In tears and in glory. Gender, power and identity in medieval Western Europe

This book contains works that analyze various genre, history and fate texts that appeared mainly during the period of developed and late Middle Ages. They are united by the fact that the main characters are puzzled by the search for the meaning of their own being and the definition of their place in the world. The key interest in the characters is in the concept of "gender". The heroes of knightly novels, lives and books of revelations exist and act in the spaces of their texts as they prescribe the rules of behavior corresponding to their social status, gender and age. These characteristics, intersecting, indicate the limits of rights and position in the social hierarchy, and, consequently, the legal capacity in one or another quality, and determine how the heroes solve the problems facing them. Accordingly, the main question is presented by our heroes: who am I as a man or woman?
Since literary characters act as the main object of analysis, we are talking about the history of ideas with all the ensuing features and restrictions on the interpretation of texts of medieval literature. Therefore, one of the tasks of this work is also updating questions about the capabilities and limits of historical knowledge in this area.
The book is addressed to both the professional reader and all those interested in the history of medieval culture and gender problems