The Canterbury Tales – Context (AO3)
{Medieval}
Women
Social and Legal Status
- Lived in a society dominated by strict social hierarchies and patriarchal norms
- Women were largely seen as subservient to men
- This social order is echoed in Chaucer’s works, where many female characters operate in a
male-dominated world
- Marriage was arranged for economic or social reasons rather than love
- They could not own property independently unless widowed
Women were often married very young during this period. Chaucer’s granddaughter was married at
the age of eleven, to someone who was twenty-five years older.
Law of Coverture: Once a woman was married, all her property becomes the possession of her
husband
Widows could gain a modicum of independence, as they were legally allowed to inherit a third of
their husband’s estate. However, this was hard to retain and often claimed by others.
Religious Influence
Medieval Christian ideology portrayed women through the contrasting figures of Eve and Virgin
Mary.
Women were burdened with the legacy of Eve, who was considered responsible for the fall of
humankind. The story underlines that women were inferior to men, and morally weaker, and more
prone to deception, temptation and disobedience.
Medieval ideal of womanhood was based on Virgin Mary. Remaining chaste in the process of birth
emphasises to the modern reader the impossible nature of this ideal.
- This dichotomy often shaped attitudes towards women as either sinful or virtuous
- The Catholic Church held immense influence
- Female saints were respected for their devotion to God
- Juxtapositions between Mary and Eve were commonplace in Marian Liturgy
Marriage as a sacrament meant it could affect destination to heaven/hell. Sex outside wedlock was a
mortal sin, whereas within wedlock, it was a holy act of procreation.
Sex within marriage was banned on several days, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Cult of Virginity
- Christiana of Marqueate married yet vowed to remain a virgin
- Her family agreed to let her husband in at night, but Christiana told him tales of chaste
marriages
, - Her father threatened to throw her out of the house whilst her mother grabbed her by the
hair and beat her
- Virginity is seen as the highest virtue
- Some nuns were so weakened by their love for Christ that they were bedridden for years
Literary Context and Gender
- Chaucer was writing within the tradition of courtly love, which idealised women and put
them on a pedestal
- Women were still largely passive in these stories, and their worth was measured by their
beauty or devotion to God
- Many medieval texts contain overtly misogynistic themes, portraying women as deceptive or
morally weak
- Chaucer seems to critique some of these stereotypes while still being influenced by them
Mal Marie: A portrayal of young women who are married to old men, they are either unprincipled
sexual opportunists or stupid and gullible, falling into the arms of the first man who comes along
Maistrie: Superiority in marriage. Januarie believes he is enforcing ‘Maistrie’ on May, however, she
tricks him therefore in reality she has greater control
Origins of Courtly Love
- Stems from Lancelot and Guinevere
- It begins when Lancelot falls in love and is almost enchanted by it
- He tries to win the Queen’s love and puts himself in danger by crawling over a bridge made
from the sword
- Guinevere is won over and arranges a midnight meeting
Women and Work
- Peasant women worked in agriculture, sometimes alongside their husbands
- They were vital to their economy, but their labour was undervalued
- Merchant women were involved in trade, particularly widows who inherited businesses
- Nuns and Religious women joined a convent if they did not want to get married.
- This offered some autonomy and education, although nuns were still subject to the authority
of male clergy
Attitudes towards Menstruation
- It is seen as female seed and needs to be purged
- When menstrual blood is not released, this was the suffocation of the uterus
- Men believed this made breathing difficult and exposed women to convulsions and madness
- The blood is seen as poisonous
Religion
Christianity
{Medieval}
Women
Social and Legal Status
- Lived in a society dominated by strict social hierarchies and patriarchal norms
- Women were largely seen as subservient to men
- This social order is echoed in Chaucer’s works, where many female characters operate in a
male-dominated world
- Marriage was arranged for economic or social reasons rather than love
- They could not own property independently unless widowed
Women were often married very young during this period. Chaucer’s granddaughter was married at
the age of eleven, to someone who was twenty-five years older.
Law of Coverture: Once a woman was married, all her property becomes the possession of her
husband
Widows could gain a modicum of independence, as they were legally allowed to inherit a third of
their husband’s estate. However, this was hard to retain and often claimed by others.
Religious Influence
Medieval Christian ideology portrayed women through the contrasting figures of Eve and Virgin
Mary.
Women were burdened with the legacy of Eve, who was considered responsible for the fall of
humankind. The story underlines that women were inferior to men, and morally weaker, and more
prone to deception, temptation and disobedience.
Medieval ideal of womanhood was based on Virgin Mary. Remaining chaste in the process of birth
emphasises to the modern reader the impossible nature of this ideal.
- This dichotomy often shaped attitudes towards women as either sinful or virtuous
- The Catholic Church held immense influence
- Female saints were respected for their devotion to God
- Juxtapositions between Mary and Eve were commonplace in Marian Liturgy
Marriage as a sacrament meant it could affect destination to heaven/hell. Sex outside wedlock was a
mortal sin, whereas within wedlock, it was a holy act of procreation.
Sex within marriage was banned on several days, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Cult of Virginity
- Christiana of Marqueate married yet vowed to remain a virgin
- Her family agreed to let her husband in at night, but Christiana told him tales of chaste
marriages
, - Her father threatened to throw her out of the house whilst her mother grabbed her by the
hair and beat her
- Virginity is seen as the highest virtue
- Some nuns were so weakened by their love for Christ that they were bedridden for years
Literary Context and Gender
- Chaucer was writing within the tradition of courtly love, which idealised women and put
them on a pedestal
- Women were still largely passive in these stories, and their worth was measured by their
beauty or devotion to God
- Many medieval texts contain overtly misogynistic themes, portraying women as deceptive or
morally weak
- Chaucer seems to critique some of these stereotypes while still being influenced by them
Mal Marie: A portrayal of young women who are married to old men, they are either unprincipled
sexual opportunists or stupid and gullible, falling into the arms of the first man who comes along
Maistrie: Superiority in marriage. Januarie believes he is enforcing ‘Maistrie’ on May, however, she
tricks him therefore in reality she has greater control
Origins of Courtly Love
- Stems from Lancelot and Guinevere
- It begins when Lancelot falls in love and is almost enchanted by it
- He tries to win the Queen’s love and puts himself in danger by crawling over a bridge made
from the sword
- Guinevere is won over and arranges a midnight meeting
Women and Work
- Peasant women worked in agriculture, sometimes alongside their husbands
- They were vital to their economy, but their labour was undervalued
- Merchant women were involved in trade, particularly widows who inherited businesses
- Nuns and Religious women joined a convent if they did not want to get married.
- This offered some autonomy and education, although nuns were still subject to the authority
of male clergy
Attitudes towards Menstruation
- It is seen as female seed and needs to be purged
- When menstrual blood is not released, this was the suffocation of the uterus
- Men believed this made breathing difficult and exposed women to convulsions and madness
- The blood is seen as poisonous
Religion
Christianity
