Did women have a Renaissance - Term Paper Example

It is also pertinent to note that the female gender saw an increase in educational opportunities during the renaissance. Though, this was actually slight when compared to the opportunities that came the way of men during this period, but the fact remains that the women saw an improvement in the educational opportunities that came their way during the renaissance especially the women in the upper class. The renaissance was a period when the world had more women from rich families attending private lessons at home or schools of the royal court.

However, there was a limitation in this regard as the women were only made to study subjects that are suited for them. Subjects such as: art, dancing, music, needlework, and poetry were the ones that people felt should be studied by women. According to Matthews & Platt, “Work was increasingly divided according to gender, with women being assigned domestic duties and subordinated and restricted within the economic, social, legal, and cultural system.” (120). Hence, women had restrictions in the area of education during the renaissance.

It could then be right to argue that women did not have a total renaissance, but a partial one. The middle and lower class women were not given the kind of privilege that was given to the upper-class women as they limited them, especially the rural peasants to training in household duties such as sewing and cooking. However, there are several women that had the kind of privileges that was given to men and one of them is Isabella d'Este. She was born in 1474 and died in 1539. Isabella was an assiduous woman and a highly intelligent diplomat.

Isabella received male education and she collected works of art from foremost artists of the century she lived through. The case of Isabella is just one out of several thousands of women. The fact that Isabella Este rose to the heights that was deemed impossible for women to reach does not necessarily mean that women really had a significant renaissance, but it could be argued that some women showed that what men can do, women can even do far better. The educational status that was attained by Isabella could only be attained by women that were given the kind of educational opportunity that Isabella had.

It should also be noted that the education that women received were dominated by the males, hence they could only learn the things that the males allowed them to learn. Hence, women still played second fiddle to their male counterparts in the area of education (Cairns). There were also well-grounded female scholars that were writing during the period of the Renaissance. Women began to participate freely during the Renaissance as this period saw an increase in the number of female artists, musicians and poets.

Though, the period of Renaissance saw more women entering the intellectual life, but they did play any significant role when compared to the roles that the men played during this period. Some women actually proved to their male counterparts that they were capable of holding political powers during the Renaissance period. One of them was Queen Elizabeth I of England. The manner at which Queen Elizabeth ruled her kingdom showed that women were ready to take over key leadership roles from their male counterparts.

The impact made by Elizabeth as a woman did not really change the