Resistance to Love in Medieval English Romance: Negotiating Consent, Gender, and Desire

Resistance is a common theme in medieval romance, which explores consent, gender, and desire. It challenges normative scripts and expectations and reveals how romance constitutes particular kinds of love as desirable. The book examines how resistance is often transformed into acceptance through consensual negotiation or coercive force.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 290 pages
Publication date: 07 November 2023
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

Medieval romance, often celebrated for its portrayal of love, desire, and sexuality within marriage, holds a fascinating dimension of resistance that adds depth and complexity to its narrative. Within this genre, moments of defiance challenge prevailing norms and expectations, creating a tension that exposes the underlying scripts and conventions. This book delves into the exploration of resistance as a prevalent motif in medieval romance, tracing its subversive possibilities and unraveling how it shapes the construction of desirable love. By drawing upon contemporary scholarship in consent, the politics of desire, and asexuality, the book examines how resistance is often transformed into acceptance through consensual negotiation or coercive force. It scrutinizes a diverse range of works, spanning from Marie de France's twelfth-century Guigemar to Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur, Geoffrey Chaucer's Franklin's Tale to William Caxton's fifteenth-century prose romances. Through these diverse examples, the book argues that romance serves as a pedagogical tool, imparting knowledge about what and whom to desire, as well as guiding behavior in navigating the complexities of desire negotiation. Moreover, it raises broader implications for understanding consent, gender, and desire in medieval England. This book is made freely accessible as an Open Access ebook, adhering to the Creative-Commons License CC-BY-NC-ND, ensuring its widespread dissemination and accessibility to all interested readers.

Weight: 458g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781843846727