Women in Medieval society were seen and treated as lesser than men. The proof is in the certain limited roles assigned to women as a result of society blaming Eve, and in turn all females, for the origination of sin. Despite social class or religious influence, women, with very few exceptions, were depicted as nothing short of harlots and gold diggers. Since these things are true of the Middle Ages, the marginalized view of women is openly expressed in The Canterbury Tales, but only subtly hinted at in The Knight’s Tale movie.
Roles of women in the Middle Ages were extremely restricted. Most handled family responsibilities first and foremost, followed by farm work and occasionally clothes making. What a man could make 8 pence for a women would earn no more than 5 pence (Trueman). There was balancing the weight of a separate work and home life, as work and home were of one accord. Choosing who to marry and having children was not even a right for women; marriage followed by childbirth weren’t just expectations of a woman, they were her job. Kate, however, represented a minority of women by working as a blacksmith. Her work was not valued like that of the male blacksmiths though, and she felt inclined to prove herself to William …show more content…
It’s no surprise women were oppressed in the work field when the church taught they were no more than tools of Satan, instruments of the Devil. In fact, the value of a woman was most predominantly defined by whether or not she was a virgin. Basically, women in The Knight’s Tale were used as romanticized beings, dehumanized on the basis of a single mistake by Eve, valued based on their virginity - or lack thereof. Jocelyn was a beautiful, non-working class lady. This is why William desired Jocelyn; for nothing more and nothing less than what she could offer
Roles of women in the Middle Ages were extremely restricted. Most handled family responsibilities first and foremost, followed by farm work and occasionally clothes making. What a man could make 8 pence for a women would earn no more than 5 pence (Trueman). There was balancing the weight of a separate work and home life, as work and home were of one accord. Choosing who to marry and having children was not even a right for women; marriage followed by childbirth weren’t just expectations of a woman, they were her job. Kate, however, represented a minority of women by working as a blacksmith. Her work was not valued like that of the male blacksmiths though, and she felt inclined to prove herself to William …show more content…
It’s no surprise women were oppressed in the work field when the church taught they were no more than tools of Satan, instruments of the Devil. In fact, the value of a woman was most predominantly defined by whether or not she was a virgin. Basically, women in The Knight’s Tale were used as romanticized beings, dehumanized on the basis of a single mistake by Eve, valued based on their virginity - or lack thereof. Jocelyn was a beautiful, non-working class lady. This is why William desired Jocelyn; for nothing more and nothing less than what she could offer