The Rise Of Women In France Essay -- essays research papers

The Rise of Women in French Society During the Middle Ages, French society, along with the rest of Europe, revolved around the warrior class. In order to gain land and power nobles gave their services in the military and lived violent lifestyles. Treatment toward women during this period was harsh. "In a society of landed nobility dispersed fairly loosely across the country in their castles and estates, the likelihood of a preponderance of the man over the woman and thus of a more or less unconcealed male dominance, is very great." (Elias, Page 325.) Men beat their wives and typically had little respect for them. Marriage was based not on love but on increase in influence and wealth. "But often enough we hear of the other side, of a warrior, whether a king or a simple seigneur, beating his wife. It seems almost an established habit for the knight, flying into a rage, to punch his wife of the nose till blood flows." (Page 324.) However, from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries dramatic pol itical changes emerged throughout Europe and a high court system developed in France. Power shifted to revolve around the monarch who created palace life. "By and large it can be said that a more peaceable social life formed about the lady of the court†¦" (Page 325.) When feudalism ended, so did the glory of battle. France was in a relatively peaceful state. Thus, in order to gain favo...