What was English literature like in the Middle Ages?
In literary terms, the characteristics of the literary works written did not change radically until the effects of the Renaissance and Reformed Christianity became more apparent in the reign of King Henry VIII.
The term Middle English literature refers to the literature written in the form of the English language known as Middle English, from the 12th century until the 1470s. During this time the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English became widespread and the printing press regularized the language.
There are three main categories of Middle English Literature: Religious, Courtly love, and Arthurian, though much of Geoffrey Chaucer's work, its most famous, stands outside these. From The Canterbury Tales, I've picked up The Wife of Bath, an extremely relevant tale from today's feminist perspective.
Read the information in this article about Chaucer's Feminist Thought.
To enjoy lots of text from the period, click here!
