Conventions are Forever: The influence of medieval romance narrative conventions on female agency in the Bond film franchise

Morton, Jonathan

Abstract

The iconic Bond girl has been the subject of considerable scholarly interest; quite rightly this has mainly focused on areas such as 'stereotypical' female behaviours, chauvinism and the sexual objectification of women. In a unique analysis, I consider female agency in the Bond franchise from an entirely new perspective. Reading Bond girls through a medieval lens, this thesis argues for the influence of medieval romance convention on female agency in the Bond films. Highly formulaic, and rarely deviating from the expectations of the genre, Bond films are shaped by the conventions of medieval romance narrative; characters in the Bond franchise find counterparts in medieval texts, with the most obvious being Bond himself, the modern-day knight. The thesis identifies four personae common to female characters in medieval romance narratives and Bond girls: the seductress, the ‘formidable’ woman, the damsel-in-distress, and a sub-group of the seductress, the ‘fluffer’. Taking each of these personae in turn, the four chapters offer in-depth, comparative analyses of the behaviours and agency of women across the two eras. The thesis explores the five chivalric virtues depicted on renowned Round Table knight, Sir Gawain’s shield - fraunchyse (compassion), cortaysye (courtesy), felaჳschyp (loyalty), pité (devotion to God), and clannes (freedom from lust), which together make up a medieval knight’s trawþe (truth). Identifying commonalities and differences between the nature of these romance virtues, and the five comparable virtues comprising Bond’s own honour code, reveals small but significant differences between Bond’s chivalric virtues and those of Gawain and other medieval knights. The study shows how women performing each of the four identified personae target or exploit these virtues and exhibit similar agency, regardless of the era they inhabit. The thesis concludes by acknowledging medieval romance conventions as key ingredients of the Bond film franchise’s success, and looking to the future, asks how the next incarnation of Bond will follow in the footsteps of No Time to Die (2021).

Citation

Morton, J. Conventions are Forever: The influence of medieval romance narrative conventions on female agency in the Bond film franchise. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4866115

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 15, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 25, 2024
• Keywords: Medieval romance convention; Female agency; Bond film franchise; Personae; Chivalric virtues
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4866115
• Additional Information: School of the Arts; University of Hull
• Award Date: May 3, 2024