ABSTRACT
The psychomachian foundation of morality drama demanded the presence of three stock figures: the humanum genus (universal representative of humankind), Vice, and Virtue. This chapter argues that the figure of Virtue gradually evolved into the figure of the Virtuous Wife, a character that saved the humanum genus not by preaching and encouraging them to repent their sins but by loving them unconditionally and helping them to become better men. This view coincided with that of proto-feminist humanist authors who felt that women were less sinful than men, as well as echoing a popular medieval tradition known as the ‘daughters of God,’ in which humanity was saved by Mercy. The transition allowed moral themes to be disguised as romance and allowed the institution of marriage to represent redemption. The chapter focuses mainly on The Merchant of Venice, but also mentions numerous other early modern plays that feature virtuous wife characters.
