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Course Question & AnswerMedieval Women Writers
Purpose of Course showclose
Scholarship on medieval women writers is a somewhat recent phenomenon, in part because we know relatively little about men of the Middle Ages—and what we know about women from the period is even more limited. In this course, we will engage this new frontier in literary studies by examining the writings of a diverse group of medieval women—from reclusive anchoresses to aristocratic women of the court—and analyzing the perceptions of reality, both secular and religious, that they present. We will also read and respond to a number of critical essays concerning medieval women and the various debates that have emerged in the study of their works.
We will begin the course with a unit on context, acquainting ourselves with the major socio-historical developments that shaped the period as well as the little that is known about medieval women and their roles in society. We will then take a look at some major feminist and gender/sex-related approaches to literature, making their various methods and beliefs available to us as we progress through the course.
The remainder of the course has been divided into two major units: women of the Church, and women of the secular world. In each of these units, we will perform close readings of women-authored texts, examining their styles, techniques, and representations of the world around them.
Learning Outcomes showclose
- Explain Medievalism as both a historical period and a movement in literature and the arts.
- Provide an account of the role of women in the Middle Ages.
- Explain the general intellectual climate of the Middle Ages.
- Explain the significance of the Fall of the Roman Empire.
- Explain the importance of Medieval oral traditions, the rise of literacy, cultures of chivalry, courtly love, Scholasticism, and the Church.
- Describe the lives of Medieval women, wives, virgins, lovers, and mothers.
- Explain the relationship between Medieval women and the Church in terms of theology, emerging religious communities, persecution, nunnery, scripture, hagiography, martyrdom, and sainthood.
- Discuss Medieval concepts of gender and sexuality.
- Explain the notion of “secular female authorship.”
- Describe Medieval class structure and especially the nature of aristocratic and working-class women in the Middle Ages.
- Identify and describe the formal and structural conventions of the Medieval lay.
- Detail the themes of love, desire, romance, marriage, widowhood, and literary self-expression in the Medieval text.
- Describe the major tenets, ideals, and ideas investigated in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (and especially from the perspective of women in this complex text).
Course Requirements showclose
√ Have access to a computer.
√ Have continuous broadband Internet access.
√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g., Adobe Reader or Flash).
√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.
√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.).
√ Be competent in the English language.
√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.
Unit Outline show close
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Unit 1: Medieval Times, Medieval Women
Unit 1 Learning Outcomes
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- 1.1 An Overview of the Middle Ages and Its Intellectual Climate
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1.1.1 What Are the Middle Ages?
- Reading: Medieval-Life.Net’s “Medieval European History”
Link: Medieval-Life.Net’s “Medieval European History”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entry on “Medieval European History” linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Medieval-Life.Net’s “Medieval European History”
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1.1.2 The Fall of the Roman Empire
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “The Roman Withdrawal”
Link: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “The Roman Withdrawal”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire chapter on “The Roman Withdrawal” from Muhlberger’s Medieval England.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “The Roman Withdrawal”
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1.1.3 Legacies of the Oral Tradition
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Oral Formulaic” and “Oral Transmission”
Link: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Oral Formulaic” and “Oral Transmission”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the definitions of “oral transmission” and “oral formulaic” linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Oral Formulaic” and “Oral Transmission”
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1.1.4 The Rise in Literacy
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Early English Society”; Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: “Accounts of Medieval Literacy and Education, c. 1090-1530”
Links: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Early English Society”(HTML); Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: “Accounts of Medieval Literacy and Education, c. 1090-1530”(HTML)
Instructions: First, read the section on “Early English Society” from Muhlberger’s textbook, Medieval England, linked here. Then, please read the entire series of “Accounts of Medieval Literacy and Education, c. 1090-1530.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Early English Society”; Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: “Accounts of Medieval Literacy and Education, c. 1090-1530”
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1.1.5 A Culture of Chivalry and Courtly Love
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Courtly Love”
Link: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Courtly Love”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the definition of “courtly love” linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Courtly Love”
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1.1.6 Scholasticism and Trends in Medieval Thought
- Reading: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Suzanne Fonay Wemple’s "Scholarship in Women’s Communities"; New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on “Scholasticism”
Link: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Suzanne Fonay Wemple’s "Scholarship in Women’s Communities" (HTML); New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on"Scholasticism" (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article on “Scholarship in Women’s Communities” hosted on the University of Southern California’s website linked here. Also, read New Advent’s short encyclopedia entry on “scholasticism.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Suzanne Fonay Wemple’s "Scholarship in Women’s Communities"; New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on “Scholasticism”
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1.1.7 The Predominance of the Church
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “The Conversion of Britain” and “The Age of Bede”
Link: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “The Conversion of Britain” (HTML) and “The Age of Bede”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read both chapters, “The Conversion of Britain” and “The Age of Bede,” from the textbook linked here in their entirety.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “The Conversion of Britain” and “The Age of Bede”
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1.2 An Introduction to Medieval Women: Widows, Wives, and Virgins
- Reading: Clark College: Anita Fisher’s “Women in the Early European Middle Ages”
Link: Clark College: Anita Fisher’s “Women in the Early European Middle Ages”(HTML)
Instructions: Please note that in order to access the text you will need to click the link “Women in the Early European Middle Ages” in the right-hand column (“Lecture Texts”) to download the file in either PDF or Word format.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Clark College: Anita Fisher’s “Women in the Early European Middle Ages”
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1.2.1 Virginity as the Pre-eminent Virtue for Medieval Women
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: N.M. Heckel’s “Sex, Society, and Medieval Women”: “Sex and Society”; The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Susan Udry’s “Books of Women’s Conduct from France during the High and Late Middle Ages, 1200-1400”
Links: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: N. M. Heckel’s “Sex, Society, and Medieval Women”: “Sex and Society” (HTML); The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Susan Udry’s “Books of Women’s Conduct from France during the High and Late Middle Ages, 1200-1400” (HTML)
