women in the middle ages

The most important virtue for women in the Middle Ages was chastity, i.e. remaining a virgin until marriage and refraining from extra-marital relationships once married. Marriage was extremely important for women, because although married women were sometimes able to control their husbands business in his absence, women could not own land or a business of their own (Ratcliffe 346). Unmarried women often entered covenants or, in the worst of situations, became prostitutes. Married women were expected to maintain “purity of blood” in family lineages, and any adultery from the woman would result in the execution of both her partner and herself (Ratcliffe 346). Divorce did not exist in the eyes of the church and although legal separation was allowed, neither partner could remarry (Ratcliffe 346). It was popular for husbands to have mistress or use prostitutes to satisfy their sexual desires, which were believed so extreme that without extra-martial outlets, men might be unable to control themselves around pure women (Perry 204). To have a mistress was in many ways the same as having a wife, for men were required to publicly acknowledge her and care for her (Ratcliffe 347). Prostitutes, on the other hand, held no obligations for the men, other than the fee charged for intercourse, and were always available. Prostitutes generally came from poor families, because those with enough money to afford dowry were expected to uphold their honor (in the form of chastity) and marry. Employers, fathers, brothers, boy friends, and husbands used female relations for money from prostitution, either selling them entirely into prostitution, or continuing to support the women while taking all their income as prostitutes (Perry 201). Prostitutes were generally forced to wear different clothing so as to be distinguished from respectable, chaste, women, and were also required to remain in brothels on the outskirts of cities (Ratcliffe 349, Perry 207).

Works Cited:
Perry, Mary Elizabeth. ""Lost Women" in Early Modern Seville: The Politics of Prostitution." Feminist Studies 4(1978): 195-214.

Ratcliffe, Marjorie. "Adulteresses, Mistresses and Prostitutes: Extramarital Relationships in Medieval Castile." Hispania 67(1984): 346-350.