TMT Gender Flashcards
For sondry scoles…
For sondry scoles maken sotile clerkis
- old proverb roughly translates ‘many schools make a clever scholar,’ januarie suggests women who have experiences marriage are too clever at managing their husbands, he still wants freedom he had in single life whilst experiencing benefits of married life
Right as men may…
Right as men may warm wex with hands plye
- januarie uses image of ‘warm wax’ for malleable young girl, moulding may into the perfect ‘wif’ - taking her free will by actively trying to change her - reason for her loss of freedom
- link to Proserpina & Pluto (myth where Pluto snatched her away from her mother) Garfield that men are more outright in manipulation as januarie clearly states intentions but women are subtler, product of patriarchy, women forced to be more secret in endeavours at risk of wrath of men
Han of the…
Han of the peres…in my plit
- may using deceit to achieve freedom to act how she wishes, asking for pears & implying she is pregnant, makes januarie act as her provider & continues to cheat on him - freeing herself to fulfil her own sexual desires
Fresshe
Fresshe
- adjective used frequently to describe may’s youth, suggests she is active & hard for januarie to restrain
She preyseth nat…
She preyseth nat his playing worth a bene
- may is not meekly compliant wife, she condemns januarie’s attempt at lovemaking & deceives him by having sex with Damyan. Can also be taken as showing women to be scheming & defying husbands (anti-feminist, medieval viewpoint)
- woman presented as cunning, puts on facade
Yet hath ther founde…
Yet hath ther founde many other man wommen ful trewe, ful goode, and virtuous
- taking a good wife is dependent on the man who looks for one. Januarie’s inability to pick a virtuous wife lied in his inability to properly ascertain what ‘virtue’ means & how it is displayed (he is dependent on a fantasy). Proserpine contends with her husband & gains ascendency over him when she aims may in decieving januarie
Woman is for…
Woman is for mannes helpe ywroght…and thanne he made him eve
- merchant states women are made to help men. Describes how god made eve to help Adam
Chaucer focuses in some detail on the biblical ideas of eve & adam, expresses this through possessive pronoun ‘him’
Can be understood that women’s submission to men was seen as a holy doctrine
