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Women In The Renaissance

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The Women of the Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural movement which followed the Middle Ages in European history. Derived from the French, Renaissance means rebirth, and it represented the rebirth of many ancient Greek and Roman traditions for the upper classes of Italy, England, France, and Northern Europe. People began to display their “enlightenment” in all areas, including religion, education, and domesticity.
Religion
The women of the Renaissance era typically displayed their spiritually by honoring the Biblical tenant of chastity if they had yet to wed, and by total submission to their husbands if they were wed. There was a drive from Christian women to provide for the poor and ill. Poverty, humility, and charity were traits to admire and live by. In addition, some devoutly religious women who had mystical experiences were honored by men. Many of the scholars of that period wrote about these women and their heroics including their unselfish service, extreme fasting, visions, and inner strength.
Many women joined a cloistered order of nuns, known as the Ursulines, as a way to serve others in their society. If the women were from the upper classes, they were able to remain under their family’s roof but still spread the word of salvation as a chaste Bride of Christ. …show more content…

The education young women received, however, tended to lean more towards teaching them how to act as ladies of the courts and patrons of arts, not to help them learn a profession. Their education was usually obtained from their fathers or from private tutors. What was unique for the first time in Western history was that men were stressing the importance of education for women. It was understood during the Renaissance, however, that a woman's education was only as a benefit to her father or husband. Soon, women began to excel at literature, art, and even in

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