Renaissance Women Research Paper

Modern day scholars have long since stressed the fact that the Renaissance woman have been oppressed throughout history, which is an accusation that is to a certain degree very true. With the emergence of the Renaissance in Europe circa 1350-1650, the blooming intellect of the Renaissance woman was met with many difficulties: In the home and in public life, the male had absolute control over everything. When it came to politics, men dominated: Males served as the kingpins over the state and whenever there came about a semblance of the commonwealth, it was men that served as the lawgivers. While men toiled daily, the woman was expected to remain at home, and take care of the children. In essence, women were seen as inferiors in the eyes of the …show more content…
“Wife beating was common even though the church made efforts to limit it. And although theorists such as the architect Leon Battista Alberti (c.1404-1472) urged husbands to treat their wives and children with kindness, there was no question where the ultimate power in the family resided. The husband had complete control over his wife’s dowry as well; which was used to pad his wealth. For you see, in this era the people used what was called the dowry system, and it was through this system that determined the fate of women. The Renaissance woman got married at around age fifteen and eighteen and was around eight to ten years younger than her husband (to escape these male governed rules, some often joined the cloister as a means to gain an education of some sort). When it came to marriage, the woman’s (or men’s) abode and their societal standing affected whom they were allowed to marry, what kind of jobs they could do, what kind of living facilities they and their families occupied, and the of people who could share those quarters. The life of the Renaissance woman was definitely restricted from childhood to …show more content…
At the age of nine, her father tutored her in the fields of Latin, Greek, and Mathematics. She endeavored to make a name for herself amidst the storm of the male dominated humanistic era, even though she was attacked for her learning and outspoken opinions. One can exam Renaissance women that preceded and followed: women such as Christine De Pizan, Catherine Claude, Paule de Viguier, and most notably Margarite de Navarre (known as the mother of the Renaissance, princess of France, Queen of Navarre, and Duchess of Alençon and Berry.). These women were the few that made a lasting impact, and were followed by many more women; they helped to redefine how the Renaissance woman was viewed during this male dominated