Introduction : literature and history : the risks of conversation -- pt. I. Drama. Early Tudor drama and the arts of resistance -- 'To speak before the king, it is no child's play' : Godly Queen Hester in 1529 -- Flytyng in the face of convention : protest and innovation in Lindsay's Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis -- pt. II. Poetry, 1380-1532. Courtesy and chivalry in Sir Gawain and the green knight -- The plowman's tale and the politics of 1532 : a cautionary tale? -- Rough girls and squeamish boys : the trouble with Absolon in The miller's tale.
Summary:
"How far should we try to read medieval and early modern texts historically? Does the attempt to uncover how such texts might have been received by their original readers and audiences uncover new, hitherto unexpected contemporary resonances in them? Or does it flatten works of art into mere 'secondary sources' for historical analysis? This book makes the case for the study of literature in context."--Dust jacket.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.