English Renaissance Sexuality

Fear of cuckoldry is widely known theme in medieval and Renaissance English literature. Fear of cuckoldry was also a widespread fear in English society during those eras. Men often treated their wives as possessions. Once men and women married, divorce was almost impossible, especially since it was almost impossible to prove that one had been cuckolded. If one were cuckolded and one’s wife had another man’s child, one might spend decades taking care of that child and passing on one’s money and belongings to that child without ever knowing that one had been deceived. Unmarried women are seen as their fathers ' property and the play 's two marriages are marked by jealousy and cruelty. Most

During the Renaissance period, sexuality impacted how people, both men and women, were treated and how they behaved. The lives of women were completely defined by the ideals of sexuality that were enforced during that time. Every area of a woman’s life from birth was influenced by outside influences rather than by they themselves. It took a particular type of woman to break past the clearly defined description of what a “Renaissance woman” should be.

A critical point in European history was the Renaissance period, which took place between 1300-1700. The term Renaissance stands for ‘rebirth’, and in this context refers to the increased interest that was taken in learning from Greek and Roman classical writing. Recent exploration by historians into the Renaissance period has seen a fixation on the discussion of the role of gender during the Renaissance. A variety of historians, such as Joan Kelly and Merry E. Weisner, believe that women didn’t experience any form of a Renaissance during this period. It can be widely acknowledged that during this period society did experience a ‘rebirth’, especially in terms of the role of the men in Europe. Women, on the other hand, weren’t as fortunate.

     During the Renaissance, it was common for poets to employ Petrarchan conceit to praise their lovers. Applying this type of metaphor, an author makes elaborate comparisons of his beloved to one or more very dissimilar things. Such hyperbole was often used to idolize a mistress while lamenting her cruelty. Shakespeare, in Sonnet 18, conforms somewhat to this custom of love poetry, but later breaks out of the mold entirely, writing his clearly anti-Petrarchan work, Sonnet 130.

Literature of the English Restoration offers the example of a number of writers who wrote for a courtly audience: literary production, particularly in learned imitation of classical models, was part of the court culture of King Charles II. The fact of a shared model explains the remarkable similarities between “The Imperfect Enjoyment” by the Earl of Rochester and “The Disappointment” by Aphra Behn—remarkable only because readers are surprised to read one poem about male sexual impotence from the late seventeenth century, let alone two examples of this genre by well-known courtly writers. In fact, Richard Quaintance presents ten more examples by lesser-known poets as he defines the literary sub-genre of the neo-Classical “imperfect

Natasha Persaud Prof. Hunter Kincaid Psych. 170 February 6, 2016 Nancy Cott - Victorian Views of Sexuality •Describe the concept of “female passionlessness” and its role in 1800’s/early 1900’s views of female sexuality? In the 1800's/early 1900's it was believed that women were "passionless", meaning that they lacked sexual aggressiveness or any strong feelings when it came to sexual desires.

“To His Coy Mistress” written by Andrew Marvell, is a poem concerning sexual affairs. An anonymous man is pleading to an anonymous woman for her virginity, essentially saying that time is running out, so they might as well have sex. “The Flea” written by John Donne, is also a poem concerning sexual affairs, but “The Flea” is less romantic. A man is trying to convince a woman he loves to lay with him by stating that because a flea bit them both, their blood was united, therefore making it acceptable to fornicate. Both pieces were written in the mid to late 1600s. Having such similar yet individual pieces, analyzing and comparing the differences and similarities will showcase the correspondence and distinctiveness between the two.

In ‘To His Coy Mistress’ the speaker carefully constructs a subtle and logical argument as to why his addressee should sexually unite with him. The speaker attempts this proposition through finesse in manipulating reason, form and imagery. The reasoning employed would be familiar to a reader educated in Renaissance England, as it is reminiscent of classical philosophical logic, entailing a statement, a counter-statement and a resolution. In line with this method Marvell’s speaker codes his argument in classical imagery. To understand this argument I will be approaching the poem in three clearly defined sections, which are denoted in the poem with indented lines.

The perception of human sexuality has changed continuously from one decade to another. While studying the history of sexuality I learned that in the middle Ages when it came to sex and sexuality the church had a very big influence on sex and sexuality. The influence of religion and the majority of the population seemed to always control was sex was. Sexual activities that were not accepted by the church were regarded as sinfulness. Sex was something you didn’t expose to the public. If you were having sex it was only intended for procreation. All forms of sexual activities like oral sex, masturbation, anal sex, or bestiality were condemned. However when it came to gender Men were also given a lot of power over women when it came to sex. Women were supposed to be virtuous and pure.

