Critics in The Single Women in Medieval and Early Modern England: Her Life and Representation state that all women will experience being single. “That is to say, since at some stage in her life, if only the earliest, every female is single, every woman is a life-cycle single woman and gist for our mill”. However, those women who decide to be celibate while single display how their virginity is an “idealized model”. Anglo Norman’s embraced the idea of celibacy and respected the idea, which led Anglo Saxon’s to embrace it . However, those who had sex without marriage were referred to as “prostitutes”. Medieval society constructs their ideas on those beliefs. During the time of Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare, there was an imbalance between men and women. “The category of “single women” is surely the largest and most complex, including not only “life-cycle” single women. The two characters that represent unmarried women are Portia from Merchant of Venice and Isabella from Measure to Measure.
“Zatta observes that Anglo Norman lives of English virgin saints provided examples of women who could be both independent of male authority and yet socially as well as morally victorious”.
Portia from Merchant of Venice did not represent the time period where women choose to be celibate. The majority of women had very limited rights. When it came to political or social rights, women endured such limits but they were extended greater economic freedoms. During this time period, women were defined by the man they belonged to; for unmarried women, it was their father or brother if the father had passed. she is bound by her father’s will to marry the man who chooses correctly between a gold, silver, and lead chest. Each chest had an inscription: The gold box says, “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.” The silver box says, “Who chooseth me shall gain what men deserves,” and lastly the lead box says, “Who chooseth me must give and hazard of all hath.” But only one contains a picture of Portia, so the suitor that chooses wisely will win her hand in marriage. The heiress to her dead father’s fortune is another man’s answer to his financial woe. With Portia’s dad knowing how attractive she would be as a rich single women he made sure his only daughter would marry a man of his choosing. There is just one problem, Portia resents her father’s decision. “ O me, the word “choose.” I may brighter choose who I would more refuse who I dislike. So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father, is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one, not refuse none?” Even with her father being dead she is still under his control due to her loyalty to him. Portia is trusted with the fact she may not have any say in her own happiness. She loves a young man named Bassanio and he is who she hopes pursues her but he must first pass her father’s test. Fortunately, he did and they married immediately. Shortly after they were married, Bassanio finds out that his best friend Antonio’s life is in danger. It is Portia who then saves her husband’s best friend’s life by disguising herself as Balthasar, an apprentice lawyer. Portia did not decide to live her life as a celibate woman, instead she prospers to marry. Women who remain
She is a young women who is a virgin and plans on staying that way forever. Her desires were to be a nun of the order of saint Clare, also known as the Poor Clares. They are “a strict order of women who withdraw from the outside world and live their days in quiet introspection away from men.” Isabella is perfectly okay with this lifestyle, in fact she wishes the cogent was stricter with its rules and regulations. She simply states “Yes, truly, I speak not as desiring more, but rather wishing a more strict restraint upon the sisterhood, the votaries of saint Clare.” Isabella shortly learns that her brother Claudio will be sentenced to his death for “fornicating” with a women who is not his wife. Even though his sinful behavior mortifies Isabella, like a sister would she goes to Angelo and begs for her brothers life. Which she is then presented with the worst ultimatum. Isabella is to either have sex with Angelo to save Claudio’s life or she can remain a virgin as she wishes and watch her brother die. Knowing the way Isabella feels about sex it isn’t shocking that she determines her virginity is more valuable. “Then, Isabel, live chaste, and brother die. More than our brother is our chastity.” Her desires were to be a nun of the order of Saint Clare, also known as the Poor Clares. They are “a strict order of women who withdraw from the outside world and live their days in quiet introspection, away from men.” Isabella isn’t like most, she in-fact wishes to live a more strict lifestyle than that. She simply states “ Yes, truly, I speak not as desiring more; But rather wishing a more strict restraint upon the sisterhood, the votaries of Saint Clare.” It is reasonable to consider the fact that Isabella doesn’t want an interaction with men.