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1370
Introduction to the Women of British Literature
I have uploaded a document that briefly introduces what my honors option was about. The list of references is listed on this document. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cSE7hFziS0SOOphCojeXefKSHgA26zCiwjFLIezeVQk/edit# -
1390
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Summary
In the late 14th century an anonymous author published a poem called Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. A character named Lady Bertilak was expected to follow the instructions of her husband, Lord Bertilak. She was assigned to test Sir Gawain and prevent him from accomplishing his tasks. She used her beauty and flirtation abilities to manipulate Sir Gawain into accepting her personal belongings and accepting affection from her. Lady Bertilak’s manipulation causes the downfall of Sir Gawain. -
1390
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Analysis
In this poem, Lady Bertilak uses her body figure and affection to prevent Sir Gawain from completing his tasks. Due to her actions, Sir Gawain falls into her temptations which causes his downfall. Sir Gawain describes Lady Bertilak as manipulative and an obstacle that prevents him from becoming an honorable knight. He believes that women are evil because they purposedly seduce and prevent men from completing their tasks. -
1405
The Wife of Bath's Tale Summary
The Wife of Bath's Tale was known as a tale that was written by Geoffrey Chaucer. A knight goes on a journey to find the answer to a question to save his life. The knight stumbles upon an old woman that can provide him the answer in exchange for him to do what she desires. The old woman reveals the answer and states women desire to need to gain control over men and their marriages. The tale concludes as the knight agreeing to the old woman's terms and she turned into a young and beautiful lady. -
1405
The Wife of Bath’s Tale Analysis
This tale focused on the importance of anti-feminism and revealed a woman’s true desire. The Wife of Bath revealed that a woman’s true desire is to have complete control over their husbands. During this period, men were the dominant ones in a relationship and household. Therefore women were expected to obey their husband’s commands and fulfill their expectations. The Wife of Bath refuses to fulfill society's expectations, therefore she tells the knight her true desires in life as a woman. -
1405
The Wife of Bath’s Prologue Summary
The Wife of Bath’s Prologue was written by Geoffrey Chaucer. She explains her personal experiences and states her point of view on marriages. She believes in remarriage, and that women should have complete control over their husbands in their marriages. She openly states her personal sex life to others, and she expresses her point of view without hesitation. She is a strong and dominant woman who gets what she wants whenever she desires and does not allow society to alter her personal beliefs. -
1405
The Wife of Bath’s Prologue Analysis
The Wife of Bath was the opposite of how women were expected to be in medieval times. During medieval times, women were expected to follow their husband’s instructions, keep their opinions to themselves, and be a virgin. She used her sexual power to gain control over her husbands. She was judged because men expected women to be pure for pure virgins. She discussed and believed how women should be the dominant ones in marriage and encourage women to follow their beliefs. -
Astrophil & Stella (Sonnet 20): Summary
Sir Phillip Sidney is the poet that published the sonnet. In the poem, Astrophil describes the process of falling in love with Stella. Throughout the poem, he focuses on the physical characteristics of Stella. Cupid was hiding in Stella's black eyes. As Astrophil observes the beauty of Stella's eyes, he is attacked with Cupid's darts. Although he sees the darts approaching him he is unable to prevent himself from observing Stella's eyes. He fails to escape and Cupid's dart pierces his heart. -
Astrophil & Stella (Sonnet 20): Analysis
Sidney describes Stella's dark eyes and discusses how fascinated Astrophil is by them. He follows the tradition of a Petrarchan sonnet because he focuses on the importance of a woman's physical characteristics. He writes about their preferences in a woman and lists the physical characteristics that are expected of them. Women were expected to have dark eyes, thus revealing how this sonnet focuses on the expectations of female beauty. Men preferred women who met the following beauty requirements. -
Othello Summary
The author, William Shakespeare, published the play called Othello. He focused on themes such as manipulation, jealousy, and prejudice. The play included several female characters that practiced their own beliefs. Desdemona, Othello's wife, fights against the traditions of society. Emilia stated her opinion on how women should commit the same actions a man would do in a relationship. These women were very independent and believed in certain beliefs that women in their society wouldn't say or do. -
Othello: Desdemona Summary
Desdemona is an educated noblewoman; she is the daughter of Brabanzio, and the wife of Othello. She is against the traditions of women marrying a rich white male; instead, she loves and weds Othello, who is identified as a moor. Due to Iago’s influences on Othello, Othello questions if his wife is faithful to him in their marriage, which Othello eventually realizes she was. Although Othello murders Desdemona, she takes the blame for his actions instead of informing her companion, Emilia. -
