Looking at many historical periods, people can observe the fact that women were generally discriminated against and oppressed in almost every society. However, these periods also came with women who defied the stereotype of their gender. They spoke out against this discrimination with great intelligence and strength, almost without fear of the harsh consequences that the men of their time could bring about. In medieval times, religion played a major role in shaping this pessimistic view of women. The common belief of patriarchal society was that women were direct descendants of Eve from the Bible; they were therefore responsible for the fall of humanity. All of Eve's characteristics from the biblical story were thought to be the same as those of medieval women. Of course, this did not come without controversy. Two medieval women worked to challenge the female stereotype, the first being the fictional character called The Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The second woman, named Margery Kempe, was a real human being with the first English autobiography written about her called The Book of Margery Kempe. In these two texts, The Wife of Bath and Margery Kempe choose to act uniquely from other Christians of the medieval period because of the way they interpret religion. As a result, women see themselves as having power and qualities that normal women in their society did not have. It is first important to understand the context of the stories of The Wife of Bath and Margery Kempe. The Wife of Bath was a character created by Geoffrey Chaucer who is radically different from the non-fictional character of Margery Kempe. Bat's wife...... middle of paper ......Christian values ​​in her own way in order to justify her character's actions, in addition to using religion as a way to explain what she thinks for herself. On the other hand, Margery Kempe was a woman who took religion to a new level after “supposedly” having very intense visions and experiences with Jesus Christ. The result was a woman who believed she had more religious authority than an archbishop of the Church and who possessed the strength to continue on her path, despite allegations of psychosis. Works Cited Boardman, Phillip C. "Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343- 1400)." Enduring legacies: ancient and medieval cultures. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson Custom Pub., 2000. 430-54. Print.Boardman, Phillip C. "Margery Kempe (c. 1373-1439)." Enduring legacies: ancient and medieval cultures. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson Custom Pub., 2000. 455-62. Print.