Self-Fashioning and Assumptions of Identity in Medieval and Early Modern Iberia ed. by Laura Delbrugge

Abstract

Reviewed by: Self-Fashioning and Assumptions of Identity in Medieval and Early Modern Iberia ed. by Laura Delbrugge Elena Woodacre Delbrugge, Laura, ed. Self-Fashioning and Assumptions of Identity in Medieval and Early Modern Iberia. Leiden: Brill, 2015. 371 pp. + ix. ISBN: 978-90-042-5048-2 This diverse and insightful collection intends to take Stephen Greenblatt's well-known theory of self-fashioning, which was developed with 16th-century England in mind, and connect it to a series of case studies from medieval Iberia. Laura Delbrugge begins the volume with a theoretical discussion of Greenblatt's ideas and various interpretations of his model since its inception in the 1980s. She notes that the essays in this collection are wide-ranging both in terms of their interpretation of the concept of self-fashioning and with regard to their varied subject matter from rulers and elites, to writers and moving beyond the "self" to ideas of corporate image fashioning. The connection between the subject areas is not only geographical and temporal, but also due to their shared literary dimension - that all of the self-fashioning was created or mediated through the production of textual sources. The first two papers have a connection through the crown of Aragon as well as a similar royal and comparative dimension. Jaume Aurell examines the [End Page 128] representation of the self-coronation of Iberian kings, with particular focus on Alfons IV and Pere IV of Aragon and Alfonso XI of Castile. While self- fashioning can be seen in the act of self-coronation itself, Aurell argues that it is in the representation of these coronations, especially in Pere IV's own account in his autobiography, where the concept of self-fashioning truly shines forth. In the following chapter, Zita Rohr discusses the importance of self-fashioning for successful "stateswomanship" in the crown of Aragon and France. Rohr uses a selection of queens which she argues are models of successful self-fashioning, such as Elinor of Sicily and Yolande of Aragon. She contrasts them with queens like Sibilla de Fortia and Isabeau of Bavaria, whose queenly reputation, image and fama were under considerable attack - consequently Sibilla and Isabeau struggled to establish themselves as respected and effective political operators at court. The next two papers demonstrate the importance of shaping and reshaping one's identity. David Gugel shares the unusual situation and fascinating case study of a monk, Brother Anselm Turmeda, who converted to Islam, refashioning himself as Abdallah al-Tarjuman. Gugel describes Turmeda or al-Tarjuman as caught between worlds and notes that the convert wove together theological sources from both religions to justify his conversion and navigate his own personal transition between two religious and cultural communities. Next, Daniel Hartnett demonstrates how the Marqués de Santillana used the process of collecting his impressive library to not only enhance his own reputation as an intellectual but to shape literary taste at court as well. Santillana effectively cornered the market on manuscripts of Dante's works, ensuring their relative scarcity, while promoting Dante "as a contemporary source of truth, taste, and power" (135), doubly enhancing the value of his own library and his reputation as a literary connoisseur. Sticking with a literary theme, the following papers by Michael Harney and Wendell P. Smith examine self-fashioning by both authors and literary characters. Both papers share an interest in the construction of gender roles; Harney investigates chivalric models and concepts of masculinity, arguing that the characters in medieval romances were pre-occupied with self-fashioning. Smith discusses the querelle des femmes across fifteenth-century Castile, reflecting on the impact of a female sovereign after the accession of Isabel I in the last quarter of the century. In his survey, Smith draws together a wide selection of varied and important literary works from the period, including the classic Celestina, the [End Page 129] Arcipreste de Talavera, and the letters of Fernando de Pulgar, amongst others, and argues that while the debate was about the nature of women, these texts could be seen as a way for the male authors to fashion their own identities. The next two papers are focused on letters which sought to advise another on...