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Queer (Pre)Histories (aka why will the 90s make use of the 17th Century?)
Queer (Pre)Histories (aka why will the 90s make use of the 17th Century?)
Hic Mulier and Haec Vir
initial reactions: the language and the typescript is a thing
a pseudo intellectual/moral quandry
choppy and short sentences "Hic Mulier; How now?"
"Hic Mulier; or, the Man-Woman: Being a Medicine to cure the Coltish Disease of The Staggers in the Masculine-Feminine, of our Times": a wiki-how for to stamp out and prevent masculine women; use of disease to stigmatize gender variance--gender
the frontispiece is about inverting gender roles; overall "confusion"
"For since the days of Adam women were neuer so masculine" (A3) super alliteration "most mankinde, most monstrous"--emphasizing the immediate dire threat
"there a world full of holy thought, modest carriage, and seuere chastity" --their roles (the good ladies) have roles that compliemnt and uphold men "Nature's crown"-- naturalizing delicacey and submission
huge seas and pure rivers: big feats of beloved/beautiful;
monster v nature--questions about
what if this tells us more about the insecurities of the pamphleteer rather than the gender performance of these women?
"To you therefore that are Fathers, Husbands, or Sustainers of these new Hermaphrodites [...] your purses purchase these deformities at rates, both deare and unreasonable" Men, reign in your women and your money is the problem; take away the women's agency, let's be MEN again and take back control; men who support are "gultie"
what is the use of guilt and shame in this text?: calls on religion and faith in order to justify the problems of "diversion" and deviance. "Remember that God in your first creationdid not forme you of slyme and earth, like man, but of a more pure and refined metal" "perfect Symmetry" reveals what he expects women to be: beautiful, sexy ornaments with virtue??? No agency, no thought, no choice
what feels modern about this 1620 texts? 1950s redomesticating women? "Get back in the kitchen" ok but that's still around?
can we in 2020 be like "hey are you a dude?" Now, it's hella transphobic
let's make men like we had it. "Not how men used to be" --the Mad Men fantasy?
Hic-Vir: a dialogue between the Man-Woman and the Woman-Man: dialogues are about reflection; second thoughts (point-counter point)
compares masc and femme: hair v. army ; making guilt by holding men to a high standard of men of an imagined past!
Dekker and Middleton
The Roaring Girl
(1611)
Plot: Sebastian wants to marry the girl of his dreams, but his father Sir Alexander. is turned off because of class/money. Sebastian tricks his dad by pretending to be in love with Mad Moll Cutpurse--if I can trick my dad into thinking that I'm into a "monster," he'll totally be relived when I secretly marry Mary Fitz-allard. subplot: Laxton extorting merchant wives;
starts by "closeting" heterosexuality: heterosexuality is being policed/sought to make known; sex appealk of forbidden lovers
Metaphor of ocean and travel: "anchor so safe" rather than being crashed on a rock; we're going to take a "crooked" path to get back to the desireable relationship; what if this makes Moll a means to an end--just a tool, or a sight to bewilder. staging a "wonder"
"I have no humor tpo marry, I love to lie o'both sides o'the'bed myself, and again o'th'other side" (43)--a declaration of agency, independence, a recognition that marriage would inhibit her freeedom.
she symbolizes what's wrong with gender variance? Serves as such an outsider perspective?
does the ending do recuprative work?
""In throth thou'rt a good wench"--showing the problems of judging folks based on public opinions, if we identify with him learning a lesson?
the stage business shows independence/autonomy; shows woman as active agent
what if this isn't about normalizing, but using the weirdness/zanyness to reconfirm emerging heteronormative standards;
Act 1 sc 2: the violence of Sir Alexander and Trapdoor "This wench strays" the use of rape to police gender roles
watch productions of the play!
Prologue: we're promised a witty, expressive, rady to mix things up. Stir the pot, and inviting the audience ; challenging the audience about "the real Moll Cutpurse"--