The sources of the androgyne -- On functional gender -- Picturing the androgyne -- Literary manifestations of the androgyne -- On famous women and the androgyne -- The political androgyne -- Part I: Anne de Bretagne (1477-1514) and her four marriages -- Part II: Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549), the King's Lieutenant -- Part III: Catherine de MeĢdicis (1519-1589), Queen Mother and widowed Queen -- Part IV: Jeanne d'Albret (1528-1572), Prince of Navarre -- By way of conclusion.
Summary:
In the Renaissance, the androygyne--based on sources in the book of Genesis and Plato's Symposium--was a means of expressing the full potential of humans made in the image of God. Discussing the androygyne within the context of the visual, literary, and political, specifically, Rothstein documents the wide-ranging uses of the androgyne in the thought of poets, philosophers, courtiers, and women in positions of political power and its ultimate connection to gender construction during the European Renaissance. As the book moves from examining the sources of the androgyne to increasingly contextualized instances of their use, Rothstein highlights specific manifestations of the androgyne as a powerful yet enigmatic literary metaphor and an instrument of action in the world. -- Back cover.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.