This position remained unchanged from Biblical times through the medieval period. Gawain in the romance says, “I thank God I am not a woman!” (Line 653). Gawain is thankful that he is not a woman because of the patriarchal society during the Middle Ages. During this time, men were the only ones who were able to take parts in social events, hold formal power and representation, get paid more, and represented as superior. Women were often paid low wages, hold no power, did all the house work, took care of the children, were abused often, and were often represented negatively in public. Women during these ages were also often referred to as workers. This illustrates the status of women during this time period. It plays a role in every aspect of their lives. They were often labeled as “Working woman,” because they often held positions of wife, mother, peasant, nun, and also as artisans but they are never given important leadership roles. Men believed that women should only be used for reproduction and were only used for that reason.
Women were also considered inferior to men. Even in marriages, men had full control of the women. Under the law, women received very little protection. Men would always abuse their