3 “Men Are Not of One Mind”: Medieval Conduct Literature for Women

Abstract

Let’s imagine a situation: a beautiful young woman and her husband are travelling alone, far from their court, when she unwillingly attracts the attention of a boisterous and vain nobleman and is about to be snatched away from her husband by brutal force. Despite her pleas and appeals to the villain’s reason, the situation is becoming desperate: unless she yields and agrees to become his mistress, her husband will be killed and she herself will face rape and abuse. Luckily, the woman reveals a remarkable presence of mind and turns the situation to her advantage by distracting the attacker and giving her companion time to save both of them. The evil is defeated, and the couple is free to continue their travels and face new adventures. A student of medieval literature will easily recognize in this description an important episode from the famous tale of the love and trials of a married couple—the Arthurian knight Erec and his ever-patient wife Enite. In both