Their need for comfort from the people they love and care for the most leads them to do whatever it takes, so they might be accepted. Along with being mentally isolated from the other characters in the play these women are also physically isolated and intellectually isolated from everyone. Part of the reason these women were so severely isolated from other characters is because they lived in the Elizabethan period. During the Elizabethan era women were raised to believe that they were second- rate citizens. To ensure that people continued to believe this concept the church used this verse from the bible as proof “woman in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man.” This belief put women in a state of being mentally isolated from men.
In the tale of The Wife of Bath and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, my attention is brought to two specific characters. These characters are the Wife of Bath and Lady Bertilak for being so powerful as women and showing dominance over men. These stories were written in medieval times when women were worthless. Back then church and place of living were together. In the church women were supposed to be gentile and virtuous.
The touchstone line for her character is; “She used to weep if she but saw a mouse/ Caught in a trap, if it were dead or bleeding. And she had little dogs she would be feeding/With roasted flesh or milk or fine white bread” (7). This line reveals that the Prioress is selective in her sympathy, weeping over an injured mouse while feeding “roasted flesh” to her own pets. It also reveals that she likes extravagance and luxury as she feeds her dogs food fit for humans, though she should be more conservative as a simple nun. While she has the good manners, dress and education one would expect of a nun, her fascination with the styles of the Court and a few other incongruities in her behavior and appearance are indicative of Chaucer’s use of inappropriate details.
Within the source it is stated how More was often “taunting and mocking” people. This suggests More was cruel towards others and those below him in both rank and society. However, this evidence could be seen as an attack on More by his enemies. This is because the torture acts mentioned in Source N were taken from John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. This book documented the acts of torture and violence against protestants, and would therefor be highly critical of those in high positions, such as More.
Reformation of the Church Despite the similarities of scripture and the beliefs of followers during the Lutheran and Catholic reformation their differences kept the two sides apart as enemies. During the start of the sixteenth century, people were displeased with the corruption and specials favors the church offered to few individuals which started a great Reformation. People from all social classes began to resent the power behind the church and question their authority to decide who gets into heaven. While the starting point of the Lutheran Reformation was when Martin Luther posted his theses, that caused the beginning of a long needed Reformation across Europe. The ideas of the Reforms came from the side of Martin Luther and the common people of the Catholic church who had started to question the clergy of the Catholic Church such as the pope.
Some of the ladies here have started a choir, I now regret not joining, maybe by joining I may of had a chance to escape my battles and grow deeper relationships with all these extraordinary wilful women, I envy the women who have helped those ones around them and haven’t given into their own greed like I regrettably have, I don’t even deserve to be in the presence of these women, they are the survivors, I took the easy way out. Of the women that were captured, 32 have died whilst prisoners of this pointless war. I have put up with the lack of food, i have fought and recovered from the many diseases including malaria, Bangka fever and scurvy and I’ve survived the inappropriate treatment of Japanese soldiers. I can only imagine that this is just the beginning of what i might have to sacrifice to survive. But i can only hope that this will come to an end, the longer i fight to survive the more i wish to die, i don’t think i can live with the person i am becoming.
Task: “Luther was both a revolutionary and a conservative.” Evaluate this statement with the respect to Luther’s responses to the political and social questions of his day. During the 16th century, the Catholic Church was seen as corrupt because of certain practices such as indulgences. This corruption, lead many people to stand up against the Church, and this began The Protestant Reformation. One of the most influential people of this time was Martin Luther. Martin Luther’s responses to political and social questions during this time were often either revolutionary or conservative.
Medieval Europe was run by petty lords, counts, and kings, and the only unifying institution was the Catholic Church. Authority was vested in men without efficient means to enforce their authority. Power was in the hands of those with money and force. This instability of institutions led to a rise in individual violence, as demonstrated with the murder of Charles the Good. Some may believe that the violence of this period was brought upon by the secular institutions, but the mere lack of these institutions proved to be the true cause.
What are the main religious reasons of the Reformation?? 1- The abuses of the Catholic Church: there were numerous evil practices which greatly undermined the reputation of the church and the churchmen. As there was a considerable number of clergymen and priests who said that in Christianity there's “No Marriage”, yet did the opposite- they led scandalous lives. 2- In Christianity they say "live modest" and they did the opposite. Some of the clergy-men had amassed huge wealth and were living luxurious lives.
Chaucer is quick to point out her attempts as superficial. Her actions are an indication of her shallowness. Chaucer uses her knowledge and use of the French language as an example of her shallowness. The narrator says, “And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetishly, / After the scole of Stratford at the Bowe- / For Frenssh of Paris was to hire unknowe” (ll.124-126). The Prioress is flaunting her education and expertise by using French when address the other pilgrims.