'Jane Anger' in The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Early Modern Women’s Writing

In an essay published in 1589, Jane Anger writes the first defense by a woman in the controversy sometimes known as the querelle des femmes, which featured tracts that traduced women for their deceit, inconstancy, and vanity. Anger counters with a resounding defense of women, eschewing any typical claims of hesitancy and modesty, and not only refutes the claims of the tract but also provides women with encouragement and advice in their dealings with men. Whether truly a woman author, Anger couches this advice in learned language that demonstrates a woman’s potential for intelligence, further refuting misogynistic claims about women’s lack of wit.