Domina Virgin Mater Trix: The Kaleidoscopic Identity of Woman

This book examines the function of four stereotypes: Domina Virgin Mater Trix as representations of marginality in Classical and Renaissance literature. The establishment and disintegration of identity reflected in these literatures, proves that neither Woman nor Subject can be defined in concrete, unchanging terms. Domina Virgin Mater Trix articulates the differences found in Woman and confirms the reality of multiplicity relative to subject formation. This examination opens with a reading of Sophocles' Antigone, followed by selections from the works of Catullus, Propertius, and Ovid, and culminates with a discussion of writings and paintings by and about Queen Elizabeth I. Together, these works constitute the matrix of female subjectivity that has dominated the west for over 2000 years.