Christianity and Medieval Literature

The Middle Ages saw a great influence of Christianity on the literature of that time. Christianity also saw a period of growth and its influences on literature were also very notable. The Medieval Period was a time of significant social revolution and this is often reflected in the literature of that age. This can be seen by observing the principles of the time, and exploring the literature which addresses them. By analyzing the religious, political and societal ideals, the reader can see how these influenced the literature during this time period.
The Medieval Period was a time in history that lasted from the 5th Century to the 16th Century. Through the early Middle Ages, literacy was often essential for entry into religious orders and even nuns were compelled to meet this requirement. However, the only people trained to read and write properly were those who were high church officials and monks. Society was centered mainly on the Medieval Church. However, the Church became corrupted but more at the higher levels. Geoffrey Chaucer illustrated this in his writings, “Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.” He exposes this in his prologue by his use of satire in regards to the religious figures. Using a naïve “Chaucer the Pilgrim” to describe them, he points out that certain characters, namely the Prioress and the Monk, are not as they should be. Although he does not criticize them openly, he merely emphasizes qualities that are favorable to the character’s general personality but are not consistent with the expectations of their position. For example, the Prioress is described as “straining to counterfeit a courtly kind of grace.” She wears “a coral trinket on her arm” despite her vow of poverty. By making the reader more aware of the Prioress as a woman than as a nun, Chaucer exposes her flawed ways. He also does the same with his description of the monk, who “let go of the things of yesterday and took the modern world’s more spacious way.” Although these characters are good, they do not act in a religious manner as there role during these times should be.
The political life during the Medieval society was based on the feudal government. The hierarchy of the Middle Ages can be seen in Chaucer’s “Prologue” as well. The variety of characters represents the social order. The only class which is not included in the “Prologue” is monarchy. In this story, the reader can find the noble Knight to the poor Reeve which is all aspects of this society. Furthermore, Chaucer's guildsmen represent the gradual rise of the middle class which would lead to the decline of feudalism. Chaucer was an insightful writer whose work reflects the political upheaval of the time.
Perhaps the most treasured and honored ideal was that of chivalry. This was a term used for “knightly systems during the Middle Ages and for virtues and qualities it inspired in its followers,” as stated on the Medieval Life site. The word chivalry evolved from terms such as chevalier which was French and cavaliere which was Italian, all meaning a warrior who fought on horseback. It was an important ideal during the middle ages and as such, influenced the writers during this time period. Some of the qualities held by some men were bravery and honor while respecting women. These qualities were tested by aspiring knights who wished to prove themselves deserving of the honor of knighthood. In Medieval society, sinners were required to pay for their sins by suffering an ordeal as penance. Although it is difficult to ascertain the extent to which chivalry was actually adhered, one can see how important the ideals were in the Middle Ages by studying Medieval works such as “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” and Chaucer’s “Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.”
Medieval society was one which centered on religious, political, and chivalric societal ideals. By exploring the literature of this time period, the reader can see how intensely these ideals influenced the writers. With these factors, the authors of this time period wrote by how the were influenced.

Works Cited
Chaucer, Geoffrey. "The Canterbury Tales." 2006. The Electronic Literature Foundation.
1 Mar 2007 .
"Medieval Life." 2000. 1 Mar 2007 .
"The Medieval Era (476 - 1450)." Eras of Elegance. 2006. 1 Mar 2007
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