Question

Options for noble-born women during the Renaissance were limited; one could either _____ or _____.

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is "marry a man one's family chose; live life out in a nunnery."

Explanation:

Although the Renaissance (from the 14th to the 17th century) was a period of relative growth for the social standing of women in Western Europe, with many noblewomen--such as Queen Elizabeth I of England--occupying important political roles and some wealthy or educated middle-class women beginning to access education--for example, home schooling within highly intellectual families--and work--for example as translators or governesses--, the opportunities for growth for women in the period were still quite limited. For instance, women were not allowed to live alone (unless they were "too old" to be married) or own property (unless they it was left to them by their husbands when they passed.)

In  this respect, noble-born women had to respond to their family's need to marry them off "honorably"--an issue that still recurs in the stories of Jane Austen, in a much later period--, as it was necessary to protect and perpetuate the family name and the titles associated with it. If no "proper" marriage could be arranged and the woman risked becoming an "old maid," or if the daughters were rebellious and refused to marry whomever the family intended, noble families often preferred to send their daughters away to live out the rest of their lives in nunneries where they could not engage in any "dishonorable" behavior. This also provided a socially approved, suitable explanation--a strong religious feeling--for the family's failure to secure a marriage.

Answer 2

Marry a man ones family chose; live life out in a nunnery