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In the Middle Ages two things determined one's opportunities in life--gender and social class. Throughout history upper class men have had more chances to move up in life, while women of all classes (especially the poor) did not have many opportunities to change their status. Women's choices and opportunities were different according to social status--upper classes (nobility), middle classes (guildswomen, merchants wives) and the poorest classes of the country and town. Women of the upper …

…the Middle Ages. Women were generally disparaged but they could gain a few rights from secular authority according to their social status. A woman with money could make her way easily in the world, while a woman with none suffered the consequences of being poor. There were many occasions where women tried to break free from their constraints, but more often than not men would soon come along and shut women out of "their domain."