Medieval

MEDIEVAL LYRICS
It was typical of Medieval poems to be written on the topic of love or religion. The religious poems were often written by clerics or monks and used in religious services. Sometimes they were words that were paired with a tune. "A Hymn to Holy Women" by Notker Balbulus, a monk,wrote several of these such poems. He begins by saying that the ladder stretches to heaven and by this I believe he means the cross. At the bottom of this cross is Satan, the dragon, who prevents people from climbing the ladder without being torn. At the top of the ladder is a young man which women can freely reach thanks to Mary giving birth to Christ. The poem goes on to say that because the Devil seduced Eve everyone can be grabbed by the devil and for this women wish to avenge Eve. If this poem was in fact sang as a hymn it seems that it would make quite a strange song.

MEDIEVAL WOMEN
A. During the Middle Ages women were still thought to be inferior to men. Some thought that the Bible suggested this by remarks such as woman "shalt be under the man's power". It is such verses in the Bible containing comments about men and women that still create arguments even today. The medieval women were supposed to be controlled by their husbands and were used to provide anything they needed sexually and maybe to bear children, especially males. Still today some people say that it was man who was created in God's perfect image and woman were just made from Adam's rib and therefore less perfect than man. Even the verses that say women shall be quiet in the church are taken out of context today and used to say that women should not hold jobs in the church. It was the church leaders such as Tertullian who made misogynistic comments such as "women are the devil's gateway". I believe these church fathers influenced those of the time but I do not think these misconceptions have disappeared since. Certainly women now have moved up in society for they can hold the same jobs as men and even run for president but I do not think all misconceptions have disappeared. Specifically in churches today I think these ideas of women being inferior are still debated but also outside of the church. Women are still often portrayed to be worse at sports, or not as smart, or just good for sex.

The textbook specifically mentions two sources which contain arguments against these negatives views of women. The Southern Passion defended the accusation that women were to blame for man's lust- saying that women as a whole should not be blamed. This argument seems to be fairly strong. Only some women who may cause men to lust should not be enough to bring such negative judgments among all women. Letter from the God of Love is one of the first feminist works and discusses the slandering of women. The writer, Christine de Pizan, said to men that"in slandering women they are slandering their own mothers and sisters". This argument seems logical and valid but sadly men probably thought the same things about their mothers or sisters. It was the actions of Joan of Arc that demonstrated the abilities of women.

SIR GAWAIN

The story of Sir Gawain shows the importance of chivalry to the medieval culture. The Green Knight arrives during a fifteen day long feast, which reflects the time period. He wants to play a game and wishes for someone to step up. This idea of competition was a popular theme in the culture as well as the literature of the Middle Ages. Sir Gawain shows his courage as he steps up to the Green Knight to fight instead of Arthur. After being granted a year of freedom before he must come and be struck by the Knight- he demonstrates his honesty or faithfulness by returning. This trait of faithfulness and bravery was one that was greatly respected by those during the time. This sacrifice made by Sir Gawain - to potentially die in replace of Arthur - reflects Christ's sacrifice. It is possibly this comparison that could reflect the religious views of the time as well the incorporation of Christmas in the story and its importance and celebrations for the occasion.

Confessions & 1001 Nights

It seems that Augustine had love and respect for his mother. Their relationship seemed close and through the text it seems that he admired her faith in God. The way she acted to situations is what impacted Augustine's life. Particularly the way she acted toward her husband was impressive and showed that she had great faith. Despite her husbands temper she never once acted or spoke negatively toward him. Neither did she speak negatively about him or about other people. She was determined to see her husband come to know the Lord as well, which we see she did eventually succeed in doing. Augustine suggests that after her husband's death she acted as a widow should according to 1 Timothy 5 in that "she had been the wife of one husband, had requited to her parents, had governed her house piously, was well reported of for good works. She had brought up her children, being in labor of them as often as she saw them swerving away from You". These lines specifically showed her character as Augustine saw it. When his mother died he says that he was hurt because he was used to the fact that she was always around but he knew that he shouldn't cry because "she had not died miserably". Augustine's mother seemed to be an admirable Christian women who Augustine tried to learn from.