The literature world for the English Renaissance period was filled with adventurous stories of chivalrous knights going on epic quests to slay dragons and save the princess, win her affection and skirt off happily ever after. Many poems were also written during this period that told of the beauty of a woman or the overall beauty of nature. Shakespeare, one of the most well known writers of all time was very influential to the literature world now with his theme of the Shakespearean Sonnet, as well as Petrarchian Sonnet adding more diversity.

Married Love was an unprecedented book, which inadvertently redefined female sexuality. Often regarded as the precursor of sex-manuals, Married Love launched Stopes’ enormously successful career as a writer. Published in 1918, Married Love reviewed the intertwining relationship of marriage, sex and contraception, which in Stopes’ view were the fundamental components of a fulfilling and rewarding marriage. Like all discourse, Married Love is heavily embedded within a distinct historical and cultural context. Darwinian theory and the development of eugenics had a phenomenal impact on Stopes. Recognising the equal sexual desire of women would make Married Love greatly influential in the shaping of modern perceptions into female sexuality.

Arguably two of literature’s greatest time periods, Medieval and Renaissance literature have redefined classic writings and shaped the minds of readers for centuries. Their similarities lie in the excellenct workmanship by their authors. However, despite their similar influence across the globe, Medieval and Renaissance are very different time periods with vast contrasts in romance, style, and themes. These contrasts can be seen in Pearl Poet’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Beowulf, and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

This sonnet dramatizes the conflict between appearance and reality, specifically drawing attention to the excessive use of romantic cliches in literature during the elizabethan era. William Shakespeare uses similes and metaphor to compare the speaker’s mistress to that of unpleasant and insulting attributes. In doing this, Shakespeare makes a joke out of the traditional conventions of love poetry at the time and their unrealistic nature when describing women. The nature of these comparisons give the reader a sense of discomfort and the volta within the concluding couplet cause the reader to reevaluate the sincerity of the falsehoods riddled in typical poetry regarding love.

In his poem, “To His Coy Mistress” by Marvell, the initial tribute by the speaker to his beloved is an imitation of the extreme expressions in Petrarchan conventions that had been adopted by poets of the Renaissance era such as Wyatt and Sydney (Delahoyde 2017).Yet unlike these poets, Marvell persuades and then assumes sexual control over the mistress rather than falter in his act of seduction. The poet writes in a syllogistic form that he develops in a stringently logical manner, which ultimately leads to a distinct conclusion. However, it is worth noting that the syllogism in the poem is defined by a theory that is male oriented and it is through this lens that the issues of time and opportunity are interwoven and messaged in this poem. In essence, the speaker tells us that if the two potential lovers lived forever, maintaining virginity would be appropriate; but they do not live forever, therefore they should engage in sexual activity and all the carnal delights it brings (Halli 2001). It is this focus on wanton lust and desire, rather than romance or love that objectifies women in general, but more specifically, to the eponymous woman in this poem.

‘Astrophil and Stella’ was first published in 1591 by the renowned Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney. The Petrarchan styled sonnet sequence is comprised of 108 verses, and 11 songs in which the speaker, Astrophil shares his innermost thoughts and passions with regards to his love for a woman named Stella, the addressee of his lyric poetry. Each sonnet reconnoitres a slightly different phase of Astrophil’s love for Stella as their circumstances revolt; yet it details little of her fondness for him, as she neither rejects nor reciprocates his love, alluding to a fairly misleading romance. As the sonnets unfold, Stella weds another man, however when Astrophil learns she is miserable in her matrimony, he again becomes profusely engrossed in her. This sequence is significant as Stella eventually returns Astrophil’s adoration, but is ultimately plagued by her morality and cannot participate in carnal affairs with him as she is still wed, and this differentiates prominently with Sidney’s character Astrophil who is consumed with sexual longing for the woman he loves. As a result of Astrophil’s fixated nature, Stella refuses to continue to see him, and the closing sonnets reveal Astrophil’s thoughts and conflicting views on the matter. In the final verse, Astrophil grasps his immoral actions, and is anguished by the absenteeism of Stella from his life; however he feels some respite in knowing she once returned his love. From the three sonnets I have selected, I will now focus upon