In The Book of The City of Ladies, there are many of female characters are appeared. As Lady Reason persuades Christine, the characters are very brave, intelligent, and tough. For example of the Queen Semiramis in Book 1,
One time, Semiramis was sitting in her room surrounded by her land-maidens,
who were busy combing her hair, …She Jumps immediately and swore on her
kingdom that the half of her hair which had not yet been plaited would remain
loose until she could avenge this outrage and take country back into her control.
In fact, usually during the time that Christine actually wrote this book, women were supposed to be LADY figures that always are neat and nice especially in higher rank society. However, Queen Semiramis did not care about her appearance and took care of her kingdom(we should say queendom).
Each of the female heroes were giving answer to Christine’s dilemma that why the world looks down on female, and all of the information(books) informs about female as God’s imperfect creation. So the Amazon Queens were enough to compare to the great kings or even braver than them. One particular example of Nicpstrata, who invented Latin alphabet ABC and various types of science. This particular character is giving a big answer to Christine that women are intelligent.
She gave this knowledge and this alphabet to the people, in the hope that they would become universally known. It was truly no small or insignificant branch of knowledge that this lady invented, nor should she receive only paltry thanks for it.
So, after her invention of new branches of learning, now the descendants of her, could learn about Christianity and science that men’s job to do as men thought.
Although most of these stories can’t really be taken as facts; the main idea I take from The City of Ladies is that, even though women have been treated in a misogynistic way, every woman should refrain from accepting the message on these type of writings as facts.
In spite that most of these writings that expressed dislike for women were originated by intelligent men, one must keep in mind that what they wrote was a reflection of their own lives, and that their opinions can not possibly define an entire race.
The truth is that it would have been nice to have had some of these stories in The City of Ladies be facts, however women have the best defense in their nature without the necessity to be stronger or smarter than men, they have the ability to give birth – and men are born of women……
So I wonder if after all, these men who have depicted women in a dark light throughout all these years, have done so with their heart full of jealousy? for once, it certainly adds up.
After reading the story from Lady Reason, I feel that Minerva is the most intelligent and inventive lady. Many sub-stories from The City of Ladies are about how women are able to protect themselves and/or fight for revenge. However, the story of Minerva is different. She is the one who invented the Greek letters, discovered how to make oil from pressing olives, and many more unique discoveries to help others. Minerva shows and proves to the reader that women are creative and productive. After she dies, people in Athens built temple for her. This means that people in the past also respect women.