Character Analysis
Respectitude The Rectitude
The second of the three magical ladies to help Christine de Pizan is Lady Rectitude. Now many people might not know what "rectitude" means (it sounds kind of anatomical and gross, we think) but it basically means good behavior.
People are probably more familiar with classic concepts like Justice and Reason, but Christine decided to include Rectitude among her three virtues because she believed strongly that a person was only as good as their actions. As Lady Rectitude says early in the book,
"I am called Rectitude and reside more in Heaven than on Earth, but as the radiance and splendor of God and messenger of His goodness, I often visit the just and exhort them to do what is right." (1.5.1)
In other words, good behavior is a heavenly quality, but people on Earth can totally embody rectitude by doing good deeds and keeping yourself perpetually in check. Think of Lady Rectitude as a sort of female Jiminy Cricket.
Out of the three magical ladies, Rectitude draws the clearest line between good and bad. She even has a literal ruler that she uses to mark the line, as she notes,
"The shining ruler which you see me carry in my right hand instead of a scepter is the straight ruler which separates right from wrong." (1.5.1)
Remember that one of the main things that the misogynistic philosophers guys claim is that women are bad. Not unreasonable, not unjust, but guilty of bad behavior. Christine de Pizan needs to address this idiotic statement, and does so with the figure of Lady Rectitude.
And let's not forget that at the end of this book, Christine advises married women to act well and obey their husbands, even though women are just as intelligent and moral as men are. So the concept of good behavior is central to Christine's arguments, especially if she's going to convince her male readers that women are good.