During a time when the Roman empire was beginning to tear apart Augustine took a step toward toward rebuilding the church. Although he was not a Christian until far into his life Augustine's faith was respectable then and even still today. His "Confessions" he thought would express this faith. It is obvious that Augustine was a follower of Christ and relyed on him. He writes that "all good things are from You, O God, and from God is all my health". Augustine seems to have trust in God for everything. Throughtout his writing he speaks to God as his Lord. Through the story he writes of his mother one can see Augustine's true character. Losing a mother is probably one of the hardest things someone has to go through and yet he knows that she is with the Lord and shouldn't mourn for her for she is happy. The way he looked up to his mother for the way she acted especially to her husband when she was not saved showed his character at well. He was truly a man who is constantly wanting to learn more and better himself for Christ. Augustine also includes several references to the Bible and this shows just how much he studied it and practiced
it.

In "One Thousand and One Nights" I believe that vizier's daughter, Shaharazad, can be seen as heroic. She certainly was brave for being willing to marry Shahrayar knowing that for three years he had continued to kill a woman each night. Not to mention if she did live to see the next morning she knew she'd be at risk for he probably had at least some kind of STD. Shaharazad was not phased, despite her father's attempt to persuade her, she was going to risk her life for the others. The percentage of woman that had survived a not with Shaharazad was not exactly in her favor. Because of her skills in storytelling Shaharazad survives. Not only do her stories save her life, but she uses them to teach Shahrayar in order to help the pain of his first wife's infidelity. Shaharazad is quite different than the heroes found in literature at this time. Most significantly she is a woman who stands up against a man. It's not everyday that a man wants to lose to a woman. She was clever and educated and for a woman to be depicted this way was not common. Women were thought to be simply as accessories with not enough sense to ever speak their opinions. She is a unique hero due to the fact that she used her brains instead of her muscles. Other heroes received their honor because they had killed the evil character but Shaharazad had simply deceived him as well as taught him to be better and change his ways.

Within the story of Shahrayar and Shaharazad lies many more tales told by different characters each leading to the other. In the short stories it seems that the themes are the same: the accusing of the innocent but then the prolonging of their death by using a story. Ironically this is what is happening to the women that Shahrayar is killing. In "The Story of the Merchant and the Demon" the demon comes to the merchant accusing him of murdering his son by hitting him the pits of his dates. Although clearly by accident, the merchant will be killed a year later. When he returns to the spot he is to meet the demon three men arrive, only to prolong the merchants death even further by engaging him in a continuous story. Through Shaharazad's story that she shares with her sister and Shahrayar she is not only prolonging her own death, although innocent and undeserving, she is being deceitful as well as teaching Shahrayar a lesson of this unfairness. In the story of the ox and the donkey the donkey gives advice to help the ox with the hard labor he is forced to do but in return the donkey is punished. Because the ox fakes sick the donkey must do his work for the day. The donkey in this tale is the innocent character who receives punishment. Shaarazad's father is the one telling this story to convince her not to go to save others for she should not have to suffer seeing as she has done nothing wrong.

Antigone

Creon agrees that Antigone must be put to death, not because he wants to but because he feels he has to. He is angered that she has touched her brother's dead body despite him saying not to. He thinks that she did not hesitate to do it because she thought she had power or an advantage because she was Oedipus' daughter. Despite knowing that she would be killed Antigone knew she must give Polynices a proper burial. Creon does not plan on killing her unless anyone else finds out about what she has done. Antigone's death reflects how important honor and power was to the Greeks. Creon also held onto his pride. When his son tried to convince him not to kill Antigone he remained unmoved. He could not let his son tell him what to do or let his people know that he had been the reason for changing his mind. Even after his son, Haemon, says that he will die if Antigone does, Creon is still more concerned with his ego or reputation, as well as sticking to his word. After the death of his son and also his wife Creon realizes that perhaps what he valued above his family was not as important as he thought.

It seems that Sophocles and the Greeks believed that it was better to die young or for a purpose and be rewarded once dead then to stay on earth and receive no rewards in the afterlife. Antigone was not afraid to die, and was in fact aware that she would. She had a reason worth dying for and I think that the Greeks were brave in believing that dying for a cause was a noble act. During this time women were still uneducated and not thought of as having much to say. Sophocles portrays Antigone in a respectable and brave way in his work I think. Instead of choosing to follow what those on earth say (Creon telling her not to touch the body) she instead follows the gods. This is the point Sophocles wants to get across, that obeying the gods is what matters because your fate lies in their hands, not in man's.

