Looking back through many historical periods, people are able to observe the fact that women were generally discriminated against and oppressed in almost all societies. However, these periods also came with women who challenged the stereotype of their sex. They spoke out against this discrimination with great intelligence and strength, almost without fearing the harsh consequences that the men of their time might have entailed. During the Middle Ages, religion played an important role in shaping this pessimistic view of women. The common belief of patriarchal society was that women were direct descendants of Eve of the Bible; therefore, they were responsible for the fall of humanity. All the characteristics of Eve from the biblical story were believed to be the same characteristics of medieval women. Of course, this did not come without discussion. Two medieval women worked to challenge the female stereotype, the first being the fictional character called The Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucer's The 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 in 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 background to 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. The Bat Wife... middle of paper... Christian values ​​in her own way to justify her character's actions, as well as using religion as a way to explain what she thinks of herself. On the other hand, Margery Kempe was a woman who took religion to a new level as a result of "supposed" 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 accusations of being psychotic. 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. Press.