The Role of the Woman in the Renaissance

THE ROLE OF THE WOMAN IN THE RENAISSANCE

“Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall; Godlike erect! With native honour clad in naked majesty, seemed lords of all; and worthly seemed; for in their looks divine the image of their glorious Maker shone, truth, wisdom, sanctitude, severe and pure, whence true authority in men: though both not equal, as their sex not equal seemed; for contemplation he and valour formed; for softness she and sweet attractive grace; he for God only, she for God in him.” (Paradise Lost, Book IV, 288-299)
The time period Milton lives in, the Renaissance, is characterized by strong believes related to the religious views.
The attention of the high society of that period was focused on women, beautiful women that used their beauty to attract powerful men.
During their childhood and adolescence, getting married was something that girls were aware of: the dowry (consisting in assets, properties and privileges) was at the center of the worries of those women who were about to be married.
A woman had to submit to the husband at the time of marriage. She had to share her dowry with her husband, a dowry that was a part of the property of her father or, depending on the time and geographical region, even the entire part of the father’s inherits.
However every woman had the dowry. This system come from the Greek and Latin culture and consisted in the complete separation of women from the paternal line, and consequently the loss of any future rights (especially the inherits) on the paternal heritage.
The women’s job was staying in the house: they were expected to take care of the education of the children, taking care of family members, being in charge of the direction of the slaves (if there were) and of everything that it’s linked to alimentation.
The Church states the role of the woman in the family. According to the Protestant Church, the mother’s job is not only to teach the children the good manners but, also, to be “owner of the house” when the man is not there.
Martin Luther said, “Making children is what women are meant for, this is the only reason why they exist”.
According to the Catholic Church, the main function is being an “educator””, meaning that she is a figure that teaches the children and handed moral and spiritual values, religious teaching, popular beliefs and basic education (in order to learn how to read and write). As far as the daughters is concerned, they are responsible for most of the wealth of knowledge that will make them obedient and submissive wives.
The Church is in charge of education of noble girls who are educated in monasteries, where they learn how to read and write, some basic knowledge of arithmetic and how to sew.
As it can be seen, their education is different than the men’s, who learn philosophy and classical languages (Greek and Latin).
This difference leads to a limited knowledge for women.
In Paradise Lost, this difference is showed in the description of Adam (“for contemplation he and valour formed”) who is a strong, intelligent and rational guy, born for the meditation and for the bravery. His only weakness is his love for Eve.
However, she is inferior than Adam in intellectual faculties (because the man is considered closer to God than the woman was) and she got tenderness and a “sweet affective grace”.
She is beautiful and because of this she fell in love for her image reflected in the water (it reminds of the myth of Narcissus). She is clearly intelligent, but unlike Adam, she doesn’t want to learn; as matter of facts she was absent during the conversation of Adam and of the Angel Rafael. Eve does not believe that her task is searching for knowledge by her self: she prefers to learn everything from Adam.
Through Eve, Milton examines the role of the women in the society of that time and their positive role in the family.