Instructions: From Heckel’s “Sex, Society, and Medieval Women,” please read the section titled “Sex and Society,” which includes sub-sections titled “Virginity,” “Women and Courtly Love,” and “Prostitution.” Also, please read Susan Udry’s essay on women’s conduct books linked here, and in particular, please focus on the mention of virginity and incontinence in the discussion of appropriate female behavior.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: N.M. Heckel’s “Sex, Society, and Medieval Women”: “Sex and Society”; The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Susan Udry’s “Books of Women’s Conduct from France during the High and Late Middle Ages, 1200-1400”
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1.2.2 Marriage and Wifely Duties
- Reading: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s EMuseum: “Daily Life”: “Marriage and Divorce” and UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Elizabeth M. Makowski’s “The Conjugal Debt and Medieval Canon Law”
Links: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s EMuseum: "Daily Life": “Marriage and Divorce” (HTML) and UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Elizabeth M. Makowski’s “The Conjugal Debt and Medieval Canon Law” (PDF)
Instructions: First, read only the section titled “Marriage and Divorce” for the “Daily Life” reading. Then, please read the short critical essay, “The Conjugal Debt and Medieval Canon Law,” linked above. The first reading gives basic information about marriage in the medieval era. The second reading further discusses marriage in the medieval era, providing a sound overview of women’s historical roles as wives, both in legal and ecclesiastical terms.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s EMuseum: “Daily Life”: “Marriage and Divorce” and UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Elizabeth M. Makowski’s “The Conjugal Debt and Medieval Canon Law”
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1.2.3 The Midwife, the Dangers of Childbirth, and Motherhood
- Reading: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s eMuseum: “Daily Life”: “Children and Schooling”
Link: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s eMuseum: "Daily Life": “Children and Schooling” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the section titled “Children and Schooling,” which discusses the childbirth process, in the “Daily Life” reading linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s eMuseum: “Daily Life”: “Children and Schooling”
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1.2.4 Women, Land, and Property Ownership
- Reading: University of Houston’s Department of History: Professor Bob Elhone’s English Legal History Materials: “Chapter IV.A. Women and the Law: Dower”
Link: University of Houston’s Department of History: Professor Bob Elhone’s English Legal History Materials: “Chapter IV.A. Women and the Law: Dower” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the short excerpt on medieval law codes for more information about women’s property laws, or lack thereof. In particular, please note the mention of women’s property after marriage.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Houston’s Department of History: Professor Bob Elhone’s English Legal History Materials: “Chapter IV.A. Women and the Law: Dower”
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1.2.5 Misogyny and the Dangerous, Sinful Woman
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Kathleen Forni’s, ed. “The Antifeminist Tradition: Introduction” and Sunshine for Women: Katherine M. Rogers’ “The Troublesome Helpmate: A History of Misogyny in Literature”
Link: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Kathleen Forni’s, ed. "The Antifeminist Tradition: Introduction"(HTML) and Sunshine for Women: Katherine M. Rogers’ “The Troublesome Helpmate: A History of Misogyny in Literature” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire critical essay linked here. Also, please scroll down and read the “Preface,” “Introduction,” and sections “II” and “III” of Rogers’ history of misogyny.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Kathleen Forni’s, ed. “The Antifeminist Tradition: Introduction” and Sunshine for Women: Katherine M. Rogers’ “The Troublesome Helpmate: A History of Misogyny in Literature”
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1.2.6 Concepts of Medieval Masculinity: The Figure of the Chivalrous Courtier and Beyond
- Reading: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Jeffery Jerome Cohen’s “Medieval Masculinities: Heroism, Sanctity, and Gender”
Link: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Jeffery Jerome Cohen’s “Medieval Masculinities: Heroism, Sanctity, and Gender”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article titled “Medieval Masculinities: Heroism, Sanctity, and Gender” linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Jeffery Jerome Cohen’s “Medieval Masculinities: Heroism, Sanctity, and Gender”
- 1.3 An Introduction to Gender Theories and Feminist Literary Approaches
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1.3.1 Literary Feminisms: A Range of Approaches
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Introduction: The Body and the Book”
Link: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Introduction: The Body and the Book” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the introduction to the online textbook, Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages. To access this essay, scroll past the Table of Contents.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Introduction: The Body and the Book”
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1.3.2 Concepts of Gender & Sexuality
- Reading: Theory.Org.Uk’s “Judith Butler” and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “The Experience of Sexuality in the Middle Ages” as well as Georgetown University: Robert L. A. Clark’s and Claire M. Sponsler’s “Queer Play: The Cultural Work of Crossdressing in Medieval Drama”
Link: Theory.Org.Uk’s "Judith Butler"(HTML) and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “The Experience of Sexuality in the Middle Ages”(HTML) as well as Georgetown University: Robert L. A. Clark’s and Claire M. Sponsler’s “Queer Play: The Cultural Work of Crossdressing in Medieval Drama” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire entry on Judith Butler linked here. As you move through the course, please keep Butler’s notion of gender as performance in mind when reading the female-authored texts. Also, please scroll down and read the entirety of Halsall’s explication of sexuality in the Middle Ages as well as Clark’s and Sponsler’s introduction to the various functions of Medieval gender as revealed by drama of the period.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Theory.Org.Uk’s “Judith Butler” and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “The Experience of Sexuality in the Middle Ages” as well as Georgetown University: Robert L. A. Clark’s and Claire M. Sponsler’s “Queer Play: The Cultural Work of Crossdressing in Medieval Drama”
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1.3.3 Recent Feminist Scholarship in Medieval Studies
- Reading: University of Windsor: Jacqueline Murray’s "Cultural Studies/Sexual Anxiety: The Confessions of a Medieval(ist)" and Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies: Medieval Studies Catalogue Page’s “New Titles”
Link: University of Windsor: Jacqueline Murray’s "Cultural Studies/Sexual Anxiety: The Confessions of a Medieval(ist)"(HTML) and Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies: Medieval Studies Catalogue Page’s “New Titles”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the critical paper linked above for a modern feminist analysis of medieval studies. Also, please scroll down and read the entirety of Medieval Studies Catalogue Page’s “New Titles” to get a sense of the types of recent scholarship emerging in this area of research.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have all materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Submit MaterialsSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Windsor: Jacqueline Murray’s "Cultural Studies/Sexual Anxiety: The Confessions of a Medieval(ist)" and Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies: Medieval Studies Catalogue Page’s “New Titles”
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Unit 2: Women and the Church
In the Middle Ages, the Church—an institution that then enjoyed cohesive social, political, and cultural power—monopolized education; besides a few wealthy aristocrats, clergymen and clergywomen were the only members of society that learned to read and write. For this reason, a good number of female-authored works from the Middle Ages are by nuns, mystics, and other religiously-minded women. In this unit, we will perform close readings of a number of works by such individuals, examining their self-presentation, their figurations of Christ and religious experiences, and the ways in which a predominantly masculine theology may have shaped or limited their self-expression.
Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close
- 2.1 Introduction to the Medieval Church
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2.1.1 A Masculine Theology?
