Beauty or Beast? : The Woman Warrior in the German Imagination From the Renaissance to the Present

A regiment of women warriors strides across the battlefield of German culture - on the stage, in the opera house, on the page, and in paintings and prints. These warriors are re-imaginings by men of figures such as the Amazons, the Valkyries, and the biblical killer Judith. They are transgressive and therefore frightening figures who leave their proper female sphere and have to be made safe by being killed, deflowered, or both. This has produced some compelling works of Western culture - Cranach's and Klimt's paintings of Judith, Schiller's Joan of Arc, Hebbel's Judith, Wagner's Brunnhilde, Fritz Lang's Brunhild. Nowadays, representations of the woman warrior are used as a way of thinking about the woman terrorist. Women writers only engage with these imaginings at the end of the 19th century, but from the late 18th century on they begin to imagine fictional cross-dressers going to war in a realistic setting and thus think the unthinkable. A Regiment Of Women Warriors Strides Across The Battleifield Of German Culture--on The Stage, In The Opera House, On The Page, And In Paintaings And Prints. Thsese Warriors Are Re-imaginings By Men Of Figures Such As The Amazons, The Valkyries. And The Biblical Killer Judith. They Are Trasgresive Adn Frightening Firuges Who Leave Their Proper Female Sphree And Have To Be Made Safe By Being Killed. Deflowered, Or Both. Beatury Or Beast? Explore Some Of The Most Compelling Works Of Western Culture--cranach's And Klimt's Pantings Of Judth. Schiller's Joan Of Arc. Hebbel's Judith. Wagner's Brunnhilde. Fritz Lnag's Brinhild. Today The Image Of The Woman Warrior As Terrorist Is A Familaiar One. What Are The Roots Of These Imagninings? And How Are They Related To Fredu's Ideas About Women's Sexuality? German Literaure: A Very Short Introduction Nicholas Boyle B̀oyle Has A Sure Touch And An Obvious Authority...this Is A Balanced And Lively Introduction To German Literatur. Ben Hutchinson, Times Literary Supplement Winner Of The 15th Annual Aldo And Jenne Scaglione Prize For Copartive Lierary Studies Tls Christma Pick 2006 Henrik Ibsen And The Birth Of Modernism Art, Theater, Philsosophy Toril Moi (avalable In Paperaback) M̀oi Has Written A Subtle And Briliant Anlysis Of The Plays-both Poetic And Relist-but She Has Done Much More Than Tha. She Has Redrawsn The Parameters Of The Distincion Between Realist An Modern' In A Suprising An Dexciting Way...there Are Allsorts Of Good Thins In This Book... It Alters Our Idea Both Of Ibsen And Of The World Of Ideas He Worked In. 'as Byatt, The Guardian--book Jacket. Staking Out The Battlefield -- Amazons : Warriors Or Women? -- Many Ways To Die : Women Warriors And National Myth -- Judith : Asking The Big Questions -- Models For The Men : Heroic Maidens From Schiller To Brecht -- Un-becoming A Woman : The Woman Warrior As Cross-dresser -- Women's Imaginings : Women Warriors In Fiction -- Women's Voices : Less Beast, More Beauty. Helen Watanabe-o'kelly. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A regiment of women warriors strides across the battlefield of German culture - on the stage, in the opera house, on the page, and in paintings and prints. These warriors are re-imaginings by men of figures such as the Amazons, the Valkyries, and the biblical killer Judith. They are transgressive and therefore frightening figures who leave their proper female sphere and have to be made safe by being killed, deflowered, or both. This has produced some compelling works of Western culture - Cranach's and Klimt's paintings of Judith, Schiller's Joan of Arc, Hebbel's Judith, Wagner's Brünnhilde, Fritz Lang's Brünhild. Nowadays, representations of the woman warrior are used as a way of thinking about the woman terrorist. Women writers only engage with these imaginings at the end of the 19th century, but from the late 18th century on they begin to imagine fictional cross-dressers going to war in a realistic setting and thus think the unthinkable. What are the roots of these imaginings? And how are they related to Freud's ideas about women's sexuality? `Boyle has a sure touch and an obvious authority ... this is a balanced and lively introduction to German literatur. Ben Hutchinson, Times Literary Supplement