Humanities & Classics 1002
|
|
Renaissance Forum
Humanities & Classics 1002 |
    |
|
As we have discussed in class, misogyny (women-hating) was a big thing in the Renaissance. Tom attributed much of this hatred to Augustine, but it appears that it goes back further than that. Much of misogyny comes straight out of the bible. Since the Protestant reformation and Christian humanists made it possible for the bible to be translated by everyday people the bible was a huge part of Renaissance culture.
Misogyny in the bible goes as far back as genesis. Since creation Eve has been blamed for original sin. A Renaissance women writer named Amelia Lanyer, wrote a piece called Pilate's Wife Apologizes for Eve. She attacks the notion that Eve should be held solely responsible for original sin. The argument she presents is very good and very convincing. I could not find this on the web unfortunately, but it is an excellent piece of writing so you can email me if you would like to look at it. Or you could also talk to Mary Morse, and English instructor, she knows all about it.
Anyway, I was able to find another piece of Amelia Lanyer's on the web. This one is called To the Virtuous Reader. In it, Lanyer presents an argument to women for why they need to support one another and leave women-bashing to unvirtuous men (not all men, just the unvirtuous ones). One of her main points is that men wouldn't be here without women and if Jesus was satisfied with being born of a woman (without any help from a man, mind you) than so should the common Christian man. She goes on to say that those men who chose to disrespect women as bad as though who persecute Christ.
Amelia Lanyer is in the same league as Christine de Pizan in her ability to write convincing arguments to defend the virtue of women. I hope you enjoy her as much as I did.
...Julie...