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Jane Barr’s “The Vulgate Genesis and St. Jerome’s Attitudes to Women”
Link: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Jane Barr’s "The Vulgate Genesis and St. Jerome's Attitudes to Women" (PDF)
Also available in:
ePub format on Google Books (pg 122-128)
Instructions: Read the entire article linked here for a feminist perspective on the medieval Church. In particular, please note the emphasis on the masculine theology, in terms of who determines the Church practices as well as how male opinion impacts the Church’s treatment of women.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Westminster Theological Seminary: Dr. Carl Trueman’s “Medieval Church”: “Introduction”
Link: Westminster Theological Seminary: Dr. Carl Trueman’s “Medieval Church”: "Introduction"(iTunes U)
Instructions: Please listen to the entire lecture for an introduction to the medieval Church.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Jane Barr’s “The Vulgate Genesis and St. Jerome’s Attitudes to Women”
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2.1.2 The Church’s Control of the Press and Literacy
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Religion in Fifteenth-Century England”; Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “The Art of the Book in the Middle Ages”
Links: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Religion in Fifteenth-Century England” (HTML); Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “The Art of the Book in the Middle Ages”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire chapter of Muhlberger’s Medieval England for more information about the effects of the rise of literacy. Then, read over the essay on how medieval books were used by the Church in universities, as well as for private devotional use. You may want to click “View Slideshow” for visual accompaniment to the text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Religion in Fifteenth-Century England”; Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “The Art of the Book in the Middle Ages”
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2.1.3 The Emergence of Religious Communities
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Yuri Koszarycz’s Ecclesiology: “The Beginnings of Monasticism”; Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Monasticism in Medieval Christianity”
Link: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Yuri Koszarycz’s Ecclesiology: “The Beginnings of Monasticism” (HTML); Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Monasticism in Medieval Christianity”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the chapter on monasticism from Koszarycz’s Ecclesiology. Also, please read the short essay on monasticism from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As you read, make sure to look closely over the section titled “Women and Monasticism.” You may want to click “View Slideshow” for visual accompaniment to the text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Yuri Koszarycz’s Ecclesiology: “The Beginnings of Monasticism”; Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Monasticism in Medieval Christianity”
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2.1.4 Persecution of Heretics
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Yuri Koszarycz’s Ecclesiology: “The 11th to the 13th Centuries: Innocent III and the Great Schism”
Link: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’version of Yuri Koszarycz’s Ecclesiology: “The 11thto the 13thCenturies: Innocent III and the Great Schism” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire section titled “The 11thto the 13thCenturies: Innocent III and the Great Schism.” Please note that in order to read the full text of this section; you must follow the link titled “next” at the bottom left corner of the page.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Yuri Koszarycz’s Ecclesiology: “The 11th to the 13th Centuries: Innocent III and the Great Schism”
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2.1.5 Devotional Practices
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Private Devotion in Medieval Christianity”
Link: Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Private Devotion in Medieval Christianity”(HTML)
Instructions: Read the short essay here for more information about devotion in the medieval era. You may want to click “View Slideshow” for visual accompaniment to the text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Private Devotion in Medieval Christianity”
- 2.2 Nuns, Female Mystics, and Their Works
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2.2.1 The Life of the Anchoress
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Anchorite,” “Anchoress,” and “Mystics”; University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Robert Hasenfratz’s, ed., version of Ancrene Wisse
Links: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Anchorite,” “Anchoress,” (HTML)and “Mystics” (HTML); University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Robert Hasenfratz’s, ed., version of Ancrene Wisse (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the definitions of “mystics,” “anchorite,” and “anchoress” linked here. You will need to scroll down the webpage until you reach the definition for each. After you have familiarized yourself with these definitions, please read Ancrene Wisse, edited by Robert Hasenfratz.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Westminster Theological Seminary: Dr. Carl Trueman’s “Medieval Church 8”: “Mysticism”
Link: Westminster Theological Seminary: Dr. Carl Trueman’s “Medieval Church 8”: “Mysticism” (iTunes U)
Instructions: Please listen to the entire lecture for a discussion of mysticism in the early Church.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Anchorite,” “Anchoress,” and “Mystics”; University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Robert Hasenfratz’s, ed., version of Ancrene Wisse
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2.2.2 Julian of Norwich
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Julian of Norwich”; Christian Classics Ethereal Library’s version of Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love: “Chapters 1-3 Revelations of Divine Love”
Links: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on“Julian of Norwich” (HTML); Christian Classics Ethereal Library’s version Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love: “Chapters 1-3 Revelations of Divine Love”(HTML)
Also available in:
eText format on the Kindle ($0.99)
ePub format on Google Books
Instructions: Please read the introductory information from the Catholic Encyclopedia for more about Julian of Norwich’s role as a mystical writer. Then, read the entire text of Norwich’s “Chapters 1-3 Revelations of Divine Love.” To access these chapters, click the link in the table of contents to Chapter 1, and continue to click “next” to move on to each chapter that follows.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Julian of Norwich”; Christian Classics Ethereal Library’s version of Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love: “Chapters 1-3 Revelations of Divine Love”
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2.2.2.1 Her Presentation of Day-to-Day Life
- Reading: Gloriana’s Court: Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo’s “Julian of Norwich”
Link: Gloriana’s Court: Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo’s “Julian of Norwich” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entire short piece on Julian of Norwich for more about her daily life as a nun.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gloriana’s Court: Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo’s “Julian of Norwich”
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2.2.2.2 Independence and Physical Separation from the Church
- Reading: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Margot H. King’s “Julian of Norwich: A Saint for the Nineties”
Link: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Margot H. King’s "Julian of Norwich: A Saint for the Nineties" (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entire critical piece linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Margot H. King’s “Julian of Norwich: A Saint for the Nineties”
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2.2.2.3 A Hermit’s Life: Reclusiveness or Enclosure?
