Accomplished Women

I recently watched Pride and Prejudice. Perhaps my favourite scene is where Elizabeth, Darcy and Miss Bingley are discussing what makes a women 'truly accomplished' and comprising a great list that seems almost unachievable. I find this scene humorous and great fun. However this scene settled a question I have had since the middle of last semester.

In my tutorial for The rise of the Roman Republic we were given three Latin words that were used to describe a good women: Castitas- Chastity, Mosetia-Modesty; and my personal favourite: Pudicitia- This is a hard term to explain, some words that may be applied to this are, Purity, self restraint and a sense of shame. Pudicitia my tutor said was very hard to define, I struggled with this concept until Pride and Prejudice settled my confusion. Pudicitia is just as illusive a Caroline Bingley's definition of an accomplished women.

I think about all the wonderful women that I know who have such different talents and achievements, and realise that even now the definition of an accomplished women is as elusive as it has ever been.