f jealousy, envy, cruelty and even foolishness were thought to be faults of all women. In The Old Arcadia, not one, but two of the women characters are full of jealousy and envy. Gynecia is jealous over the attention that Cleophila shows her daughter, Philoclea. She does anything possible to keep Cleophila from Philoclea. It is not for her daughter's best interest; it is so she can have Cleophila to herself. Miso's jealousy over any woman her husband, Dametas, may or may not be having an affair with, is eventually used against her. Throughout the entire book she is described as envious and unhappy (Sydney p 106). Dorus' story of Dametas infidelity "...made her jealousy swell the more with the poison of envy (Sydney p 169)." The inclination of women to be jealous creatures is also brought up in The Book of the Courtier. Statements including "...which is to gossip, and eagerly listen to evil spoken of other women (Castiglione 3.5)." There are even stories exchanged about the cruelty of women towards one another. For example, Messer Frederico tells a story of a woman who falls madly in love with a man whom she cannot readily be in contact. Needing help, she disclosed her feelings to another woman. Seeing the incredible feelings that this man is able to conjure in this woman, the second woman falls in love with the ma
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