Which author argues that virtuous women in the epic prove their virtue by submitting to the masculine plot of history?

Which author argues that virtuous women in the epic prove their virtue by submitting to the masculine plot of history?

• A. Paul Burke
• B. Ellen Olliensis
• C. Llewellyn Morgan
• D. Gordon Williams

Answer: (B)

This item tests how virtue in epic poetry is read through gender and historical framing: virtuous women are often interpreted as proving their virtue by subordinating their own aims to the male-centered trajectory of history. Ellen Olliensis makes this precise by arguing that, in such epics, a woman’s virtue is demonstrated not by independent action or personal autonomy, but by submitting to the masculine plot—the hero’s mission to shape a future, build a lineage, or secure a political destiny. When female characters align with that masculine telos and support the hero’s historical project, their virtue is validated within the epic’s moral universe. This is the position associated with the selected author, which is why she is identified as the one who makes this claim.

This item tests how virtue in epic poetry is read through gender and historical framing: virtuous women are often interpreted as proving their virtue by subordinating their own aims to the male-centered trajectory of history. Ellen Olliensis makes this precise by arguing that, in such epics, a woman’s virtue is demonstrated not by independent action or personal autonomy, but by submitting to the masculine plot—the hero’s mission to shape a future, build a lineage, or secure a political destiny. When female characters align with that masculine telos and support the hero’s historical project, their virtue is validated within the epic’s moral universe. This is the position associated with the selected author, which is why she is identified as the one who makes this claim.