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Elizabeth Robertson’s “An Anchorhold of Her Own: Female Anchoritic Literature in Thirteenth-Century England”
Link: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages:Elizabeth Robertson’s "An Anchorhold of Her Own: Female Anchoritic Literature in Thirteenth-Century England" (PDF)
Instructions: Read the entire essay titled “An Anchorhold of Her Own” linked here.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Elizabeth Robertson’s “An Anchorhold of Her Own: Female Anchoritic Literature in Thirteenth-Century England”
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2.2.2.4 Conceptualization of Love
- Reading: Gloriana’s Court: Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo’s “Mystics in Love”
Link: Gloriana’s Court: Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo’s “Mystics in Love” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entire essay linked here for a discussion of Christian spirituality and the mystics’ experience with love.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gloriana’s Court: Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo’s “Mystics in Love”
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2.2.2.5 Maternal Figurations of God
- Reading: Internet Archive: Thomas L. Long’s “Julian of Norwich's ‘Christ as Mother’ and Medieval Constructions of Gender" Lecture; San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Jennifer A. Hudson’s “‘God our Mother’: The Feminine Cosmology of Julian of Norwich and Hildegard of Bingen”
Link: Internet Archive: Thomas L. Long’s "Julian of Norwich's ‘Christ as Mother’ and Medieval Constructions of Gender" Lecture (HTML); San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Jennifer A. Hudson’s “‘God our Mother’: The Feminine Cosmology of Julian of Norwich and Hildegard of Bingen” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture titled “Julian of Norwich’s ‘Christ as Mother’ and Medieval Constructions of Gender” and then Hudson’s essay on Julian of Norwich and Hildegard of Bingen.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Internet Archive: Thomas L. Long’s “Julian of Norwich's ‘Christ as Mother’ and Medieval Constructions of Gender" Lecture; San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Jennifer A. Hudson’s “‘God our Mother’: The Feminine Cosmology of Julian of Norwich and Hildegard of Bingen”
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2.2.2.6 Matters of Style: Repetition, Cyclicality, and Imagery
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Georgia Ronan Crampton’s, ed., The Shewings of Julian of Norwich: Introduction
Link: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Georgia Ronan Crampton’s, ed., The Shewings of Julian of Norwich: Introduction (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire introduction to The Shewings of Julian of Norwich, edited by Georgia Ronan Crampton. As you read, please focus on the stylistic devices in the text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Georgia Ronan Crampton’s, ed., The Shewings of Julian of Norwich: Introduction
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2.2.3 Margery Kempe
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Lynn Staley’s, ed., The Book of Margery Kempe: “Book I and Book II”
Link: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Lynn Staley’s, ed., TheBook of Margery Kempe: “Book I and Book II” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of Book I and Book II. To access Part II of Book I, as well as Book II, you must click on the hyperlinks at the end of each webpage to continue on.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: UMILITA.net’s “Conversation between Julian and Margery”
Link: UMILITA.net’s “Conversation between Julian and Margery”
Instructions: Listen to the reading of this essay in its entirety.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Lynn Staley’s, ed., The Book of Margery Kempe: “Book I and Book II”
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2.2.3.1 Kempe’s Self-Presentation: Wife, Mother, and Mystic
- Reading: Gloriana’s Court’s “Margery Kempe”
Link: Gloriana’s Court’s “Margery Kempe” (PDF)
Instructions: Read the entire introductory essay linked here.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Dr. Elizabeth G. Melillo, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gloriana’s Court’s “Margery Kempe”
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2.2.3.2 Margery’s Unique Relationship with Her Husband
- Reading: Internet Archive’s version of Claire F. Brunetti’s “Songs of Silence: The Affection for Bride and Body in the Rhetoric of Bernard of Clairvaux, Margery Kempe, and Teresa of Jesus”: “Chapter 2: Sounds of Subversion”
Link: Internet Archive’s version of Claire F. Brunetti’s “Songs of Silence: The Affection for Bride and Body in the Rhetoric of Bernard of Clairvaux, Margery Kempe, and Teresa of Jesus”: “Chapter 2: Sounds of Subversion” (HTML)
Instructions: Scroll down the webpage until you find the beginning of Chapter 2; then read the entirety of Chapter 2, titled “Sounds of Subversion: Margery Kempe’s Unorthodox Weeping.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Internet Archive’s version of Claire F. Brunetti’s “Songs of Silence: The Affection for Bride and Body in the Rhetoric of Bernard of Clairvaux, Margery Kempe, and Teresa of Jesus”: “Chapter 2: Sounds of Subversion”
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2.2.3.3 Working outside the Abbey: Kempe’s Travels, Public Voice, and Reception
- Reading: Internet Archive’s version of Dean Lee Evans’s “Margery Kempe: A Brief History of Her Life”
Link: Internet Archive’s version of Dean Lee Evans’s “Margery Kempe: A Brief History of Her Life” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this short introduction to Kempe’s life. While reading, please consider the public reaction to Kempe’s life, including the accusations of heresy brought against her.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Internet Archive’s version of Dean Lee Evans’s “Margery Kempe: A Brief History of Her Life”
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2.2.3.4 Conceptualization of Scripture and Theology
- Reading: College of the Holy Cross’s “Mapping Margery Kempe”: “Introduction”
Link: College of the Holy Cross’s “Mapping Margery Kempe”: “Introduction” (HTML)
Instructions: Read the brief essay for more about Kempe’s concept of worship. Please pay close attention to the discussion of Kempe’s text as a rebellion against male theological authority.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: College of the Holy Cross’s “Mapping Margery Kempe”: “Introduction”
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2.2.3.5 Illiteracy, Dictation, and the Questions of Authorship
- Reading: University of California’s eScholarship: Julian Yates’s “Mystic Self: Margery Kempe and the Mirror of Narrative”
Link: University of California’s eScholarship: Julian Yates’s “Mystic Self: Margery Kempe and the Mirror of Narrative”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire critical essay for a discussion of the question of authorship in “The Book of Margery Kempe,” especially in reference to Kempe’s own questionable literacy.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California’s eScholarship: Julian Yates’s “Mystic Self: Margery Kempe and the Mirror of Narrative”
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2.2.3.6 “The Book of Margery Kempe” as an Early Autobiography: Questions of Genre and Selfhood
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Lynn Staley’s, ed., The Book of Margery Kempe: Introduction
Link: University of Rochester TEAMS: Lynn Staley’s, ed., The Book of Margery Kempe: Introduction (HTML)
Instructions: Read this short introduction to the text for an idea of the authorship, genre, and autobiography in The Book of Margery Kempe.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Rochester Libraries’ TEAMS: Lynn Staley’s, ed., The Book of Margery Kempe: Introduction
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2.2.3.7 Matters of Style and Form
- Reading: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Karma Lochrie’s “Margery Kempe and the Rhetoric of Laughter”
Link: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Karma Lochrie’s "Margery Kempe and the Rhetoric of Laughter" (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entire critical essay linked here for a review of Kempe’s use of style and forms in her narrative.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Karma Lochrie’s “Margery Kempe and the Rhetoric of Laughter”
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2.2.4 Affective Piety and Dissolution of the Self
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s "The Human Side of God I: Women Mystics"
Link: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s "The Human Side of God I: Women Mystics" (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this review of female mystics, which includes a discussion of affective piety.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s "The Human Side of God I: Women Mystics"
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2.2.5 Catherine of Siena and the Text as Body
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Catherine of Siena”; Catherine of Siena’s Letters of Catherine Benincasa
Links: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on"Catherine of Siena" (HTML); Catherine of Siena’s Letters of Catherine Benincasa” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this short encyclopedia entry on Catherine of Siena for an introduction to her life. Then, read her letters, in particular: “To Sister Eugenia, Her Niece at the Convent of Saint Agnes of Montepulciano,” “To Nanna, Daughter of Benincasa a Little Maid, Her Niece in Florence,” and “To Brother William of England of the Hermit of Brothers of St. Augustine.” As you read, please focus on Catherine of Sienna’s mentions of the body.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Catherine of Siena”; Catherine of Siena’s Letters of Catherine Benincasa
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2.2.6 Figurations of God as Lover or Courtier
- Reading: Project Gutenberg’s version of Catherine of Siena’s Letters of Catherine Benincasa
Links: Project Gutenberg’s version of Catherine of Siena’s Letters of Catherine Benincasa (HTML)
Instructions: From Catherine of Siena’s Letters, please read the following letters: “To Benincasa her Brother When He Was in Florence,” “To Monna Alessa Dei Saracini,” and “To Brother Matteo Di Francesco Tolomei of the Order of the Preachers.” As you read, please concentrate on Catherine’s depiction of God as a lover.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Project Gutenberg’s version of Catherine of Siena’s Letters of Catherine Benincasa
- 2.3 Female Hagiography
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2.3.1 What Is Hagiography?
