Originally Posted by SodaScouts
I'm currently arguing that in sixteenth century British Renaissance romance literature, the love triangles are driven by a fear of gender instability that manifests itself in different ways depending on whether or not the author is male or female. I argue that in romances written by women, the marker of appropriate male gendered behavior is constancy, and if the male loses constancy, gender instability is created. In the plot, this instability must be righted before the "happy ending" can be achieved. In the male versions, however, constancy actually is portrayed as feminiizing sometimes, and therefore is not a clear gender marker. Instead, the marker is strength. As proofs, I'm using works by Philip Sidney, Mary Wroth, and the obscure Anna Weamys.