Wives of the medieval culture had limited freedom. Besides being riffraff, they had no real role in society. "Married women encountered a loss of power when they tied the knot" (qtd. in Women in the Middle Ages). Once married, the treatment that women received was shameful. They were said to be inferior and owned by men. All the personal freedoms that they may have had before marriage were lost. It certainly wasn't the "age of chivalry " for women. Wives had absolutely no rights nor were they given respect during the medieval time period. .
A wife's role in the medieval society was some to none. Married women were not considered a part of society in the eyes of the Law. They were considered inferior to men by church and law (Laws and Rights. For this reason they were subdued into a secondary class of citizens (Laws and Rights). Politically women have no voice (qtd in Gies 254), "They don't sit on town council or in the court, or serve as provost or officials " (qtd in Gies 254). A woman, married or not, was expected to stay out of public life, leaving all social activities to men ("Laws and Rights " 1). "Women didn't officially participate in governmental activities, were almost never allowed to become citizens of a town, and had only limited independent standing under the law" (McLean 24).
Women were legally property of men. Wives were subjects of their husbands and had to obey them (Gies 1). "Most of a woman's life was under guardianship of a man"" (qtd. in Gies 41). If the husband's orders were not obeyed the wife would be punished. Since they were considered under the husband's rule he could do as he pleased with them. Along with belonging to their husbands, wives also lost all their holdings. The husband of the household had absolute rights to all lands and possessions, even if the wife originally owned the possessions (Laws and Rights). The wife was forced to give her husband her land and whatever else she owned, consequently reducing her power and increasing his (Women in the Middle Ages).
