Practising Shame: Female Honour in Later Medieval England

Practicing shame explores how medieval English literature encouraged women to protect their honor by cultivating hypervigilance against sexual shame. It uncovers the paradoxes and complexities of this practice and how it was satirized and reappropriated by male authors. It provides a new framework for thinking about honorable womanhood.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 288 pages
\n Publication date: 02 November 2021
\n Publisher: Manchester University Press
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Practicing shame delves into the rich tapestry of medieval English literature, exploring a profound and intricate concept: the cultivation of hypervigilance against the threat of sexual shame. This multifaceted practice, known as 'shamefastness,' encompassed a harmonious blend of inward reflection and outward comportment, aimed at safeguarding the honor and purity of women. It was believed that by embodying this practice, women could reinforce both their mental and physical chastity, effectively communicating it to others through conventional gestures. However, the realm of shamefastness was not without its paradoxes and complexities. The book uncovers these intricate nuances, shedding light on the ways in which male authors both satirized and reappropriated these emotional practices. By intersecting literary studies, gender studies, and the history of emotions, this groundbreaking work offers a transformative perspective on the ethical construction of femininity in the past. It provides a valuable framework for understanding honorable womanhood in the present and for envisioning a future where gender equality and respect are paramount.

\n Weight: 280g\n
Dimension: 140 x 217 x 17 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781526110077\n \n