Abstract
This article compares the representations of jealousy in popular culture, medical and legal literature, and in the trials and diagnoses of men who murdered or attempted to murder their wives or sweethearts before being found insane and committed into Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum between 1864 and 1900. It is shown that jealousy was entrenched in Victorian culture, but marginalised in medical and legal discourse and in the courtroom until the end of the period, and was seemingly cast aside at Broadmoor. As well as providing a detailed examination of varied representations of male jealousy in late-Victorian Britain, the article contributes to understandings of the emotional lives of the working-class, and the causes and representations of working-class male madness.
Highlights
The cases of men who murdered or attempted to murder their wives or sweethearts before being found insane and committed into Broadmoor between 1864 and 1900 are the foundation of this article. They underpin an examination of male jealousy in lateVictorian Britain, which compares the representations of jealousy in popular culture and medical literature, and in these men’s trials and diagnoses at Broadmoor
An examination of Victorian medical texts and articles published in The Lancet and the Journal of Mental Science demonstrates that in comparison to authors of fiction and journalists, alienists and moral philosophers had little to say about jealousy until the late nineteenth century, and even some physicians perceived a lack of discussion of the emotion
Male jealousy was often discussed in the popular press and in fiction, and by laymen and, to a lesser extent, within the courtroom and medical literature in Victorian Britain
Summary
This article compares the representations of jealousy in popular culture, medical and legal literature, and in the trials and diagnoses of men who murdered or attempted to murder their wives or sweethearts before being found insane and committed into Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum between 1864 and 1900. The cases of men who murdered or attempted to murder their wives or sweethearts before being found insane and committed into Broadmoor between 1864 and 1900 are the foundation of this article They underpin an examination of male jealousy in lateVictorian Britain, which compares the representations of jealousy in popular culture and medical literature, and in these men’s trials and diagnoses at Broadmoor.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Social history of medicine : the journal of the Society for the Social History of Medicine
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.