Women and Chivalry. Christine de Pizan and Guillaume de Lorris

Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Literature - Medieval Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Kent (English Language), course: Medieval Literature and Culture, language: English, abstract: The following essay is going to discuss how far Christine de Pizan´s and Guillaume de Lorris perception of women and chivalry differ. In order to demonstrate their differing perspectives I will refer to the documents we have discussed during the seminar and secondary reading material. In general it can be said that Christine de Pizan was internally driven because she saw it as her duty to undermine the clerical point of view on women. She stood up for equal education for both of the sexes. (Cherewatuk, Wiethaus: p 3) whereas Guillaum de Lorris represented a rather conservative approach he saw women as sexual objects and inferior to men. This famous quotation states his stand on women with this obvious sexual allegory, 'There were small, tight buds, some a little larger, and some of another size that were approaching their season and were ready to open' (Lorris, Jean De Meun: l. 52-53)