A mother, a father and a daughter. For more information, please contact … In A Godly Form of Household Government, which was first published in 1598 and then republished in further editions, they stated that ‘the best means… that a wife can use to obtain and maintain the love and good liking of her husband is to be silent, obedient, peaceable, patient [and] studious to appease his choler if he be angry.’ Women were further relegated, ultimately to the rank of servants to their husbands; their main role was simply in the appeasement and service of their family. Some of these women learned to paint in their fathers' workshops and others were noble women whose advantages in life included the ability to learn and practice the arts. Women were controlled by their parents from birth … Renaissance men coveted the idea of a ‘perfect’ obedient wife, Ferdinand talks of Miranda in Act 3 Scene 1 of The Tempest as having all the virtues he desired but never found in any other woman, declaring Miranda to be ‘So perfect and so peerless.’ (III.i.48) The perfect woman was chaste, obedient, humble and, most importantly, silent. Famous English women of the 17th century included the philosopher Mary Astell (1666 - 1731) and the writer Aphra Behn (1640 - 1689). Her lover hears of the tragic deaths, for which he is blamed, upon his return and kills himself in remorse. England in the Late 17th Century. This was the era of Queen Victoria’s reign in England. A woman’s most important commodity was her virginity, the only salvation for such a disastrous mistake was marriage, the men involved however had much less to loose and didn’t always make ‘honest’ wives of their conquests. The Homily on the State of Matrimony (1562) quoted St Peter, ‘ye wives be ye in subjection to obey your own husband’ and went on to declare that a stubborn malapert wife would lead to matrimonial wrack and ruin. Her father placed her under Tassi’s tutelage in 1611, during which time he raped her. She was praised for her ‘modesty, courtesy, gentleness, affability and good government… she obeyed the commandment of the apostle who biddeth women be silent and learn of their husbands at home.’. They could not divorce, and even single women could not make contracts, sue anyone, or be sued, at least until the late 18th century. Men held financial resources whereas women did not. Aughterson, Kate, ed., Renaissance Women: A Sourcebook – Constructions of Femininity in England (London: Routledge, 1995), Bissell, R. Ward. I’d rather crack my sinews, break my back, Than you should such dishonour undergo,’ (III.i.26-29). Women thus could not improve their standard of living independently, and had to resort to means such as marriage … … Home. 2 Macfarlane, Alan, Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England: a regional and comparative study (London, 1970), 160 CrossRef Google Scholar.It should be noted, however, that this figure relates to persons indicted for malefic witchcraft at the assizes. The couple are warned by Prospero on many occasions to avoid fornication and pre-marital intercourse, ‘If thou dost break her virgin-knot before, All sanctimonious ceremonies may… be ministered…, barren hate, Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew. 1 Gender Differences. Women were to be seen and not heard, those who were outspoken were proclaimed as whores, ‘A good woman (again) openeth her mouth with wisdom, the law of grace is in her tongue, but a harlot is full of words she is loud and babbling.’5 A woman should instead be quiet and temperate. http://archive.org/details/memoirsofverneyf03verniala, Contact the brightONLINE student journal team, Find out more about study and research in literature at the University of Brighton, © University of Brighton Faculty of Arts - Powered by.