Medieval Literature

             Since the dawn of civilization, man has told stories. Some were based in fact, while others were based on little more than mere whimsy coupled with the imagination of the storyteller. Often times, such stories contained a moral or lesson to be learned. Of the many time periods, few are as rich in culture and content as the medieval period. Medieval tales usually contain a few basic elements: religion (including temptation and sin), chivalry, castle life, and courtly love.
             The most unifying aspect of medieval literature is religion. Nearly all works contain religion in some aspect. The mystery play, which was born in during the medieval period, deals completely with religion, often to the exclusion of the other elements. In the popular mystery play Everyman, God himself is a character. He addresses Death as such:
             And that he bring with him a sure reckoning
             In this passage, God is telling Death to visit Everyman (who, of course, symbolizes humanity) and bear him to the grave. The reasoning behind this is that the people of the time areDrowned in sin? andknow?not'their God,? instead havingin worldly riches all their mind.? The basic message of the play is that God is unhappy with man's selfish ways, and that, at the time of death, one will be judged and remembered not by his physical prowess (?Five-Wits?), or possessions (?Goods?), but instead by the acts that he performs to help those in need (?Good-Deeds?). The theme of helping one's fellow man is quite common in mystery plays. Religion also plays an important aspect in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, but its role is that of hypocrisy, rather than moral standard. Chaucer spoke at length on the lack of morals by some church members, as is evidenced by his views of the Friar in lines 255 to 258 of the Prologue:
             ...

More Essays:

APA     MLA     Chicago
Medieval Literature. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 15:46, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/78033.html