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Hagiography”
Link: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Hagiography” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the definition of “hagiography” linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Hagiography”
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2.3.2 Hagiography as a Means to Represent Women in Different Modes
- Reading: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Jo Ann McNamara’s “The Ordeal of Community: Hagiography and Discipline in Merovingian Convents”
Link: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Jo Ann McNamara’s "The Ordeal of Community: Hagiography and Discipline in Merovingian Convents" (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entire article linked here for a discussion of the importance of hagiography in shaping portrayals of medieval women.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Southern California: Monastic Matrix’s version of Jo Ann McNamara’s “The Ordeal of Community: Hagiography and Discipline in Merovingian Convents”
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2.3.3 The Figure of Thecla: Romance, Adventure, and Rejection of the Conventional Roles of Wife and Mother
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Sts. Thecla”; Global Ministries’ version of excerpts from “The Acts of Paul and Thecla”
Links: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on“Sts. Thecla” (HTML); Global Ministries’ version of excerpts from “The Acts of Paul and Thecla” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Sts. Thecla” for background information about Saint Thecla’s role in the Medieval Church. Then, read the selections from the “The Acts of Paul and Thecla” linked here, which includes Chapter 1-Chapter 11 of the Thecla narrative.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Sts. Thecla”; Global Ministries’ version of excerpts from “The Acts of Paul and Thecla”
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2.3.4 Perpetua, Martyrdom, and Defiance
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua”; Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: W.H. Shewring’s translation of excerpts from “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity”
Link: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on“Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua” (HTML); Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: W.H. Shewring’s translation of excerpts from "The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity" (HTML)
Instructions: Read the excerpts from “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity,” as well as the encyclopedia entry on the two female saints.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua”; Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: W.H. Shewring’s translation of excerpts from “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity”
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2.3.5 Conceptualizations of and Qualifications for Female Sainthood
- Reading: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Women and Religion in the Middle Ages”
Link: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Women and Religion in the Middle Ages”(HTML)
Instructions: To access the text, click on the hyperlink for “Women and Religion in the Middle Ages” in the right column titled “Lecture Texts.” You may choose either the Word or PDF format. Read the entire lecture for a discussion of female sainthood, as well as a thorough review of women’s role in the medieval Church.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Women and Religion in the Middle Ages”
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Unit 3: Secular Female Authors in the Medieval World
Outside of the Church, education was limited to the very wealthy. In this unit, we will read a number of works by aristocratic women, examining their conceptualizations of their lives and their roles in society. Not surprisingly, these women tend to decry the misogynistic and male-centric world in which they live; many consider these authors proto-feminists. We will conclude with a section entitled “Men Writing Women,” where we will compare and contrast the ways in which men and women “wrote” the female figure.
Unit 3 Learning Outcomes show close
- 3.1 Class Positions and Social Roles for Secular Women in the Middle Ages
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3.1.1 Medieval Class Structure
- Reading: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s EMuseum: “Feudalism”; The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Economy and Society up to the Thirteenth Century”
Links: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s EMuseum: "Feudalism" (HTML); The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Economy and Society up to the Thirteenth Century” (HTML)
Instructions: First, please look over the essay on medieval “Feudalism” for a basic idea of the class structure. Then, read the short chapter from Muhlberger’s Medieval England for a history of the development of social class over the course of the medieval era.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Minnesota State University, Mankato’s EMuseum: “Feudalism”; The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Economy and Society up to the Thirteenth Century”
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3.1.2 The Emergence of “Class Consciousness”
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Economic Change and Social Tension in the Late Fourteenth Century”
Link: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Economic Change and Social Tension in the Late Fourteenth Century”(HTML)
Instructions: Read this chapter from Muhlberger’s Medieval England for a history of social tensions in the late medieval period.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Steven Muhlberger’s Medieval England: “Economic Change and Social Tension in the Late Fourteenth Century”
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3.1.3 Women of the Aristocracy
- Reading: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Royal and Aristocratic Women in the Middle Ages”
Link: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Royal and Aristocratic Women in the Middle Ages”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture for an excellent overview of the life of aristocratic women in the medieval era. Please note that in order to access the text (viewable in either Word or PDF), you must follow the link titled “Royal and Aristocratic Women in Middle Ages” in the right-hand column titled “Lecture Texts.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Royal and Aristocratic Women in the Middle Ages”
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3.1.4 Women of the Working Class
- Reading: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Women’s Contributions to the Economy of Medieval Towns”
Link: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Women’s Contributions to the Economy of Medieval Towns” (PDF or DOC)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture for more information on working class women’s roles in the medieval economy. Please note that in order to access the text, you must follow the link titled “Women’s Contribution to the Economy of Medieval Towns” in the right-hand column titled “Lecture Texts.” You may view the text in either Word or PDF format.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Clark College: Professor Anita Fisher’s “Women’s Contributions to the Economy of Medieval Towns”
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3.2 Marie de France and the Romantic Lay
- Reading: University of Florida: Judith P. Shoaf’s The Lais of Marie de France; Washington State University: Dr. Paul Brian’s “The Lais of Marie de France Study Guide”
Links: University of Florida: Judith P. Shoaf’s translation of The Lais of Marie de France (HTML);Washington State University: Dr. Paul Brian’s “The Lais of Marie de France Study Guide”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire translation of The Lais of Marie de France and then look over Dr. Brian’s “The Lais of Marie de France Study Guide.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Florida: Judith P. Shoaf’s The Lais of Marie de France; Washington State University: Dr. Paul Brian’s “The Lais of Marie de France Study Guide”
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3.2.1 Who Was Marie de France?