Odeipus the King

In "Oedipus the King" it is evident that Sophocles incorporated the values of the Greeks from that period. During this time earth was thought to be ruled by gods and other supernatural beings. It is the Sphinx who is said to have the curse over the city of Thebes. The Sphinx's riddle is to be solved because it held the city captive. The oracle is also mentioned, specifically the Delphic Oracle. These oracles were often thought to have the power to predict the future. Creon is sent to ask the oracle how to stop the plague. The role of the gods played a major role in Greek culture as well. The chorus in "Oedipus the King" sings to these gods. They hope Apollo, Athena, and Artemis can help save their city. Another prophet Tiresias is sought after for help to free the city of the plague as well. Toward the end of the story through the talks of Oedipus and Jocasta it is clear how much the gods have an impact on the people. They rely on the prophesies and realize that if the prophesies are false than there is no real pattern or system on earth and everything is left to change. The values of Jocasta are made clear when she is mortified by the fact that her husband might not really be from a royal family. Sophocles includes the beliefs of the people in Greece during the time he writes. It is likely that he too follows the ways of his people and rely on gods to provide the order on earth.

Oedipus was a hero by the standards of the Greeks. From the beginning of "Oedipus the King" was a great leader, one concerned for his people. Before they asked he was already trying to put a stop to the plague. He seems dedicated to finding Lauis' murderer and giving him the punishment he deserves- even if it is his only family member. He is outraged by the murder this makes myself as well as the Greeks compassionate toward Oedipus, despite knowing that it is himself that is the murderer. He seems genuinely concerned for his city. Due to Oedipus' fall he can be seen as a tragic hero. Even depite the fact that Oedipus was actually Lauis' murderer I think that he was still loved. It seems that he feels terrible for what has happened and the reader feels sympathy toward him as he leaves his daughters and wishes them a better life than the one he lived. Oedipus is certainly concerned for his people as well as his family and this made him a hero.

Lysistrata: Personal Response

I thought that Lysistrata was a comical story of the ending of the Peloponnesian War. The way that the women were so confident in the fact that the men would eventually need sex and end the war was humorous to me. There has always been a battle between the sexes and I thought it was interesting to see that it was happening even then. It is amazing that this play, being one of the first ever written, could still appeal to readers today. I was also surprised at how the opinion of having provocative language has fluctuated throughout the years. During that time such sexual or vulgar language appeared to be accepted and openly talked about, where years latter it would be looked down upon, and now today it would hardly offend anyone. The most shocking factor of the play was how detailed and discussed some of the sexual parts of the play were.

I find that what the women did to the men was comical but almost sad. They used what they new they had, looks and sex, to trick the men into ending the war. It was sad to me that withholding sex was what they had to do to get their husband’s attention and even prove that they could be powerful. I think Lysistrata as a character was motivating and can even still today encourage a woman to take charge. Her character makes the statement that women can be powerful .

Lysistrata: Greek Culture

In Lysistrata, the incorporation of the Acropolis demonstrates the values of the Greeks. The Greek world was full of gods and goddess such as Athena, the goddess of wisdom & war. These gods as well the the Acropolis was the center of Athens. It not only held a sanctuary to Athena but also the money that would be spent on the war. It was also tradition to make sacrifices in ancient Greece to the gods and in Lysistrata the women, instead of sacrificing a sheep, pray over wine. They all drink the wine as an oath to “cement their friendship”. The most significant values that can be seen through the story are those pertaining to the men’s relationship with their wives. During this time women had little or no power as Lysistrata demonstrates. Men were dedicated to war and concerned about little else. Their wives were to serve them when they returned home and bear their children. Although it is a silly tale of how the Peloponnesian war ended, the story of Lysistrata portrays the values of the period accurately.

Lysistrata: Women

The women in Lysistrata were portrayed in a way that was typical of the time period and even throughout generations that followed. The women in Greece appear to be typical “trophy wives”, serving the purpose of parading around and doing sexual favors for the men. The women are always dressed in lovely, feminine blouses and gowns of yellow silk and flowers with slippers. They are dolls for their husbands to play with; dressed up and ready to do what they please. Lysistrata says, "we are good for nothing but love and lewdness". She knows, and is angered, that that is all they have come to be used for.

In Greek culture women had little freedom outside of the home. Because their husbands were often away women did become in control of their homes. This is evident in Lysistrata; the women were home longing for their husband’s return from war. The women’s jobs were to make meals, please their husbands (when they were home), and have their children. The women in Lysistrata appeared aware of the purpose they served. They knew that if they taunted their husbands and refused sex that the men would eventually have to declare an end to the war.

Lysistrata defies the stereotypes of the day because she refused to be ruled by her husband. She decided that women could have power too, and set out to prove it. This was a brave act for a woman at the time. Lysistrata says they “must refrain from the male altogether”. Despite telling the women the women that they must abstain from what the men wanted them to be, they all used their bodies to flaunt in front of their men so that they crave sex from them.