While the role of the female author during the Middle Ages was not viewed with strong social favor, a few female authors succeeded at breaking through the barriers of their time. The list of prominent female authors from the middle ages includes Marie de France, Christine de Pizan, Margery Kempe and Heloise d'Argenteuil. Each wrote lasting works that depicted the life of women in the Middle Ages, a vision not often well depicted in other works of the time. Some, like Christine de Pizan, used their powerful general popularity to write harsh allegations against the misogynistic culture during the time.
The elite of the Middle Ages accepted women as artists, even permitting socially elite women to become successful artists. The practice of teaching women to draw came as an extension from this practice and later became a functional part of the standard female education. Claricia, Hildegard of Bingen, Herrad of Landsberg and Diamoth were all successful e female artists of the period, each contributing their own unique visions of their world that included scenes of religion and history and prominent individuals of their time.
The most acceptable form of formal education for women during the Middle Ages took place in nunneries, where women received a strong general education that included a study of literature, history, languages and even an education in how to write. A nun's education provided a woman with an opportunity to read and study areas that were generally forbidden for her outside of the church. Nuns also served as religious scribes, copying long religious texts and keeping records for the church.
The courtesan held a unique place as both the top of the prostitution hierarchy but more specifically as a court escort for prominent men. Their unique role provided courtesans with the right to access books and freely study. Their intellect allowed them to provide educated advice to their courtly gentlemen. One of the most famous Italian courtesans was Veronica Franco, an educated courtesan who used her education to influence her society and record information about the life of a courtesan in poetry.