Medieval Romance and the Construction of Heterosexuality

by Louise M. Sylvester

This book interrogates our ideas about heterosexuality through examination of medieval romance narratives. Familiar configurations of romantic fiction such as male desire overwhelming feminine reluctance and the aloof masculine hero undone by love derive from this period. This book tests current theories of language and desire through stylistic analysis, examining transitivity choices and speech acts in sexual encounters and conversations in medieval...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0230602789
• ISBN13: 9780230602786
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 202 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 9.3"