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Full text of this paper is not available in the ETD Center. Copies may be available for inter-library loan from University of Cincinnati or may be available for purchase from Proquest/UMI

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THE LOATHLY LADY AND THE MARGINS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

Jones, Samantha A.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin998078206

Abstract Details

2001, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences : English and Comparative Literature.
The loathly lady is a character whose special knowledge and social position combine with her physical undesirability to mark her as marginal. The loathly lady is Other-in part simply because she is female-but more than her gender, her physical constitution and lack of societal connectedness illustrate the multiple, systematic oppressions inherent in medieval culture. The loathly lady knows a secret which is crucial to the central courtly culture; in every case she possesses knowledge which the patriarchal society, or at least one of its members, needs in order to survive and thrive. This study examines the loathly lady in Beowulf, the Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale, The Clerk's Tale, and several grail quest romances, especially Perceval and Parzival. In Beowulf, Grendel's mother serves as the prototypical loathly lady, a character much beyond the boundaries of acceptable society; her battle with Beowulf is central in that Beowulf cannot integrate Grendel's mother's knowledge of female physicality, motherhood, and the lore of the past. Because he wins the battle yet loses this war, Beowulf's dynasty ends with him, and with his death, his kingdom is jeopardized. The Wife of Bath, the old woman of her story, and their continental grail quest counterparts serve as the core of this study-the marginality combined with the alternative wisdom these characters possess define the loathly lady motif. Lastly, Griselda of the Clerk's Tale adds the twist of marginality based in social class, a stigma which needs to be overcome in order for her message to be heard.
Lowanne Jones (Advisor)
MIDDLE AGES; WOMEN; LOATHY LADY; WIFE OF BATH; GRISELDA

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Jones, S. A. (2001). THE LOATHLY LADY AND THE MARGINS OF THE MIDDLE AGES [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin998078206

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Jones, Samantha. THE LOATHLY LADY AND THE MARGINS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 2001. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin998078206.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Jones, Samantha. "THE LOATHLY LADY AND THE MARGINS OF THE MIDDLE AGES." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin998078206

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin998078206
© 2001, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.