Activity One: What do you think women's lives were like in the Middle Ages?
Think about the following questions. Then write a paragraph explaining why you think medieval woman's lives were like.
- Do you think women could own land?
- Do you think women would go to war?
- Did women have the opportunity to learn crafts?
- Would women have done heavy/ dirty jobs or light jobs?
- Do you think women were taught to read and write?
- Do you think women would have held highly skilled jobs
- How much control did women have over their property?
- Do you think women had equal rights in marriage to men?
Activity Two: What does the evidence suggest?
Look at the source pages on medieval women. When you have examined all the different sources, look again at your thoughts in Activity One. You may want to change your mind on some of them.
Write several paragraphs with your new opinion, addressing the following questions.
- Do you think these sources give an accurate picture of what most women's lives were like in the Middle Ages?
- Are any of the women mentioned exceptional or do you think they represent most women? Do you think there are any gaps in the evidence?
- On the whole, did medieval women had the same, more or less rights than they do today? e.g education, owning property and marriage
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