In 13 studies of representations of rape in medieval and early modern literature by such authors as Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Spenser, this innovative book argues that some form of sexual violence against women has always served as a foundation of Western culture. The book has two purposes: to explore the resistance these pervasive representations generate for readers--especially for female readers--and to explore what these representations tell us about the relationships between men and women. Rose and Robertson focus in particular on the way depictions of rape make manifest a culture's understanding of the female subject in society.