The Case for Women in Medieval Culture [Paperback]

The medieval period is commonly perceived as particularly misogynistic, yet the culture of the time constructed a case for women that is little known today. This book sets out to demonstrate the existence of substantial pro-feminine traditions extending back from the Middle Ages to the fourth century. Blamires offers a readable discussion of what kind of feminism or otherwise these traditions amount to, and what they contribute to key writers such as Chaucer, Christine de Pizan, and Ab?lard.

Introduction
1. The Formal Case: The Corpus
2. The Formal Case: Origins, Procedures
3. Honouring Mothers
4. Eve and the Privileges of Women
5. The Stable Sex
6. Exemplifying Feminine Stability
7. Profeminine Role Models
8. The Formal Case in Abelard, Chaucer, Christine de Pizan
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

...it supplies an indispensable counterweight to what nonmedievalists (and many medievalists) still see as the dominant tradition....What is more, like many of the writers he interprets, he does so with both intelligent zeal and sprightly wit. --Modern Philology

In a work richly informed by his knowledge of medieval texts, contemporary criticism, and gender theory, Blamires argues persuasively that a strong case for women was available by the late Middle Ages. --Choice