The Worth of Women

by Fonte, Moderata; Cox, Virginia

• ISBN13: 9780226256818
• ISBN10: 0226256812
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-06-01
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

Gender equality and the responsibility of husbands and fathers: issues that loom large today had currency in Renaissance Venice as well, as evidenced by the publication in 1600 of The Worth of Women by Moderata Fonte. Moderata Fonte was the pseudonym of Modesta Pozzo (155592), a Venetian woman who was something of an anomaly. Neither cloistered in a convent nor as liberated from prevailing codes of decorum as a courtesan might be, Pozzo was a respectable, married mother who produced literature in genres that were commonly considered "masculine"--the chivalric romance and the literary dialogue. This work takes the form of the latter, with Fonte creating a conversation among seven Venetian noblewomen. The dialogue explores nearly every aspect of women's experience in both theoretical and practical terms. These women, who differ in age and experience, take as their broad theme men's curious hostility toward women and possible cures for it. Through this witty and ambitious work, Fonte seeks to elevate women's status to that of men, arguing that women have the same innate abilities as men and, when similarly educated, prove their equals. Through this dialogue, Fonte provides a picture of the private and public lives of Renaissance women, ruminating on their roles in the home, in society, and in the arts. A fine example of Renaissance vernacular literature, this book is also a testament to the enduring issues that women face, including the attempt to reconcile femininity with ambition.

Author Biography

Virginia Cox is a lecturer in Italian at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Christ's College. She is the author of The Renaissance Dialogue: Literary Dialogue in Its Social and Political Contexts.

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Series	vii	(20)
Acknowledgments	xxvii
Moderata Fonte and "The Worth of Women"	1	(23)
Introduction	1	(20)
Life and Early Works	2	(4)
Structure and Arguments	6	(3)
The Question of Unity	9	(3)
"The Worth of Women" and Renaissance Literary Tradition	12	(8)
Fortunes and Influence	20	(3)
Suggestions for Further Reading	23	(1)
Key to Abbreviations	24	(1)
Note on the Text	25	(1)
A Note on Fonte's Sources	26	(1)
The Worth of Women	27	(234)
Dedicatory Letter	27	(4)
Life of Moderata Fonte	31	(12)
First Day	43	(76)
Second Day	119	(142)
Appendix The Theme of Women's Equality with Men in Moderata Fonte's "Floridoro"	261	(4)
Works Cited	265	(14)
Index	279