HIST 129T: Women, Sex, and Power

Directed Reading #2: “The Old Voice: Foundations to Misogyny”

 

 

“The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe”

 

  1. What is King and Rabil’s main argument here?  In view of their argument, why study Early Modern women’s voices?
  2. According to the authors, what is the “Old Voice”?  What four traditions serve as its foundation?
  3. What does the concept of Aristotelian dualism mean?  What are the implications of these dualities to the history of women?  What are the socio-political consequences of this philosophical stance?
  4. What was the fulcrum of Roman law?  To what does the term paterfamilias refer?  How did it shape the legal personhood of women in the Early Modern period?
  5. The authors argue that medieval thought was a synthesis of the above traditions, also showing women in an over-arching negative light.  They offer one exception to this medieval rule.  What was it?  How was it different and/or similar to the Old Voice?
  6.  What is the “Other Voice”?  How did it develop?  What role did Humanism play in that development?
  7. What is, according to the authors, the problem of chastity?  The problem of power?  The problem of speech?

 

“Origins of Western Misogyny”

 

  1. What is Cantarella’s main argument in this essay?
  2. According to her, what were the crucial virtues of the Homeric ideal woman?
  3. What overall picture of women are we given in the Homeric epics?  Why is this significant?
  4. According to Hesiod, who was the first woman and why was she created?  What was her nature?
  5. How does she bring evil to men?  What does that imply?  What are its connotations?

 

“Philosophers and Women”

 

  1. Again, what is Cantarella’s main argument?
  2. What was the ancient Greek reproductive debate about?  Into what “sides” was it divided?  Why is this debate particularly significant to the history of women?
  3. Who was Aspasia?  Why is she significant?  In your opinion, were her ideas about family and women shaped by the fact she was a woman or the fact she was a foreigner?  Explain.
  4. What is “Platonic feminism”?  According to the author, what problems arise in this definition of Plato’s view of women?

 

“Juvenal’s Satire VI”

 

  1. What is this satire about?  What is Juvenal’s motivation for writing it?
  2. Why is he questioning Postumus’s decision to marry?
  3. In his diatribe against marriage, how does Juvenal describe women?  In his view, what attributes make the ideal wife?  Can such a wife be found?  Why?
  4. According to Juvenal, what are women’s sins?  In what order does he arrange them?

 

“Hic Mulier; or, the Man-Woman”

 

  1. Of what, exactly, does the author accuse women?
  2. In your opinion, does the author prove his point?  How so?
  3. Who else is as barbarous as the man-woman?  What are the implications of this?
  4. According to this author, what are the desired characteristics in a woman?  Why do you think these are desired?

 

“The Arraignment of… Women”

 

  1. What is this piece about?  What are its main points?
  2. To whom is Swetnam writing?  In your opinion, why is he doing so?
  3. From the beginning, Swetnam openly accepts that he has been ill-treated by women.  In his opinion, why does this make him the “right” author for such a piece as this?
  4. What is his main argument?  How does he build up to it throughout the piece?
  5. What intellectual foundations underlie Swetnam’s piece?  Give examples for each.