Castiglione: Are We Courtiers And Ladies?

Baldassare Castiglione wrote about how a woman's sole purpose is to amuse and entertain men (3). Castiglione’s ideas reflect the patronizing attitude towards men that was seen throughout the era. This book is a reliable source because it is aimed at women seeking to become the proper lady as it gives advice on how to achieve that status, while showing historical truth because the author genuinely wants all women to behave in this manner. John Knox attacked women in positions of power by saying that they are cruel, weak, and insulting to God (5). This idea is not an uncommon one as female leaders were continually mocked throughout history.

Annie Higginson’s letter to the Lady Ferrers signifies that education for women is also turning for the better. In this letter, a woman recommends a school for women to another woman (Document Nine, Letter to Lady Ferrers of Transworth Castle, England). This exemplifies the significant change in education because what was originally targeted to wealthy young men grew to include many women. In 1523, a man goes on to say that women need to be taught structure/morals and be literate. Once again, this is a major transformation, as a man is supporting educated women.

Women were expected to behave and live in a certain way. Women had to "walk straight and not trot or run"(Document 1). They were meant to show respect towards everyone they knew, especially towards men. Women also had an endless amount of expectations they had

Machiavelli and Castiglione bring forth their interpretations of what virtues a women should possess in order to be an effective leader. Basically, describing what women should be. In Castiglione's writing, it is stated by signor Gaspare that "...in the way people sometimes hanker after things that are impossible and miraculous, rather than explain them you (Magnifico) have wished them into existence. " This quote stands true respectively for both writers as both have created idealisms that are of perfection. Never the less, both allow the role for imperfection as well.

During this time, people believed that women were only good at cooking, cleaning, or nurturing their children and couldn’t do much else. Because people thought this way, women were uneducated unless they were in the upper class. Wealthy women would sometimes have private tutors that would teach them.

Women wanted to obtain college degrees, they wanted to do something different for themselves. The new woman was characterized for their free spirit, and way to think. The new women came to be defined as a

There were very high standards for women during the Elizabethan Era. Elizabethans thought that a woman’s outer appearance was merely a reflection of her inner condition (Papp and Kirkland). Women were valued for their beauty and qualities such as being submissive, passive, modest, humble, temperate, and kind (Zuber). A good woman was also obedient, modest, and had virtue and chastity (Papp and Kirkland). John Knox, a Scottish protestant leader said, “Women in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man” (Alchin).

It witnessed a tremendous change in the ideal female body image, which also changed from one decade to another. In The twentieth century, women started gaining more rights and expressing themselves more, witnessing a rise in women’s movements and newly formed organizations, a new generation of female artists, photographers, and writers. Females were emerging out of the set boundaries that the society had set for them and joined the workforce, contributing a lot to society. This offset feminine freedom was reflected through the way women represented themselves.

In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, women are portrayed as either pure angelic beings and jewels, or as whores who are impure. They are objectified and shown as something to be used. The only women in this play are Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca compared to the main 6 male characters, not to mention the minor characters, who are also all male. Their depicted purpose is to belong to a man; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca’s lives revolve around being wives to Othello, Iago and Cassio. This fits into the idea of a perfect Elizabethan woman, who’s lives are subject to their husband’s rule across all aspects, to be disposed of as men wish.

A woman during the Enlightenment period was not accepted in pure academics, but they could find education from somewhere else, and they could have risks for searching for education. A woman during the Enlightenment period was not accepted in pure academics. A woman was not accepted in academics mainly because men believed woman were ignorant and would not be capable of understanding what man learn. Men at this time believed that women should only attend classes on how to become a perfect housewife to their husbands. The first image of this is seen when Madame du Chatelet was excluded from the Royal Academy of Sciences.

In the essay, "Did Women have a Renaissance?”, Joan Kelly-Gadol, presents a feminist insight into women's role in society during the Renaissance and how women did not have a Renaissance. While Margaret L. King, who wrote, “Women and High Power”, offers the roles of women and learning from 1300-1800 and argues that women did . The question of, “did women benefit from the Renaissance?”, is an extremely loaded question. Like every argument or question there are two sides to every story. One way, like Margaret L. King to look at this argument is that women experienced the Renaissance just like men did.

For Shakespeare’s plays to contain enduring ideas, it must illustrate concepts that still remain relevant today, in modern society. Shakespeare utilises his tragic play Othello, to make an important social commentary on the common gender stereotypes. During early modern England, Shakespeare had to comply to the strict social expectations where women were viewed as tools, platonic and mellow, and where men were displayed as masculine, powerful, tempered, violent and manipulative. As distinct as this context is to the 21st century, the play exposes how women were victimised by the men who hold primary power in the community in which they compelled women to conform to the ideal world of a perfect wife or confront an appalling destiny for challenging the system. Moreover, Shakespeare utilises the main antagonist, Iago, to portray how men are desperate to achieve what they want and to indirectly fulfil the stereotype of masculinity and power through manipulation.

In the book, “The Courtier” Castiglione mentions certain traits that are essential for the man that will the title of being a courtier. Specifically, in his writing, he expands on the meaning of grace, affectation, and nonchalance. This is revealed in a series of conversations during the game that was to be performed in the Duchess’ favor. He talks about these characteristics in in an effort to give an idea of the specific traits the most perfect courtier must have. The qualities must not only be shown but they must also be genuinely come from within.

Schools and Universities have been until very recently a male preserve, which has effectively excluded all but a handful of upper-class women from the resources of the official culture. Many educationalists as late as the nineteenth century believed that a woman needed to be literate enough to read her Bible, but could not aspire to the arrogance of authorship.

The concept of a woman working and earning her own money was rarely spoken of. Education was giving to men as a priority over women. There was also certain rules and regulations woven into society which depicted how a woman should behave. Their mannerisms, the way they spoke, the hobbies they enjoyed and how they presented themselves physically, were all monitored by society. For many families, a daughters’ purpose was to marry a man who could sustain their family with financial security.