Of Chastity and Power by Philippa Berry

Of Chastity and Power by Philippa Berry

Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
The feel-good place to buy books
  • Free UK delivery over £5
  • 10% off preloved books when you join +Plus
  • Buying preloved emits 46% less CO2 than new
  • Give your books a new home - sell them back to us!

Of Chastity and Power by Philippa Berry

Elizabeth I was one of the most powerful women rulers in European history. What can feminism reveal about the attitudes of her male subjects towards this enigmatic figure? Through readings of key Elizabethan texts by Lyly, Ralegh, Chapman, Shakespeare, and Spenser, Philippa Berry shows that while Elizabeth's combination of chastity with political and religious power was repeatedly idealized, it was also perceived as extremely disturbing. The figure of the unmarried queen implicitly challenged the masculine focus of Renaissance discourses of love, philosophy and absolutist political ideology. In her exploration of the potent combination of themes of sexuality and politics with classical myth and Neoplatonic mysticism, Berry offers a radical reassessment of the status of `woman' as a bearer of meaning within Renaissance literature and culture.

`Philippa Berry possesses both a detailed knowledge of Elizabethan texts and a sophisticated grasp of feminist critical theoryIn this incisive account she offers a new perspective on the materiality of sexual politics in the Renaissance.' - Catherine Belsey

` ... this is a brilliant little book.' - English Historical Review

`Her reinterpretation of Elizabethan politics and culture is intelligent, scholarly, and often compelling and will be of interest to historians and cultural critics alike' - Journal of the History of Sexuality

`Philippa Berry possesses both a detailed knowledge of Elizabethan texts and a sophisticated grasp of feminist critical theory. In this incisive account she offers a new perspective on the materiality of sexual politics in the Renaissance.' - Catherine Belsey

` ... this is a brilliant little book.' - English Historical Review

`Her reinterpretation of Elizabethan politics and culture is intelligent, scholarly, and often compelling and will be of interest to historians and cultural critics alike' - Journal of the History of Sexuality

Philippa Berry is a Fellow and Director of Studies in English at King's College, Cambridge.
Margaret Tudeau-Clayton teaches English at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780415056724
ISBN 10 0415056721
Title Of Chastity and Power
Author Philippa Berry
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Year published 1994-10-06
Number of pages 216
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note Unavailable