Hroswitha of Gandersheim was a nun who lived in the 10th century and is the first known playwright since the Roman Era. Her plays are humorous, but also carry strong moral overtones.
You will be reading three plays by Hroswitha. These plays are set during the Late Roman Empire when the Roman government actively persecuted Christians. The plays have very strong female characters.
In this paper you will reflecting on Hroswithas plays. What are the main messages that Hroswitha is trying to convey with the events in these play? What aspects of Christianity are emphasized by the actions within the plots of the plays? What themes are most prominent in the words that the young women use when speaking to their male adversaries? What are the virtues of these female heroines that are most highly praised in the plays? From these plays what can you infer about women and society in 10th century Europe when Hroswitha was alive?
LINK TO THE 3 PLAYS!
Gallicanus
http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/roswitha-gallicanus.asp
Dulcitius
http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/roswitha-dulcitius.asp
Callimachus
https://archive.org/details/playsofroswitha00hrotuoft/page/50
