant's wife who used manipulation to get what she wanted. She is a capricious woman who likes to spend money on trivial things.Through her games she made her husband looked as a selfish person in the eyes of the monk (lines 161-162), in order to get the money she needed. The wife betrayed her husband by agreeing to sleep with the monk. However, the merchant thought of the monk as a brother; this men betrayed him and the word of God. This story as well as the movie, "The Name of the Rose," used the monk as a symbol of some members of the church in medieval times who would not do what they were sworn to do and break all of God's Codes.

"The Clerk's Tale," by Chaucer

The story of Chaucer reflects roles and behaviors of women in a Patriarchal Society. The main character of the story is a poor peasant girl called Griselda who swore to his husband, Walter, to be a faithful and obedient wife. Despite her willingness to respect all her husband commands this, rich man humiliated her with several tests. This was to see if she would actually fulfill the oath she made to him. One way he tested her was by taking her children away from her in a cruel and ruthless way just to see her reaction. To this situation she did not complain or cry, she just accepted it as an obedient wife. Furthermore, she stated, “Lord all is subject to your pleasure. My child and I, with heart-felt obedience, are yours, you may save or kill your own thing; do as you will."(501-504). This cruel man made ​​several attempts to prove his wife until he finally realized all the mistakes he has done to her and then decided to reunite the children with her.

The Target of the Comportment Books

The Middle Ages had a rich history in traditions which helped individuals gain knowledge of how social institutions such as marriage, social class, and education worked at that time. During this time, books like this were created to instill in woman what would be her position inside the house as well as in the church and society. For example, they ought to unconditionally subservient to their husbands; intolerance was punished. Griselda, from "The Clerk's Tale," would be an ideal example because she had endured many humiliations in order to be worthy of her husband.

Attitudes Towards Peasant Women

During Middle Ages, the society was dominated by the church and the state. In the film, “The name of the Rose,” by Jean-Jacques Annaud, the church used to blame women due to the belief that women were chosen by the devil to harm men. For instances, in the movie, Brother Williams states, "women are more bitter than death and they can control man's souls." This shows how, women were treated like nothing. Many of them have to work harder than men through cooking, washing clothes and continued farming to help their husbands. Women who were not married ended up in prostitution as a way to support themselves financially due to the absence of a husband; women who were widowed didn’t inherent from their husband, only the children conceived during the marriage had the right to inherited.