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Marie de France”
Link: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on“Marie de France”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire entry on “Marie de France” for an introduction to her life and work.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Marie de France”
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3.2.2 Aristocracy and Ties to the Royal Family
- Reading: Winthrop University: Dr. Jo Koster’s “Marie de France”
Link: Winthrop University: Dr. Jo Koster’s "Marie de France" (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entire essay linked here. Please note the discussion of how lais catered to the tastes of the aristocracy, perhaps as a result of the fact that Marie de France was immersed in royal society.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Winthrop University: Dr. Jo Koster’s “Marie de France”
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3.2.3 What Is a Lay?—Form, Structure, and Convention
- Reading: Reading: Lightspill Poetry: Jonathan A. Glenn’s “Notes on Middle English Romance” and Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Lai”
Link: Lightspill Poetry: Jonathan A. Glenn’s "Notes on Middle English Romance" (PDF) and Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Lai” (HTML)
Instructions: First, please read the essay from Lightspill Poetry for an excellent overview of the Romance genre, including information on structure, plot, and classification. The brief essay should help you put Marie de France’s work in the appropriate historical context. Then, please read the short definition of “lai” (or “lay”) linked here.
Terms of Use: The material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Dr. Jonathan Glenn, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Reading: Lightspill Poetry: Jonathan A. Glenn’s “Notes on Middle English Romance” and Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Lai”
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3.2.4 The Female Lay: Adaptations of a Predominantly Male Form
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Introduction”
Link: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Introduction” (HTML)
Also available in:
ePub format on Google Books
Instructions: Read the introduction linked here. Please read only the introductory notes, not the portion of the essay that touches on the specific lays, as we will return to these sections later. In particular, please pay close attention to the discussion of the medieval romance as a specific form of women’s literature.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Introduction”
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3.2.5 Concepts of Freedom and Escape
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Introduction”; University of California eScholarship: Frederick Hodgson’s “Alienation and Otherworld in Lanval, Yonec, and Guigemar”
Links: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Introduction”(HTML); University of California eScholarship: Frederick Hodgson’s “Alienation and the Otherworld in Lanval, Yonec, and Guigemar” (HTML)
Instructions: Read the section on “The Nightingale” in Terry’s “Introduction” for a discussion of the theme of entrapment in Marie de France’s text. Then read Hodgson’s essay for a critical commentary on the theme of romance in several of Marie de France’s lays. Pay close attention to the discussion of women’s role in the courtship process.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Introduction”; University of California eScholarship: Frederick Hodgson’s “Alienation and Otherworld in Lanval, Yonec, and Guigemar”
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3.2.6 Representation of Love, Desire, Romance, and Marriage
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Introduction,” “Two Lovers,” and “Honeysuckle”
Links: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: "Introduction," (HTML) “Two Lovers,”(HTML) and “Honeysuckle”(HTML)
Also available in:
ePub format on Google Books
Instructions: Read the “Introduction,” as well as the lais “Two Lovers,” and “Honeysuckle” for a discussion and examples of love in Marie de France’s text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Introduction,” “Two Lovers,” and “Honeysuckle”
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3.2.7 Moral Elements in the Lais
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Lanval” and “Eliduc”
Links: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Lanval”(HTML) and “Eliduc” (HTML)
Instructions: Read the lais “Lanval” and “Eliduc” linked here, paying close attention to the moral issues and injunctions they seem to be staking. If necessary, you may also want to refer back to the “Introduction” for a review of background information on Marie de France. To access the “Introduction,” click on the hyperlink in the table of contents on the left side of the webpage.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Patricia Terry’s The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: “Lanval” and “Eliduc”
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3.2.8 Magic and the Supernatural
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Medieval Romance”
Link: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Medieval Romance” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the short definition of “medieval romance” linked here for some basic information on the use of supernatural themes in medieval lays.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Medieval Romance”
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3.2.9 The Issue of the Dedication
- Reading: San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Dinah Hazell’s "Rethinking Marie"
Link: San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Dinah Hazell’s "Rethinking Marie" (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the article linked here in its entirety.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Dinah Hazell’s "Rethinking Marie"
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3.3 Christine de Pizan
- Reading: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on “Christine de Pisan”; Millersville University: Bonnie Duncan’s version of Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies
Links: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on“Christine de Pisan” (HTML); Millersville University: Bonnie Duncan’s version of Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies(HTML)
Also available in:
eText format on the Kindle ($3.96)
Instructions: Please begin by reading the short encyclopedia entry on Christine de Pizan for an introduction to her life and works. Then, read the section of Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on “Christine de Pisan”; Millersville University: Bonnie Duncan’s version of Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies
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3.3.1 Christine’s Education and “Career” as a Writer
- Reading: Sunshine for Women’s “Christine de Pizan”
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Submit MaterialsSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Sunshine for Women’s “Christine de Pizan”
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3.3.2 Marriage and Widowhood
- Reading: Mount Saint Mary College: Dr. Kate Lindeman’s “The Life and Triumphs of Christine de Pizan”; University of Rochester Libraries’ version of Christine de Pizan’s “Like the Mourning Dove” and “I Am a Widow Lone”
Link: Mount Saint Mary College: Dr. Kate Lindeman’s "The Life and Triumphs of Christine de Pizan" (HTML); University of Rochester Libraries’ version of Christine de Pizan’s “Like the Mourning Dove” and “I Am a Widow Lone” (HTML)
Instructions: First, read the entry titled “The Life and Triumphs of Christine de Pizan” for more about the author’s married life. Please also read both poems linked here, “Like the Mourning Dove” and “I Am a Widow Lone,” which provide insight into Pizan’s perspective on her marital state.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Mount Saint Mary College: Dr. Kate Lindeman’s “The Life and Triumphs of Christine de Pizan”; University of Rochester Libraries’ version of Christine de Pizan’s “Like the Mourning Dove” and “I Am a Widow Lone”
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3.3.3 A Female’s Perspective on a Woman’s Roles in Society
- Reading: Sunshine for Women’s “Book of the City of Ladies”
Link: Sunshine for Women’s “Book of the City of Ladies” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the short outline of Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies, which reviews Pizan’s argument about women’s roles in society. As you read, please pay special attention to the discussion of Pizan’s acknowledgement of inequalities in her society, especially in regards to female education, the character of women, and the false nature of male myths.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Sunshine for Women’s “Book of the City of Ladies”
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3.3.4 Christine de Pizan’s Proto-Feminism
- Reading: Mount Saint Mary College: Dr. Kate Lindeman’s “The Book of the City of Ladies”
Link: Mount Saint Mary College: Dr. Kate Lindeman’s “The Book of the City of Ladies”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article for a discussion of Pizan’s role as an early feminist thinker.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage aboveSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Mount Saint Mary College: Dr. Kate Lindeman’s “The Book of the City of Ladies”
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3.3.5 Figuring Motherhood: Reason, Justice, and Rectitude
- Reading: Sunshine for Women’s “Christine de Pizan”
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Submit MaterialsSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Sunshine for Women’s “Christine de Pizan”
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3.3.6 Allegory, Imagery, and Imagination in The Book of the City of Ladies
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Allegory” and Brown University: Allison Hutt’s “Imagined Worlds”
Link: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Allegory”(HTML) and Brown University: Allison Hutt’s “Imagined Worlds” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the definition of “allegory” and then read the entirety of Hutt’s essay, which details the roles of imagination and imagery in The Book of the City of Ladies.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage aboveSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s “Literary Terms and Definitions”: “Allegory” and Brown University: Allison Hutt’s “Imagined Worlds”
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3.3.7 Voice and Female Dialogue
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Ester Zago’s “Christine de Pizan: A Feminist Way to Learning”; California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Christine de Pizan II: The Path of Long Study”
Links: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Ester Zago’s "Christine de Pizan: A Feminist Way to Learning" (PDF); California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Christine de Pizan II: The Path of Long Study” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the short critical essay titled “Christine de Pizan: A Feminist Way to Learning” linked here. Then, read Dr. Schwartz’s essay in its entirety.
