Description
Book SynopsisThe 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 ContentsIntroduction 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
