In the eyes of many men in the 1400s, women weren't as intelligent or moral as men, and so they were incapable of being loyal as men. This statement makes The Book of the City of Ladies do a show-stopping eyeroll.
C'mon! These guys should haven taken a good look at the world, because men cheated on women way more than the other way around. History is chock-a-block full of concubines, brothels and mistresses galore.
Christine de Pizan totally rejects the idea that women aren't as capable of loyalty or general virtue as men are. She's more than happy to decimate this idea, and does so with a laundry list of examples from history.
Questions About Loyalty
- Why does Christine de Pizan focus so much on loyalty as a female virtue? What's so special about this quality compared to others?
- What are some examples of loyal women in this book? How do these women in particular show their loyalty?
- Who should women be loyal to, according to Christine de Pizan? What does true loyalty look like to her?
- Do you agree with the weight that Christine de Pizan puts on loyalty in a relationship? Can you think of any quality that is more important? Why or why not?
Chew on This
In The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine de Pizan shows us that men are sometimes right for calling women disloyal.
Christine de Pizan shows us that all a person needs to be loyal is a connection to God and a good sense of their priorities.