The Renaissance

11 Pages 2649 Words

ng, managing economy, supervising servants, and nursing any ailing household members. Beyond this noble women were expected to entertain their husband’s guests and see to the purchase and storage of supplies for the house. From their mothers, young ladies learned about the values of chastity, obedience and silence. Girls were expected to be seen and not heard. Going to church was most often the only time they would get any kind of social interaction outside their families. An early humanist once said he would rather see a girl “deaf and blind than over stimulated to pleasure.” Teachings of virginity were strong in anyone’s home for both boys and girls in all classes. Before a young lady was to be married, her father had to assure her fiancee’s father that she was indeed a virgin. If a young woman lost her virginity, by rape or seduction, she was most likely to be abandoned by her family. This also meant she was liable to turn to prostitution as a form of employment. Marriage was more of a political game than a true love story. Most girls who did think seriously about marriage did not think falling in love was a basis for getting married. A young noble woman’s father, or male kin, determined the fate of their daughter’s hand. The decision was based on political, social, and business agreements between families. When a woman married, she was expected to bring in some of her father’s wealth to the family. Marriage turned into more of a business transaction between the parents of the two fiances. Men often didn’t see his wife-to-be until the day for the signing of the marriage contract. Adolescent girls of twelve or thirteen usually married older men. These men would be in their late twenties and early thirties on most occasions. This resulted in loveless marriages which led to many more problems. Adultery was constantly looked upon as a serious crime committed by a wife. Punishments of death and sever beatings seemed perf...