Influential Catholic Nun: Hrosvitha’s Impact on the Power and Roles of Women through Constance during the Middle Ages
Disciplines
Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory | Playwriting | Social Justice | Theatre History
Abstract (300 words maximum)
This presentation explores the life of Medieval playwright and nun Hrosvitha and her impact on the role of women during the late Middle Ages. It will analyze and break down her play Dulcitius to discuss the theme of female independence with autonomy over their own body. In addition to reading of the play, this presentation includes the examination of the Middle Ages to contextualize the treatment of women and how her play challenged society. This project is done through research into Hrosvitha’s Dulcitius and the character Constance, the patriarchy in her German hometown Bad Gandersheim, and the marginalization of women through a lens of materialist feminism. This study is something that has limited research. Although there have been a few articles who talk about Hrosvitha and how she challenged the role of what women were in theatre by becoming the first documented female playwright, this project will dive deeper into exactly how she did this within Dulcitius. This topic does have relevance today, Hrosvitha being one of the first feminist dated, even with her covert style of feminism within the male-dominated society. It is important to highlight the powerful females that used their voices to influence others and allowed for a freer place for woman voices in society within literature, playwriting, and theatre.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
COTA - Theatre and Performance Studies
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
James Davis
Influential Catholic Nun: Hrosvitha’s Impact on the Power and Roles of Women through Constance during the Middle Ages
This presentation explores the life of Medieval playwright and nun Hrosvitha and her impact on the role of women during the late Middle Ages. It will analyze and break down her play Dulcitius to discuss the theme of female independence with autonomy over their own body. In addition to reading of the play, this presentation includes the examination of the Middle Ages to contextualize the treatment of women and how her play challenged society. This project is done through research into Hrosvitha’s Dulcitius and the character Constance, the patriarchy in her German hometown Bad Gandersheim, and the marginalization of women through a lens of materialist feminism. This study is something that has limited research. Although there have been a few articles who talk about Hrosvitha and how she challenged the role of what women were in theatre by becoming the first documented female playwright, this project will dive deeper into exactly how she did this within Dulcitius. This topic does have relevance today, Hrosvitha being one of the first feminist dated, even with her covert style of feminism within the male-dominated society. It is important to highlight the powerful females that used their voices to influence others and allowed for a freer place for woman voices in society within literature, playwriting, and theatre.