Othello Analysis
In the play, the female characters Desdemona and Emilia, reveal how they are against the expectations of society. Desdemona is aware that white women should not wed black males but does so anyway. Emilia stated her personal opinion on how she would commit adultery in her marriage if she was benefitting from it. Most women would not have these perspectives and would simply follow the instructions and expectations of their husbands. -
Othello: Desdemona Analysis
Desdemona is against the expectations of society, she marries a male that is not the same skin complexion as her. She is vocal about what she desires in her marriage and reveals that despite her husband murdered her, she will continue to love and be loyal to him. In her last moments in life, she takes full responsibility for her own death. Desdemona is a strong, vocal and independent woman throughout the play, however her character will always be loyal to her husband. -
Othello: Emilia Summary
Emilia is a female character in the play, Othello. She is known to be Iago's wife and Desdemona's maid. Throughout the play, she follows her husband's instructions, but she comes to the conclusion and exposes her husband's lies and reveal the truth. She argues her point of view and states how she would commit adultery in her husband if she was benefitting from it. During Desdemona's last moments of life, Emilia helps Desdemona defend her reputation by proving that she is innocent. -
My mistress’ eye are nothing like the sun (Sonnet 130) Summary
William Shakespeare was the author that published the traditional Petrarchan sonnet. This sonnet focuses on the theme of female beauty. Throughout the sonnet, it states the description of how women are supposed to look during this time period. The poet dissected the negative attributes of his lover’s appearance and stated how women are expected to have certain characteristics like pale skin complexion, red lips. Shakespeare revealed how men expected women to attain these physical features. -
My mistress’ eye are nothing like the sun (Sonnet 130) Analysis
The sonnet focused on several themes like love, appearance, and femininity. This sonnet observes female beauty and the stereotypical expectations that a woman is supposed to fulfill in society. Shakespeare focused on the physical appearance of the woman he loved in this sonnet. He expresses his feelings and believes that her appearance is sufficient, but it can be perfected. Shakespeare believed that her physical features can be improved. This included her facial features and body shape. -
Paradise Lost (Book 8): Analysis
Because Eve accepted an inferior position in her relationship with Adam, it caused a chain of expectations toward women. Men begin to believe that women will be subservient to them. Throughout the epic poem, Eve's character begins to rebel against the expectations of God and Adam. Eve is aware that she is not allowed to eat the Forbidden Fruit, but she does so anyway and then convinces Adam to eat from it. She does this to assure herself that Adam will not remain on Earth with another woman. -
Paradise Lost (Book 8): Summary
In the seventeenth century, John Milton published an epic poem called Paradise Lost. Throughout the poem, Milton mentions forms of gender identity in it. Milton reveals different expectations that women were expected to follow, such as women being subordinate to men. Before falling from Grace, Eve accepts the subservient position to Adam. Eve is superior to Adam only in her beauty. She is intelligent but lacks the ambition to learn, this causes Adam to view Eve as an inferior. -
To His Coy Mistress Summary
The author Andrew Marvel published "To His Coy Mistress". The speaker of the poem states how time is against him. Because of this, he attempts to convince a female to have sexual relations with him before they die. The speaker begins to admire the female’s body features and compliment her to persuade her into allowing him to sleep with her. The speaker would focus and describe each body part of the female until he reached her heart which he compares love and sex to each other. -
To His Coy Mistress Analysis
In the poem, the speaker describes certain body parts of the female that attract him. He is attracted to her thin eyes, breasts, and her heart. Over time we see how the speaker persuades the female into having sex with him. He states how he strongly desires to take her virginity away from her. The speaker focuses more on the female's physical features, and strongly expresses his desire to sleep with her. He uses her heart as a metaphorical conceit to compare her heart to love and sex. -
The Lady’s Dressing Room: Summary
During the eighteenth century, the author Jonathan Swift wrote a poem called The Lady’s Dressing Room. This poem reveals how individuals expect women to behave and commit certain actions. The male character, Strephon, enters the chambers of a female, named Celia, and is repulsed by what he has discovered. He encounters the reality of women not having human characteristics, rather than goddess-like attributes. Swift focuses on the expectations of female beauty and how women should maintain it. -
The Lady’s Dressing Room: Analysis
Swift reveals that despite that women are humans, they should not experience normal human events such as “sweating, open pores, or having bowel movements.” In other words, Swift does not expect women to have the characteristics of the human body, or to behave such as a human would. Although a woman can experience these human-like events, Swift believes that women should maintain their cleanliness and goddess-like representation in the eyes of men.
