Before Queen Elizabeth I, the path to the throne for a female monarch was almost impossible. Men traditionally had the natural right to kingly power, but for a woman accession to the throne required great influence, intelligence, and strategic thinking. This course will look at some of the “she-wolves” most instrumental in paving the way to the queenship for Elizabeth I: Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France (named a she-wolf by Shakespeare), Kathryn Swynford, Elizabeth York, Mary Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville, Lady Jane, and Mary Tudor. This course will include some readings that reflect on some of these women as well as the social limitations they faced in their times. It will also include some of the wealth of artwork about women in the Middle Ages.
((Joan Cucinotta - Wednesday - In-Person))
