Maureen Quilligan Knihy

Focusing on the Renaissance period, this book explores how a select group of influential women utilized the concept of incest—both real and imagined—as a means to assert their agency and enhance their literary contributions. It challenges contemporary perceptions by highlighting the complex interplay between gender, power, and creativity in Elizabethan England. Through this lens, the author sheds light on the unique strategies these women employed to navigate and redefine societal norms.

A leading Renaissance scholar shows in this revisionist history how four powerful women redefined the culture of European monarchy in the glorious sixteenth century.