All About Eve



Resurrecting the Fall

Thesis: While some trod more carefully than others, several British female authors of the sixteenth and seventeenth century (1584-1634) took the opportunity to give the figure of Eve an new and more positive role.

I. Introduction: In my paper, I will examine various early modern women writers’ interpretations of Eve. I have categorized these views into four ranges. The first deals with more traditional views of Eve as the primary sinner in the Garden of Eden. However, I argue that even the more traditional female writers find ways to add a more positive perspective to the figure of Eve. The second involves the view of Eve as no worse than her fellow sinner Adam. While not attempting to vindicate Eve, by holding Adam as equally culpable these woman attempt to take away Eve’s stigma as the author of sin in the world. The third set of works goes further in that they present an Eve who is less guilty than Adam, even if only slightly. They attempt to attach more positive meanings to the figure of Eve in more daring ways, even if it means manipulating Scripture. The final section of my paper deals solely with Aemilia Lanyer’s Salve Deus Rex Judeaorum. As the most famous and arguably the most insistent apology of Eve, I feel it deserves extra attention.

II. Traditional with a Twist

A. Leigh, Dorothy. The Mothers Blessing (1616)

B. Clinton, Elizabeth. The Countesse of Lincolnes Nurserie (1622)

C. Sutcliffe, Alice. Meditations on Man’s Mortality or, a Way to True

III. Adam and Eve: Equally Bad

A. Wheathill, Anne. A handfull of holesome (though homelie) hearbs (1584)

B. Speght, Rachel. A Mouzell for Melastomus, The Cynicall Bayter of, and foule

mouthed Barker against Evahs Sex. Or an Apologeticall Answere to that

Irreligious and Illiterate Pamphlet made by Jo. Sw. and by him Intitled,

The Arraignement of Women (1617)

IV. Eve Accentuates the Positive

A. Anger, Jane. Jane Anger her Protection for Women (1589)

B. Sowernam, Ester. Ester hath hang’d Haman: Or An Answere to a lewd

Pamphlet, entituled, The Arraignment of Women. With the arraignment

of lewd, idle, froward, and unconstant men, and Husbands (1617)

C. Speght, Rachel. Mortalities Memorandum with a dream prefixed, imaginary

in manner, real in matter (1621)

V. Adam’s Turn in the Hot Seat: Lanyer’s Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum (1611)

A. Casts Eve’s sin in light of her virtue

B. Contrasts Eve’s situation with Adam’s

C. Contrasts Eve’s “sin” with the betrayal of Christ

VI. Conclusion: Whether tweaking or completely reworking the traditional figure of Eve, women writers of the early modern period found ways to present her, and therefore women, in a new and more favorable light.

Secondary Works

Beilin, Elaine V. Redeeming Eve: Women Writers of the Renaissance. Princeton:

Princeton U P, 1987.

Guibbory, Achsah. “The Gospel According to Aemilia: Women and the Sacred.”

Aemilia Lanyer: Gender, Genre, and the Canon. Ed. Marshall Grossman.

Lexington: U P of Kentucky, 1998. 190-211.

Lewalski, Barbara K. “Seizing Discourses and Reinventing Genres.” Aemilia Lanyer:

Gender, Genre, and the Canon. Ed. Marshall Grossman. Lexington: U P of

Kentucky, 1998. 49-59.

Miller, Naomi J. “(M)other Toungues.” Aemilia Lanyer: Gender, Genre, and the Canon.

Ed. Marshall Grossman. Lexington: U P of Kentucky, 1998. 143-166.

Mueller, Janel. “The Feminist Poetics of ‘Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum.’” Aemilia Lanyer:

Gender, Genre, and the Canon. Ed. Marshall Grossman. Lexington: U P of

Kentucky, 1998. 99-127.

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