Abstract
This thesis will posit that a query of the medieval trope, Fortune, can be read as a query into femininity. Fortune is depicted with many quintessentially medieval feminine traits, and women in texts that discuss Fortune often have Fortune's traits. While texts that link Fortune and femininity usually do so to censure women, some writers turned the trope to their advantage for just the opposite purpose. Both Chaucer in the "Monk's Tale" and Christine de Pizan personify Fortune to subtly point out the flaws in antifeminist medieval view of women. This thesis explores the ways in which these writers cleverly took advantage of genre and characterization to use Fortune to defend women and womanhood.
Degree
MA
College and Department
Humanities; English
Rights
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Fisher, Leona C., "Fortune Personified and the Fall (and Rise) of Women in Chaucer's Monk's Tale and the Autobiographical Writings of Christine de Pizan" (2005). Theses and Dissertations. 444.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/444
Date Submitted
2005-06-11
Document Type
Thesis
Handle
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd848
Keywords
Chaucer, Christine de Pizan, medieval literature, feminism, antifeminism, sermon, autobiography, women's writing, Fortune, Fortuna, fourteenth century, fifteenth century, Middle Ages, medieval period
Language
English