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Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing by William Blake

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English literature has long included narratives of individuals rebelling against corrupt systems and unfair social orders. This padlet briefly looks at stories from a few different time periods.

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Judith beheading Holofernes (c. 1610) by Cornelis Galle the Elder

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The Assyrian military commander, Holofernes, was a cruel man who had Judith's country under his control at his mercy. He did not hesitate to strike down anyone who showed even a hint of rebellion toward him. Everyone felt too powerless to oppose him.

Judith - a widow - decided to take a stand against this injustice. Taking advantage of his lust and foolishness, she utilized her beauty and cunning to earn his trust before decapitating him in his sleep. Essentially, she ensnared him in a "golden net" of his making. From there, her people was finally able to stand a chance and take back their freedom.

When threatened by a malevolent force, people will eventually strike back.

link to the poem: judith (author unknown)

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Marie de France's Lay of Sir Launfal | Middle Ages

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Marie de France's Lay of Sir Launfal | Middle Ages

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In this lay, Sir Launfal - who is taken with his fairy-like lover - rejects the affections of the Queen. The King puts him to death for humiliating her before his lover shows up just in time to save him.

While Launfal certainly held a high position as a knight, the King and Queen still ranked significantly above him. How much control they exert over his life is especially prominent in how close he comes to death, but he does so regardless for the love of his life. When they feel strongly enough about something, people will often prioritize their own wishes above their safety without regret.
link to the text

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A lively lady from Bath by Anne Anderson

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Geoffrey Chauncer's The Canterbury Tales - The Wife of Bath's Tale | Middle English (14th and 15th centuries)

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Geoffrey Chauncer's The Canterbury Tales - The Wife of Bath's Tale | Middle English (14th and 15th centuries)

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As an older and more assertive woman who has been in multiple marriages, the Wife of Bath challenges the societal expectations placed upon her as a woman by taking unabashed pride of her skill in controlling her husbands. She gets them to bend to her wishes and will instead of the other way around as society would command. She does not act like a demure damsel but as someone who knows her strengths and what she wants.

As a woman, her desire for power and control over the men in her life - something she explains is common within women, actually - is her challenge as a vulnerable person toward the misogynistic society she lives in.

(On the flip side, the Wife's character could also be read as Chaucer depicting women as power-hungry.)

link to the text: the wife of bath's tale

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Women in Medieval Literature and Society | Article 1

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Women in Medieval Literature and Society | Article 1

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link: women in medieval literature and society

summary: This article covers tropes assigned to female characters in Medieval literature. Most tropes upheld women as creatures who were subservient to men and could only be valued for their virginity and their domestic responsibilities; others punished women who could fulfill neither of these things. There are some tropes that are more on the empowering side.

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Hermia and Lysander. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1870) by John Simmons

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Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream | The Tudor Age (1485-1603)

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Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream | The Tudor Age (1485-1603)

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Much of the conflict with society in A Midsummer Night's Dream manifests in the romantic dilemma. Notably, Hermia and Lysander wish to wed, but Hermia's father plans to marry her off to Demetrius instead. He threatens her in response to her protests, explaining that she is his daughter and he can do whatever he likes with her.

Hermia - a young woman - is a victim of the wishes of the men (barring Lysander) around her. Her father and Demetrius, whether or not they love her, disrespect her autonomy multiple times in favor of their wishes. Pressured by all this, she rebels and elopes with Lysander, knowing very well how horribly she could be punished by the people above her should she get caught.

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Anne Finch's The Introduction | Age of Revolution

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Anne Finch's The Introduction | Age of Revolution

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As a female writer, Anne Finch is extremely aware of how negatively male critics might respond to her and, more importantly, why they would react that way. "The Introduction" explains that men will likely accuse her of being "an intruder on the rights of men" and push her to do domestic household chores they think would suit a woman instead. Instead of complying to those in power, Finch stands her ground. She argues that women have always been powerful and necessary; no field is exclusive to men.

link to the text: the introduction

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Even if many white colonists (including the narrator herself) "liked" Oroonoko for his more European features, he was ultimately still a Black man forced into slavery. He and his wife, Imoinda, faced constant injustice - until he decided to free her from further suffering at the hands of their oppressors by ending her life. Death, which is normally awful and horrific for most people, becomes the only way freedom can flourish. These awful people may have stolen Imoinda's life for her, but at least Oroonoko - a loved one - can have something as vulnerable as her final moments. Perhaps, in Behn's eyes, this act of rebellion is equally an act of love.

At its core, though, it highlights how inhumane slavery in the colonies was to force people to this point at all. It is not heartwarming; it is heartwrenching. It inspires the reader to take action, and is that not one of the goals of literature?

link to the text: oroonoko; or, the royal slave

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Oroonoko: An emergent anti-colonial voice? | Article 2

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Oroonoko: An emergent anti-colonial voice? | Article 2

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link: Oroonoko: An emergent anti-colonial voice?

summary: This article discusses how groundbreaking Oroonoko had been at its time - being an antislavery narrative by a female writer - while also delving into its flaws. Namely, that Behn explained it as a Black man's "true history," and how deeply her bias as a white woman bled into her writing.