Description

Book Synopsis
The Language of Abuse provides the first comprehensive examination of marital violence in later medieval England. Drawing from a wide variety of legal and literary sources, this book develops a nuanced perspective of the acceptability of marital violence at a time when social expectations of gender and marriage were in transition. As such, Butler’s work contributes to current debates concerning the role of the jury, levels of violence in late medieval England, the power relationship within marriage, and the position of women in medieval society.

Table of Contents
Introduction Chapter One: Setting the Scene: Discourses of Passivity and Violence Chapter Two: Types and Frequency of Abuse in the Medieval Law Courts Chapter Three: Causes of Marital Tension Chapter Four: The Acceptability of Marital Violence: Six Case Studies Chapter Five: Regulating Marital Violence: The Family and the Community Chapter Six: Scolds, Personal Liability, and Marital Violence Conclusion Works Cited

The Language of Abuse: Marital Violence in Later Medieval England

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    A Hardback by Sara Butler

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      View other formats and editions of The Language of Abuse: Marital Violence in Later Medieval England by Sara Butler

      Publisher: Brill
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 29/01/2007
      ISBN13: 9789004156340, 978-9004156340
      ISBN10:
      Also in:
      Social and cultural history Domestic abuse

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      The Language of Abuse provides the first comprehensive examination of marital violence in later medieval England. Drawing from a wide variety of legal and literary sources, this book develops a nuanced perspective of the acceptability of marital violence at a time when social expectations of gender and marriage were in transition. As such, Butler’s work contributes to current debates concerning the role of the jury, levels of violence in late medieval England, the power relationship within marriage, and the position of women in medieval society.

      Table of Contents
      Introduction Chapter One: Setting the Scene: Discourses of Passivity and Violence Chapter Two: Types and Frequency of Abuse in the Medieval Law Courts Chapter Three: Causes of Marital Tension Chapter Four: The Acceptability of Marital Violence: Six Case Studies Chapter Five: Regulating Marital Violence: The Family and the Community Chapter Six: Scolds, Personal Liability, and Marital Violence Conclusion Works Cited

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