Why did women not act in plays?

In the early days of theatre, women were not allowed to act in plays because it was seen as inappropriate and immoral for women to perform on stage. Acting was considered to be a man's profession, and women were not allowed to participate in any form of public entertainment. This was due to the prevailing social norms and gender roles of the time, which restricted women to domestic and private spheres and discouraged them from engaging in public activities.

Additionally, there was a belief that women were too emotional and irrational to be able to perform effectively on stage. It was thought that women would be unable to control their emotions and would be prone to fits of hysteria during performances. This view was supported by the prevailing scientific and medical theories of the time, which depicted women as being inherently weaker and more emotional than men.

As a result of these social and cultural factors, women were not allowed to act in plays for many centuries. It was not until the late 17th century that women began to appear on stage in some European countries, and even then, they were often limited to playing certain roles, such as female servants or older women. It was only in the 19th century that women began to gain more opportunities to perform on stage and to play a wider range of roles.