The Ideal Courtier and Lady in the Contemporary World PDF

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The Ideal Courtier and Lady in the Contemporary World...

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TheI dealCour t i erandLadyi nt heCont empor ar yWor l d Cast i gl i one’ sbook ,TheBookoft heCour t i er ,i soneoft hemos ti nfl uent i al pi ec esofl i t er at ur ei n TheRenai s s anc e.TheCour t i eri sacompi l at i onofcour t eousbehav i orandi sac ol l ect eddi al oguet aki ng pl acei nUr bi no,I t al y ,wher eCas t i gl i onel i v edanddr ewi ns pi r at i onf ort hebook .Hi sbookwaspubl i s hedi n 1528andev ent ual l ygr ewt obecomea“ bi bl eofcour t eousbehav i orf orEur ope’ suppercl ass ”( 1)f or al mos tt hr eehundr edy ear s .TheCour t i erdes c r i best hesk i l l st hei dealgent l emans houl dpos s ess ,and al s odi sc uss est heper f ectcour tl ady .Manyoft hei deal spor t r ayi ngt hemodelc our tgent l emenandl ady ar es t i l l pr ev al enti nt hecont empor ar ywor l dt oday . Cas t i gl i oneout l i nedt hebas i cqual i t i esofamant hatr epr esentt hemos tr es pect abl ecour t i er . Fi r s t ,hedefi nedgener alsoc i alt al ent st hatmadeamanagent l eman.Theymus tbeabl et ohol daneas y andpl easantconv er s at i on,andhav egener al wi t .Hemus tpos s esst heabi l i t yt odanc eandc ont ai nt he gr acet omak eal lact i vi t i esappeareffor t l es s .Las t l y ,andper hapsmosti mpor t ant l y ,t heymus tgai n f r i endshi pwi t hl oy al ,andhonor abl emen.Thes es t andar dss t i l l car r yov eri nt ot oday ’ ss oc i et ybecause f r i endshi pamongmeni soneoft hemos ti mpor t antqual i t i es ,andt hegener al as s umpt i onst hatt heycan hav et hesoc i algr acei ncer t ai ns i t uat i onsi sc r uc i al . WhenCas t i gl i onedi s cus s edt heper f ectc our twoman,hebegi nswi t hadi al ogues ayi ngt hat womens houl dbet heeducat edequal sofmen.Addi t i onal l y ,t hel adys houl dbea“ c i vi l i z i ngi nfl uenc e”( 1) onaman,who,i fnotf orher ,woul dbeunpol i s hed.Hes ummar i z est hats omeoft hemos ti mpor t ant qual i t i esi nac our tl adyi st hats hemustbea“ cons ummat ehost es s ,char mi ng,wi t t y ,gr acef ul ,phy s i cal l y at t r ac t i v e,andut t er l yf emi ni ne”( 1) .Ibel i ev et hatt hi si st hebas i sonwhi c hwoment odayar emade.Whi l e ourownmoder ni deal shav ebui l tupont hem andt heymaynotbet heex acts ameasi nTheRenai s s anc e, ouri deal st odaydi r ect l yc or r el at et ot hos et hatCas t i gl i oneout l i ned. Addi t i onal l y ,Cast i gl i oneus edhi sbookt ogui des oc i et yawayf r om t hemedi ev al v al uesand openedt hei rc ul t ur et oonemor egenderac cept i ngandwi t hgenderequal i t yv al ues .Hei nt r oduc edt he i deaofpl at oni cl ov e,abandoni ngt hemedi ev al adul t er oust ak eonl ov e,ands ai dt hatr el at i ons hi psshoul d begov er nedbypl at oni cl ov ewi t hpas s i on–s omet hi ngbey ondphy s i calat t r ac t i on.Nex t ,hei nt r oduc ed woment os oc i et yandact i v el yi nv i t edt hem t opar t i c i pat e.Thr oughouthi sbook ,hec hal l engest he medi ev al not i ont hatwomens houl dnotbeeducat ed,andi nv i t edwoment obecomet he“ educ at edequal s ofmen”( 1) ,c ompl et el ychangi ngs oci et y’ spr evi ouspr ac t i c esofbanni ngwomenf r om educat i onal i ns t i t ut i ons .Thi sv al uei ss t i l lv er ymuchpr ev al enti nt oday’ ssoc i et y ,wher eal lwomenhav et he oppor t uni t yt obec omeeduc at edandar enotr ef us edt her i ghtt ol ear nbasedongender .Ibel i ev et hat Cas t i gl i one’ si nt r oduct i onoft hi sc onceptopenedt hedoor sf orwomenofmanyf ut ur egener at i onst ohav e t heoppor t uni t yt or ecei v eaneduc at i onandbegr ant edt hes ameoppor t uni t i esasmen. I nconcl us i on,Cas t i gl i one’ sbookc ont r i but edt oTheRenai s s anc ebyr i ddi ngt hei deal soft he medi ev al agesandi ns t eadgav ebi r t ht ot hei deal soft hemoder nwor l d.Hedi ds obyi nt r oduc i ngt hei dea t hatwomenshoul dbec ons i der edequalc ount er par t st omeni ns oci et y ,t heeducat i onofwomen,t hatal l mens houl dhav eacer t ai ns oci algr ace,andt hei nt r oduct i ont obenefi ci alf r i endshi ps .Thei deast hat Cas t i gl i onei nt r oducedi nhi sear l yr enai s sancepubl i cat i onar est i l lv er ymuc hpr ev al enti nt oday ’ ss oci et y .

Wor ksCi t ed 1. 2.

Mat t hews ,RoyT. ,andF.DeWi t t ,Pl at t .“ Chapt er13. ”Exper i enceHumani t i es .NewYor k :Mc Gr awHi l l ,2014.332333.Pr i nt Mat t hews ,RoyT. ,andF.DeWi t t ,Pl at t .“ Chapt er13. ”Readi ngst oAc c ompanyEx per i ence Humani t i es .NewYor k :Mc Gr awHi l l ,2014.1317Pr i nt .

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NewmanLi br ar yDi gi t alCol l ec t i ons .“ TheCour t i er . ”Pass agef orSt udy . www. bar uch. cuny . edu/ l i br ar y/ al umni / onl i ne_exhi bi t s / di gi t al / 2000/ c _n_c / c _05_r enai ss ance/ cour t i er . ht m...