King René and the Women of Anjou: the Myth and Reality fo Gender in Fiftenth-Century France
Graduation Date
Fall 2003
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program Name
Humanities
First Reader
Patricia Dougherty, OP, PhD
Second Reader
Jody Hoppe
Abstract
Gender stereotypes in fifteenth-century France depicted women as inferior, weak, and dangerous to men. Noblewomen in this society were constrained by these stereotypes which were promoted and reinforced by religious notions, literary motifs and the legal system. King Rene's experience of women was entirely contradictory to the image of women presented in medieval culture. A key figure in the political and cultural events of the fifteenth century, Rene was surrounded by powerful and influential women whose lives had little in common with medieval definitions of female identity. This paper examines stereotypical depictions of women in medieval society and in the literary and artistic works of Rene of Anjou and compares these images with the real lives of eight women connected to the House of Anjou. This examination demonstrates that despite his direct connection with powerful and influential women, the works of King Rene reflected the prevailing medieval stereotypes of women.