Ambiguous Realities: Women in the Middle Ages and RenaissanceCarole Levin, Jeanie Watson Examining specific literary, historical, and theological texts, the essays in Ambiguous realities illuminate a number of important issues about women in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: the changes in attitude toward women, the role and status of women, the dichotomy between public and private spheres, the prescriptions for women's behavior and the image of the ideal woman, and the difference between the perceived and the actual audience of medieval and Renaissance writers.--Back cover. |
Contents
CONTRIBUTORS | 9 |
Role and Representation in Medieval and Early Renaissance Texts | 23 |
Zenobia in Medieval and Renaissance Literature | 48 |
Inquiry and the Sacra Pagina Eileen Kearney | 66 |
Public | 82 |
Rereadings of Medieval and Renaissance Literary Texts | 99 |
Jeanie Watson | 114 |
Role and Representation in English Renaissance Texts | 163 |
The Feme Covert in Elizabeth Carys Mariam | 184 |
Common terms and phrases
Abelard ambiguity Amoret Arthur attitudes behavior Blanche Boccaccio body Book Britomart Buckhurst Carole Levin Cary Cary's century characters chaste chastity Chaucer's Christine de Pizan Clerk's Tale Constance court courtly critics cultural discussion domestic drama earl Edern Edited Eleanor Elizabeth Elyot England English essay ethical example Faerie Queene Faulconbridge fears female feme covert feminine Feminism feminist Fleetwood gender Gereint and Enid Gilligan's Griselda Guyon Gwenhwyvar Heloise Heloise's Heptaméron human husband images Itinerarium John of Salisbury John's Juan Luis Vives King John knight Lady learning literary Literature London lord maiden male Marguerite's Mariam marriage masculine matron ment Middle Ages Mirrhor moral motivation mulieribus nature passion Peter Peter Abelard play Policraticus political praise queenship question reader reading Renaissance rhetorical role Roman Rule sexual social society Spenser story Thomas tion traditional Translated Tudor University Press virtue virtuous wife woman women writers York Zenobia