Advisor(s)

Jill Clements

Committee Member(s)

Alison Chapman
Rebecca Bach

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

6-18-2026

Degree Name

Master of Arts in English (MAE)

School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Arts & Humanities

Abstract

Violations of consent and sexual assault occurred frequently within the genre of romance popular across medieval England and France during the late Middle Ages. While many of the characters who experienced sexual assault in these pieces of literature were women, “Subjection to Chivalry” investigates two masculine characters whose consent is violated within their respective romances. The essay explores how the experiences of Silence, the Roman de Silence’s protagonist, and Sir Gawain of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight can read as violations of consent and assault at the hands of both male and female aggressors, and questions how those violations were facilitated. Informing these investigations with framework from contemporary law codes, the essay explores the ways in which both romances navigate understandings of consent and sexual violence. Exploring the treatment of consent and sexual assault in these romances ensures that conversations about these topics continues. By investigating their appearance in romance, we not only challenge the assumptions modern audiences have about the Middle Ages’ consideration of consent and sexual violence, but we also inform and expand our own thinking surrounding these topics.

Keywords

chivalry;consent;Roman de Silence;sexual assault;Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Download

Share

COinS