Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2000

Publication Title

Renaissance Quarterly

Abstract

This article examines the gendered construction of power during the reign of Isabel of Castile (1474-1504). The construction of her political legitimacy was based on her manipulation of her gender and sexuality intended to contrast with the perceived shortcomings of her brother, Enrique IV. Enrique's critics had impugned his sexuality and attacked his inability to deliver Spain into a golden age. By aligning Isabel with sexually chaste models and emphasizing her ability to redeem Spain both because of and despite her gender, Isabel's partisans crafted an image that allowed her to transcend the misogynist tropes that attacked female rule.

Original Citation

Elizabeth A. Lehfeldt, "Ruling Sexuality: The Political Legitimacy of Isabel of Castile," Renaissance Quarterly 53 no. 1 (2000): 31-56.

Volume

53

Issue

1

DOI

10.2307/2901532

Version

Publisher's PDF

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