Date of Award
Spring 4-15-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
April 2026
Department
English
College Granting Degree
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Department Granting Degree
English
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Carla María Thomas
Abstract
“From Translation to Adaptation: Gender, Authority, and the Lytil Bibell of Knyghthod” takes a feminist translation studies approach to reveal how the anonymous late Middle English adaptation of Christine de Pizan's Epître d'Othéa transforms her moral authority through clerical and Christian theological didactism. Using feminist translation studies, I analyze how the Bible reshapes Christine’s moral authority through clerical theology. While other Middle English translations closely follow Christine’s tripartite structure and chivalric framework, the anonymous Bible reconstructs chivalry toward spiritual salvation and hierarchical social order, by positioning knighthood beneath clergy. Building off Misty Schieberle’s framework regarding authorial manuscripts, I demonstrate that the anonymous translator repurposes the message presented in the original French text, to reflect late medieval theological ideologies. By producing a modern English translation and reassessing the text, this thesis expands access to the Bible and emphasizes how gender, authority and cultural context shape translation practices in the fifteenth century.
Recommended Citation
Esparza, Cameron, "TRANSLATION TO ADAPTATION: GENDER, AUTHORITY, AND THE LYTIL BIBELL OF KNYGHTHOD" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 303.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/303