Sexuality in the Renaissance

During the Renaissance period, sexuality impacted how people, both men and women, were treated and how they behaved. The lives of women were completely defined by the ideals of sexuality that were enforced during that time. Every area of a woman’s life from birth was influenced by outside influences rather than by they themselves. It took a particular type of woman to break past the clearly defined description of what a “Renaissance woman” should be.
Sexuality is defined as one’s sexual character which possesses the structural and functional traits of sex. In the Renaissance, this definition was accompanied with ideologies of gender. This incorporated knowledge led to their notions of the female being inferior to the male based on what was already known about the male. Women were seen as well as imperfect versions of men. 1 “The Aristotelian model, viewed women as incubators, contributing nourishing matter and a warm place for the fetus to develop, while the male see provided the formal principle or soul.” 2
Homosexuality, although condemned as a “nonprocreative” sex act, was still seen and documented in the Renaissance society.3 It was acknowledged in literature and art even though the church deemed it as a crime “against nature”. This behavior was documented as more prominent with men than women. This is partially because the majority of women were illiterate and they generally kept their business quiet. It was also a common occurrence for women to keep close company with each other, so it wasn’t always easy to distinguish between friendships and intimate relationships. 4 Queen Christina of Sweden was one homosexual woman who stepped down from her position to avoid marriage altogether. Nuns and even housewives took part in homosexual activities and were a literary favorite because of their apparent fervor.5 The literature of that day showed an interest in sexual ambiguity as well as boundary crossing. The “passing women” was a term of the day which described a