A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture, c.1350-c.1500 challenges readers to think beyond a narrowly defined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries. A ground-breaking collection of newly-commissioned essays on medieval literature and culture. Encourages students to think beyond a narrowly defined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries. Reflects the erosion of the traditional, rigid boundary between medieval and early modern literature. Stresses the importance of constructing contexts for reading literature. Explores the extent to which medieval literature is in dialogue with other cultural products, including the literature of other countries, manuscripts and religion. Includes close readings of frequently-studied texts, including texts by Chaucer, Langland, the Gawain poet, and Hoccleve. Confronts some of the controversies that exercise students of medieval literature, such as those connected with literary theory, love, and chivalry and war.

A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culturec.1350-c.1500 challenges readers to think beyond a narrowlydefined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries.A ground-breaking collection of newly-commissioned essays onmedieval literature and culture.* Encourages students to think beyond a narrowly defined canonand conventional disciplinary boundaries.* Reflects the erosion of the traditional, rigid boundary betweenmedieval and early modern literature.* Stresses the importance of constructing contexts for readingliterature.* Explores the extent to which medieval literature is in dialoguewith other cultural products, including the literature of othercountries, manuscripts and religion.* Includes close readings of frequently-studied texts, includingtexts by Chaucer, Langland, the Gawain poet, and Hoccleve.* Confronts some of the controversies that exercise students ofmedieval literature, such as those connected with literary theorylove, and chivalry and war.

List of Illustrations ixNotes on Contributors xAcknowledgements xvAbbreviations xviIntroduction 1PART I Overviews 71. Critical Approaches 9David Raybin2. English Society in the Later Middle Ages: Deference, Ambitionand Conflict 25S. H. Rigby3. Religious Authority and Dissent 40Mishtooni Bose4. City and Country, Wealth and Labour 56Sarah Rees Jones5. Women's Voices and Roles 74Carol M. MealePART II The Production and Reception of Texts916. Manuscripts and Readers 93A. S. G. Edwards7. From Manuscript to Modern Text 107Julia Boffey8. Translation and Society 123Catherine BattPART III Language and Literature 1419. The Languages of Medieval Britain 143Laura Wright10. The Forms of Speech 159Donka Minkova11. The Forms of Verse 176Donka MinkovaPART IV Encounters with Other Cultures 19712. England and France 199Ardis Butterfi eld13. Britain and Italy: Trade, Travel, Translation 215Nick Havely14. England's Antiquities: Middle English Literature and theClassical Past 231Christopher Baswell15. Jews, Saracens, 'Black Men', Tartars: England in a World ofRacial Difference 247Geraldine HengPART V Special Themes 27116. War and Chivalry 273Richard W. Kaeuper and Montgomery Bohna17. Literature and Law 292Richard Firth Green18. Images 307Peter Brown19. Love 322Barry WindeattPART VI Genres 33920. Middle English Romance 341Thomas Hahn and Dana M. Symons21. Writing Nation: Shaping Identity in Medieval HistoricalNarratives 358Raluca L. Radulescu22. Dream Poems 374Helen Phillips23. Lyric 387Rosemary Greentree24. Literature of Religious Instruction 406E. A. Jones25. Mystical and Devotional Literature 423Denise N. Baker26. Accounts of Lives 437Kathleen Ashley27. Medieval English Theatre: Codes and Genres 454Meg Twycross28. Morality and Interlude Drama 473Darryll GrantleyPART VII Readings 48929. York Mystery Plays 491Pamela King30. The Book of Margery Kempe 507Ruth Evans31. Julian of Norwich 522Santha Bhattacharji32. Piers Plowman 537Stephen Kelly33. Subjectivity and Ideology in the Canterbury Tales554Mark Miller34. John Gower and John Lydgate: Forms and Norms of RhetoricalCulture 569J. Allan Mitchell35. Thomas Hoccleve, La Male Regle 585Nicholas Perkins36. Discipline and Relaxation in the Poetry of Robert Henryson604R. James Goldstein37. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 619Kevin Gustafson38. Blood and Love in Malory's Morte Darthur 634Catherine La FargeIndex 649