Terms of Use: "Christine de Pizan: A Feminist Way to Learning" has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Ester Zago’s “Christine de Pizan: A Feminist Way to Learning”; California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Christine de Pizan II: The Path of Long Study”
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3.4 The Letters of Abelard and Heloise
- Reading: Sacred Text’s version of The Love Letters of Abelard and Heloise: “Introduction” and “Letters II-IV”
Link: Sacred Text’s version of The Love Letters of Abelard and Heloise: “Introduction” and “Letters II-IV” (HTML)
Also available in:
eText format on the Kindle ($6.60)
ePub format on Google Books
Instructions: Please read the “Introduction” to the text, as well as Letters II-IV. To access the text, click on the hyperlink of the page number for each section in the table of contents.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Sacred Text’s version of The Love Letters of Abelard and Heloise: “Introduction” and “Letters II-IV”
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3.4.1 A Brief Introduction to Abelard and Heloise
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Peter Abelard”
Link: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on"Peter Abelard”(HTML)
Instructions: Read the entire entry on Abelard, which also provides a significant amount of information about his relationship with Heloise.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: BBC’s In Our Time: “Abelard and Heloise”
Link: BBC’s In Our Time: "Abelard and Heloise" (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please listen to the entire program for a historical introduction to Abelard and Heloise.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Peter Abelard”
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3.4.2 The Authorship Controversy: Were All the Letters Authored by Abelard?
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: C.K. Scott Moncrieff’s translation of “Heloise’s Letter to Abelard”
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: C.K. Scott Moncrieff’s translation of "Heloise’s Letter to Abelard" (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the “General Introduction” as well as translator Scott Moncrief’s “Introduction,” both of which tackle the issue of authorship based on analysis on the first letter.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Medieval History Sourcebook: C.K. Scott Moncrieff’s translation of “Heloise’s Letter to Abelard”
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3.4.3 The Concept of Gendered Writing: Masculine and Feminine Authorship
- Reading: Rutgers University: William C. Dowling’s “The Gender Fallacy”
Link: Rutgers University: William C. Dowling’s “The Gender Fallacy” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the essay on “The Gender Fallacy” linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Rutgers University: William C. Dowling’s “The Gender Fallacy”
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3.4.4 The Figuration of Romantic Love
- Reading: Molloy College: Dr. Stephan T. Mayo’s “The Letters of Peter Abelard and Heloise”
Link: Molloy College: Dr. Stephan T. Mayo’s “The Letters of Peter Abelard and Heloise” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the short essay linked here for an examination of several of Abelard’s and Heloise’s letters based on historical context about sexuality, love, and marriage.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Molloy College: Dr. Stephan T. Mayo’s “The Letters of Peter Abelard and Heloise”
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3.4.5 Epistolary and Dialogue
- Reading: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Martin Irvine’s “The Pen(is), Castration, and Identity: Abelard’s Negotiations of Gender”; The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Bill East’s Medieval Philosophy: "Peripateticus Palatinus: The Story of Abelard, Part I"
Links: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Martin Irvine’s "The Pen(is), Castration, and Identity: Abelard's Negotiations of Gender" (HTML); The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’version of Bill East’s Medieval Philosophy: "Peripateticus Palatinus: The Story of Abelard, Part I"(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of Irvine’s critical evaluation of the letters, which includes an analysis based primarily on gender criticism.
As you read, please note the mention of Abelard’s dialogue, which Irvine reads as a significant part of Abelard’s masculine identity. Then read the chapter on Abelard’s philosophy from East’s textbook, which will provide you with more information about the importance of dialogue.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Martin Irvine’s “The Pen(is), Castration, and Identity: Abelard’s Negotiations of Gender”; The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies’ version of Bill East’s Medieval Philosophy: "Peripateticus Palatinus: The Story of Abelard, Part I"
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3.4.6 Self-Expression, Openness, and Equality
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Chapter 5: Women in the Cloister”; University of California eScholarship: Carl Kelso Jr.’s “Women in Power”
Links: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Chapter 5: Women in the Cloister” (PDF); University of California eScholarship: Carl Kelso Jr.’s “Women in Power”(Adobe PDF)
Instructions: Please read the short essay linked here. In addition, please read the critical essay titled “Women in Power.”
