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.