Overview

The literature of the Middle Ages spans over a thousand years and reflects a rich mix of religious devotion, heroic legend, and courtly tradition. Written in Old and Middle English, works from this period helped shape English literary tradition and introduced foundational genres such as the epic, the romance, and the allegory.

Key Themes and Characteristics

• Christian Allegory: Religious symbolism and moral instruction were central, especially in texts like Piers Plowman.
• Chivalry and Courtly Love: Explored in romances like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Arthurian legends.
• Heroic Idealism: As seen in Beowulf, where honor, bravery, and fate define the protagonist.
• Social Satire: Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales offers a critical view of medieval society through humor and irony.
• Allegorical Drama: Morality plays like Everyman taught religious lessons through symbolic characters.

Major Authors and Works

• Anonymous – Beowulf
• Geoffrey Chaucer – The Canterbury Tales
• William Langland – Piers Plowman
• Sir Thomas Malory – Le Morte d’Arthur
• Unknown authors – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Everyman

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