Medieval Female Archetypes in Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that medieval women were rather powerful and revered members of the community and identifies a number of archetypes: mother, wife, home builder, Lady (of the Knight), maiden, goddess, and temptress. The author points out that wives of knights and nobles were given powers similar to those of the men in their families, especially if the women had been placed in charge, in times of war. The paper relates that not all women were treated as equals, as presented in "El Conde Lucanor" where, in this story, the woman is very much the man's servant.

From the Paper:

"What female archetypes appear in "La Celestina"? This play, by Fernando de Rojas, deals with the eternal themes of forbidden love, honor, and death. There are many female archetypes present in this play: in Elicia and Parmeno, and in we have examples of women as temptresses, as they tempt their co-servants, Sempronio and Areusa, to sleep with them. The dialogue between, and surrounding, these couples, is written in such a way that we, as readers, are forced to enter in to the belief that the men could not help but be seduced, at the hands of these "evil" temptresses."

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