The Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects and Vices of MenA gifted poet, a women's rights activist, and an expert on moral and natural philosophy, Lucrezia Marinella (1571-1653) was known throughout Italy as the leading female intellectual of her age. Born into a family of Venetian physicians, she was encouraged to study, and, fortunately, she did not share the fate of many of her female contemporaries, who were forced to join convents or were pressured to marry early. Marinella enjoyed a long literary career, writing mainly religious, epic, and pastoral poetry, and biographies of famous women in both verse and prose. Marinella's masterpiece, The Nobility and Excellence of Women, and the Defects and Vices of Men was first published in 1600, composed at a furious pace in answer to Giusepe Passi's diatribe about women's alleged defects. This polemic displays Marinella's vast knowledge of the Italian poetic tradition and demonstrates her ability to argue against authors of the misogynist tradition from Boccaccio to Torquato Tasso. Trying to effect real social change, Marinella argued that morally, intellectually, and in many other ways, women are superior to men. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSLATION | 1 |
THE NOBILITY AND EXCELLENCE OF WOMEN AND THE DEFECTS AND VICES OF MEN | 35 |
THE NOBILITY AND EXCELLENCE OF WOMEN | 43 |
ON THE NOBILITY OF THE NAMES GIVEN TO THE FEMALE SEX | 45 |
THE CAUSES THAT PRODUCE WOMEN | 52 |
OF THE NATURE AND ESSENCE OF THE FEMALE SEX | 55 |
THE REASONS FOR MENS NOBLE TREATMENT OF WOMEN AND THE THINGS THEY SAY ABOUT WOMEN | 69 |
OF WOMENS NOBLE ACTIONS AND VIRTUES WHICH GREATLY SURPASS MENS AS WILL BE PROVED BY REASONING AND EXAMPLE | 77 |
OF WRATHFUL ECCENTRIC AND BRUTAL MEN | 149 |
OF OBSTINATE AND PERTINACIOUS MEN | 155 |
OF UNGRATEFUL AND DISCOURTEOUS MEN | 156 |
OF FICKLE INCONSTANT MEN | 160 |
OF EVIL MEN WHO HATE OTHERS EASILY | 164 |
OF MEN WHO ARE ORNATE POLISHED PAINTED AND BLEACHED | 166 |
OF MEN WHO KILL THEIR MOTHERS FATHERS BROTHERS SISTERS AND GRANDCHILDREN | 176 |
| 185 | |
Other editions - View all
The Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects and Vices of Men Lucrezia Marinella Limited preview - 2007 |
The Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects and Vices of Men Lucrezia Marinella No preview available - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
ancient anger appear Ariosto Aristotle beauty believe Boccaccio body born brother called cause century chapter chastity Christian composed daughter death describes desire divine donna donne edition Emperor equal example excellent face famous father female give Greek hand heaven History honor husband Idea illustrious Italian Italy killed King known lady later Latin learned less letters lines lives male Marinella marriage matters mentioned mind misogyny mondo mother nature never Nobility noble nobler opinion origin Passi Petrarch philosopher Plato Plutarch poems poetry poets possess praise published reason reference relates remain Roman Rome seen Sonnet soul speaking story Tasso things took tradition translation true University Venice Virgin virtue wife wish woman women worthy writes wrote young
References to this book
The World in Venice: Print, the City, and Early Modern Identity Bronwen Wilson No preview available - 2005 |