Practising Shame: Female Honour in Later Medieval England

Practising Shame investigates the relationship between female honour, shame and literary culture in later medieval England. Mary C. Flannery examines how women were encouraged to guard their reputations through constant awareness of how their behaviour might be observed, judged and represented by others.

Drawing on medieval literature and the social values surrounding gender and reputation, the book explores shame not simply as an emotion but as a powerful cultural mechanism. It reveals how ideas of female honour were constructed, reinforced and negotiated, offering a detailed study of gender, social discipline and literary representation in medieval England.