Quote:

            “If I could have known I wasn’t going to have any children, I would have done better to marry some peasant girl” (Machiavelli 20-21.)

Comment:

            This quote is found in act two scene five. This is a very short scene with only Messer Nicia and Siro. Messer Nicia is venting about his struggles to have a child with his wife, Lucrezia. He acknowledges the fact that his wife has in deed put in the effort to have a child with him, but he complains that there is no result. Most of this conversation consists of Messer Nicia muttering to himself, but Siro does offer the advice to be patient. He justifies this by saying that “you have to go easy with women to make them do what you want” (Machiavelli 21.)

            I chose this quote, because in has a strong connect with another course that I am currently taking, Contemporary Feminist Theories. This scene really exemplifies the way that women are seen in France at this time. It would seem that in the eyes of Messer Nicia it is a women’s job to bear children and create a family. Based off of this quote if would seem that Messer Nicia is unhappy with his choice for a wife since they are having trouble having a child. Through his words, he compares not having children to being a peasant or poor. In other words, if he is going to make anything of himself in society his wife must bear his children. In all likelihood, Messer Nicia is not the first man in France or in the world to take this view point. In almost all societies around the world women are seen to have the primary purpose of having and mothering children. This is would seem to be because of biological reasons, social constructs, and a blend of the two.

            I would like to challenge this view point by saying that this is not women’s primary role. However, with societies expectations it is very difficult to step out of this expectation. Society has created an expectation that successful men have family whom they provide for on a daily basis. However, this cannot be shown or found if a man has no family. Therefore, he places immense pressure on his wife to bear children. Though I think this pressure can sometimes be masked or applied inadvertently but it never the less is there. Just as in the case of this play. This is a topic that is very intriguing to me and I would like to discuss in class.

 

Question:

             In your opinion, will women ever been seen as complete equals to men?