This book examines the function of four stereotypes: domina-virgin-mater-trix as representations of marginality in Classical and Renaissance literature. The establishment and disintegration of identity reflected in these literatures, proves that neither Woman nor Subject can be defined in concrete, unchanging terms. domina-virgin-mater-trix articulates the differences found in Woman and confirms the reality of multiplicity relative to subject formation. This examination opens with a reading of Sophocles' Antigone, followed by selections from the works of Catullus, Propertius, and Ovid, and culminates with a discussion of writings and paintings by and about Queen Elizabeth I.