Romancing the ordeal : representations of pain and suffering in Middle English metrical romances

Tasdelen, Pinar

Abstract

This thesis concentrates on the representations of pain and suffering in forty-five Middle English metrical romances. This excludes certain Arthurian and non-anonymous material. It comprises an introduction, five chapters, and an index of themes related to suffering, categorizing the suffering theme in metrical romances.

The introduction deals with the definitions, authorship, audience, classification, manuscript contexts and indexes of metrical romances, so as to contextualize the current work. The first chapter categorizes the villains and focuses on the reasons for villainy and the nature of domestic and stranger villains, who are inherently evil, have reasons to be villainous, or who act as a catalyst to initiate villainy, distinguishing them from good villains who victimize unintentionally. It also examines how villainies are punished. The second and the third chapters concentrate on female and male victims respectively, and explore the nature and reactions of victims, how victims respond to their ordeals (either in a submissive or resistant fashion) and the representations of self-victimizers. The functions of domestic and stranger relievers of suffering are also considered. The fourth chapter discusses how Middle English metrical romances make use of journeys in the form of enforced exile, self-exile, quest and pilgrimage. The fifth chapter examines how divine interferences and supernatural agents function in the representations of pain and suffering, while paying attention to the significance of dreams in relation to suffering, and the representations of ordeals in the fairy world.

The index categorizes the conventional romance characters and circumstances with particular relation to the representations of suffering. It is also intended to serve as a research tool for scholars studying ordeals in Middle English romances, or romances in general.

Citation

Tasdelen, P. (2012). Romancing the ordeal : representations of pain and suffering in Middle English metrical romances. (Thesis). University of Hull. Retrieved from https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4218815

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jan 18, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2023
• Keywords: English
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4218815
• Additional Information: Department of English, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Jun 1, 2012