1. Renaissance to Revolution
Description Essay One. Gender roles in the Sixteenth Century (10%) In this essay the goal is
to analyze several brief satirical plays or dialogues about male and female gender roles
within the patriarchal household in the sixteenth century. You may choose two of the three
plays by Hans Sachs, and/or the Colloquy by Erasmus. This essay should be about 750
words, or about three pages, typed and double-spaced (in 12 point font). All essays should
have a clearly stated argumentative thesis supported by textual evidence. Each essay should
have an introduction, body and conclusion. You can use quotes from the plays (be sure to
put the page number in parentheses after the quote), but the quotes should not be too long.
Provide an interpretation of the quote as well. You may choose to focus on either the male
or female roles in your essay, but either one should be considered within the context of the
patriarchal household. You can discuss both male and female roles of course but it might be
wiser to go into greater depth about one or the other. These are satirical works, meaning
that they use exaggeration and irony in developing their themes. What do the plays tell us
about the ideals and expectations for men’s and/or women’s behavior, particularly within
marriage? What responsibilities did each have within the household? What types of
misbehavior do the plays emphasize? What do the plays suggest are the key problems
facing the patriarchal household? It would be helpful to consider these issues within the
context of what you have been reading regarding women’s roles in the textbook and in the
article by Merry Wiesner. One suggestion is to consider whether there were any conflicts
among the ideal traits expected of women and/or men? This assignment helps you learn
how to interpret primary sources, while deepening your understanding of ideas about
gender in the early modern period.#Renaissance #Revolution