Terms of Use: "Women in the Cloister" has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Chapter 5: Women in the Cloister”; University of California eScholarship: Carl Kelso Jr.’s “Women in Power”
- 3.5 Men Writing Women
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3.5.1 The Romance of the Rose
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s version of Guillaume de Lorris’s and Jean de Meun’s The Romance of the Rose
Links: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s version of Guillaume de Lorris’s and Jean de Meun’s The Romance of the Rose (HTML)
Instructions: To access this text, please scroll down Dr. Wheeler’s webpage until you find “The Romance of the Rose and Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath” in the “Downloads” section. Please read the introduction and the short excerpts from The Romance of the Rose, which include passages about gender, love, and marriage.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Carson-Newman College: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler’s version of Guillaume de Lorris’s and Jean de Meun’s The Romance of the Rose
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3.5.1.1 Questions of Authorship and Completion
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Literary Contexts II: The Romance of the Rose”
Link: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s "Literary Contexts II: The Romance of the Rose" (HTML)
Instructions: Read Schwartz’s essay for a basic review of The Romance of the Rose. It includes some information about how the poem was written, touching upon the issue of dual authorship.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Literary Contexts II: The Romance of the Rose”
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3.5.1.2 The Figuration of the Sensual Woman
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Chapter 3: Sexuality and Textuality”
Link: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Chapter 3: Sexuality and Textuality” (PDF)
Instructions: Read the entirety of the short essay linked here, which addresses the issue of a male construction of female
sexuality.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Chapter 3: Sexuality and Textuality”
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3.5.1.3 Courtly Love and the Troubadour Tradition
- Reading: Medieval-Life.Net’s “Troubadours” and “Courtly Love”
Link: Medieval-Life.Net’s “Troubadours”(HTML) and “Courtly Love”(HTML)
Instructions: Read both short entries for more information on the troubadour tradition in literature as well as the theme of courtly love.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Medieval-Life.Net’s “Troubadours” and “Courtly Love”
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3.5.1.4 The Content of a Dream: Framing and Narrative Strategy
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Contexts 2: Romance of the Rose”
Link: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Contexts 2: Romance of the Rose” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Dr. Schwartz’s review of the text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Contexts 2: Romance of the Rose”
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3.5.1.5 Names, Symbols, and Allegories
- Reading: Washington State University: Dr. Michael Delahoyde’s “The Romance of the Rose”; California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Medieval Allegory”
Links: Washington State University: Dr. Michael Delahoyde’s "The Romance of the Rose" (PDF); California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Medieval Allegory”(HTML)
Instructions: Read this quick outline of The Romance of the Rose for information about the imagery, symbolism, and allegory in the text. Then look over Dr. Schwartz’s definition of “medieval allegory” for a review of the uses of allegory. Please note the mention of allegory in The Romance of the Rose.
Terms of Use: "The Romance of the Rose" has been reposted by the kind permission of Dr. Michael Delahoyde, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Washington State University: Dr. Michael Delahoyde’s “The Romance of the Rose”; California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Medieval Allegory”
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3.5.1.6 “Picking the Rose”: Concepts of Female Sexuality
- Reading: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Jo Ann Moran’s “The Roman de la Rose and the Thirteenth-Century Prohibitions of Homosexuality”; California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Contexts for Christine de Pizan: Romance of the Rose”
Links: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Jo Ann Moran’s “The Roman de la Rose and the Thirteenth-Century Prohibitions of Homosexuality”(HTML); California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Contexts for Christine de Pizan: Romance of the Rose”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read Moran’s short critical analysis on The Romance of the Rose. In particular, pay attention to the discussion of the “rose” as a sexualized image in the poem. Then read the section of Dr. Shwartz’s essay titled “Contexts for Christine de Pizan: Romance of the Rose” for more information about the “picking the rose” theme. (You don’t need to read the entirety of the essay.)
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Georgetown University Labyrinth’s version of Jo Ann Moran’s “The Roman de la Rose and the Thirteenth-Century Prohibitions of Homosexuality”; California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Contexts for Christine de Pizan: Romance of the Rose”
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3.5.1.7 Female Critiques and Responses
- Reading: University of Rochester’s version of Christine de Pizan’s Lesser Treatise on the Debate on the Romance of the Rose; California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Selections from the Work of Christine de Pizan”
Links: University of Rochester’s version of Christine de Pizan’s Lesser Treatise on the Debate on the Romance of the Rose (HTML); California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Selections from the Work of Christine de Pizan” (HTML)
Instructions: First, please read this excerpt from Pizan’s Letters for a discussion of the treatment of women in The Romance of the
Rose. Then take a look at Dr. Schwartz’s website for more information about Pizan’s role in the debate over The Romance of the Rose, as well as her reactions to “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Rochester’s version of Christine de Pizan’s Lesser Treatise on the Debate on the Romance of the Rose; California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “Selections from the Work of Christine de Pizan”
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3.5.2 The Wife of Bath
- Reading: Project Gutenberg’s version of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”
Link: Project Gutenberg’s version of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”(HTML)
Also available in:
eText format for the Kindle ($0.99)
Instructions: Please read the entire text of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Project Gutenberg’s version of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”
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3.5.2.1 Brief Introduction to Chaucer and Canterbury Tales
- Reading: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on “Geoffrey Chaucer”; UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Convents, Courts, and Colleges: The Prioress and the Second Nun”
Link: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on “Geoffrey Chaucer” (HTML); UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Convents, Courts, and Colleges: The Prioress and the Second Nun” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this encyclopedia entry on Chaucer, which includes a biography as well as some basic information about the Canterbury Tales. Then read Holloway’s essay, paying close attention to her feminist critique of Chaucer’s construction of women.
Terms of Use: "Convents, Courts, and Colleges" has been reposted by the kind permission of Julia Bolton Holloway, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on “Geoffrey Chaucer”; UMILITA.net’s version of Equally in God’s Image: Women in the Middle Ages: Julia Holloway’s “Convents, Courts, and Colleges: The Prioress and the Second Nun”
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3.5.2.2 Questions of Form and Framing: the Prologue versus the Tale
- Reading: Washington State University: Dr. Michael Delahoyde’s “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”
Link: Washington State University: Dr. Michael Delahoyde’s “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the essay linked here for more information about the structure of the tale, including the shifts between the prologue and tale as well as structural interruptions.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Dr. Michael Delahoyde, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Washington State University: Dr. Michael Delahoyde’s “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”
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3.5.2.3 A Misogynist Figuration of the Wife?
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “The Canterbury Tales IV: The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale”
Link: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s "The Canterbury Tales IV: The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this short essay on the text for more specific information about the Wife of Bath’s role as both an example of male conceptualizations of female flaws and a prototype of the rebellious female.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora B. Schwartz’s “The Canterbury Tales IV: The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale”
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3.5.2.4 Alisoun’s Nonconformity to the Role of Wife
- Reading: San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Rachel Ann Baumgardner’s “I Alisoun, I Wife
Link: San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Rachel Ann Baumgardner’s “I Alisoun, I Wife” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire critical article linked here.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: San Francisco State University Medieval Forum: Rachel Ann Baumgardner’s “I Alisoun, I Wife
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3.5.2.5 Female Voice by a Male Author: Questions of Self-Expression
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Elaine Tuttle Hansen’s “Chaucer and the Fictions of Gender”
Link: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Elaine Tuttle Hansen’s “Chaucer and the Fictions of Gender”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the “Introduction” for a discussion of the “feminization” of male authors, especially Chaucer. Then, read the section on “The Wife of Bath” for a critical analysis of the female voice in the story. To access “The Wife of Bath” section, click on the arrow at the bottom of the webpage after you finish reading the “Introduction” or click on the hyperlink in the table of contents on the left side of the webpage.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California Press E-Books Collection: Elaine Tuttle Hansen’s “Chaucer and the Fictions of Gender”
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Final Exam
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's ENGL407 Final Exam
Link: The Saylor Foundation's ENGL407 Final Exam
Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's ENGL407 Final Exam
