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Medieval Romantic Literature, 2004.
An exploration of the element of the medieval in Keats, Tennyson, Carlyle and Ruskin.
3,653 words (approx. 14.6 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 101.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the literary works of Keats, Tennyson, Carlyle and Ruskin, focusing on the medieval element in their works. The paper analyzes how John Keats and Alfred Tennyson captured the essence of the medieval in their work, returning to a time that was simpler but just as exotic. The paper presents Thomas Carlyle and John Ruskin, who also refer to medieval aspects of society to enhance and emphasize their messages about society. The paper contends that these writers build on themes that are familiar to us, explaining that their references allow us to make connections that might otherwise be lost in the barrage of descriptions.
From the Paper
"The notion of the medieval romance has inspired literature for generations. The magic of the Arthurian romance can be traced to Celtic origins, which adds to it appeal when we look at it through the prism of post-medieval literature. The revival of the medieval romance can be viewed as an opposition against modern and intellectual movement that became vogue in modern Europe. These romances often emphasized the human emotions rather than the human intellect and a return to more classical traditions. Poets and writers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries did not want to feel the oppression from the constraints of their time. Instead, they looked beyond the intellectual to a more mystical and emotional realm. They wanted to achieve another level in their writing--one that allowed them to stretch their imaginations and their knowledge. The medieval aspects that we find in literature from this era accentuates a different type of thinking and writing that desired to be different yet familiar."
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Women in Medieval English Literature, 2002.
An exploration of the role of women in medieval English literature through the examination of different works such as "Beowulf", "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and many other religious and secular lyrics.
1,927 words (approx. 7.7 pages), 12 sources, MLA, $ 61.95
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Abstract
This paper attempts to recognize the modern vision of an ?empowered woman? in medieval English literature since numerous female characters, both religious and secular, demonstrate a power far beyond the traditional sphere of the subservient woman. Examples of such women are the Virgin Mary who appears in many works and the female characters in "Beowulf".
From the Paper
"The medieval romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight also presents the Virgin Mary as a key figure, able to influence men for the better by personifying Christian values, ?representing spiritual love, chastity, obedience and life?(Arkin). At his moment of testing, Gawain draws strength from the image of the Virgin Mary etched on his shield. Mary?s symbolic power, here, is as important as her power to act ? merely seeing her face is a reminder of the courtly ideal. The effects of Mary on medieval literature, as intermediary, voluntary mother, and representative of Christianity, should not be underestimated."
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Medieval Literature and Christian Themes, 2007.
An analysis of the influence that Christianity had on Medieval European literature.
919 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 32.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the influence of Christianity on Western (particularly European) literature in the medieval period of world history. It addresses and puts into perspective some of those influences. The paper gives some examples which are found in several published books and journals to illustrate the influence that Christianity had at the time.
From the Paper
"Although the great literary "masterpieces" of Medieval Germany "often lack specific Christian references," the Notre Dame Introduction to Anthropology continues, "the impact of religious values is always present." In the book, The City of God, Christian concepts of "virtue and vice and interlaced with ingredients of a knight's courtly behavior. The Notre Dame narrative admits that there is "controversy among scholars" today as to whether some works which are not "obviously moral or didactic in tone" are expressing "normal medieval" ways of approaching subjects. Still, that having been said, it would be "equally questionable," the narrative asserts, to imagine that any literature, "however secular in conception," could have been written without being permeated by "the prevailing intellectual climate, which was thoroughly Christian.""
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Mythical Components of Medieval Travel Literature, 2000.
An explanation for the fantastical components of medieval travel literature.
2,460 words (approx. 9.8 pages), 7 sources, $ 74.95
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From the Paper
"To the modern person many of the claims made by the writers of medieval travel literature seem completely outlandish and impossible to believe. The truth is, however, we have a society that has been pretty much isolated from contact with the majority of the world for a fairly long period of time. The peasants of these small hamlets would never venture outside their village for their entire life. Generation after generation of these people tilled the same soil and lived in the same home for hundreds of years and never saw anything even the slightest bit out of the ordinary for these incredibly prolonged periods of time. Therefore, when the first crusaders returned from the east describing things such as camels or travellers to India describing elephants and other such animals that are not normally found in Europe, we have the medieval persons idea of their world being changed dramatically. If such incredible creatures can exist, then why not the people with one gigantic foot that they use to shade themselves from the sun, as represented in the most important Travel literature of the period, the writings of Sir John Mandeville."
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Medieval and Renaissance Literature, 2002.
An analysis of literature from these eras, using works by William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer as examples.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 3 sources, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper will contrast medieval literature with the Elizabethan literature of the Renaissance and will compare them as well. By understanding these two different literary worlds, we can see how they are similar and how they differ. Three of Shakespeare's sonnets will be compared and contrasted with "The Pardoner's Tale" and the "Knight's Tale" of "The Canterbury Tales" by Chaucer and "Sir Patrick Spence" by Anonymous.
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Female Sovereignty in Medieval Literature, 2002.
A comparative analysis of Geoffrey Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" and John Gower's "Tale of Florent".
3,637 words (approx. 14.5 pages), 16 sources, MLA, $ 101.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how, while the concept and theme of female sovereignty in medieval literature may seem oddly out of place to modern readers, it did, in fact, exist. In particular, it looks at how Geoffrey Chaucer?s ?Wife of Bath?s Tale?, from the "Canterbury Tales", and John Gower?s ?Tale of Florent?, from the "Confessio Amantis" are two tales that involve the theme of female sovereignty. It attempts to show how views of women during Chaucer and Gower?s time were considerably misogynistic and how, even in the church, women were not treated equally. It discusses how the belief that women were essentially evil influenced medieval literature and, while the concept of freedom depended on the social class that women belonged to, they were nonetheless treated as possessions. Although the tales by Chaucer and Gower were similar in story and theme, it may be the ?voices? of the characters of the Wife of Bath and the Confessor that helped shape our views of female sovereignty in literature.
From the Paper
"Gower?s tale shows efficiency of plot, has amusing descriptions of the ?lothy? woman; and the interesting dilemmas that Florent finds himself in; and the skill with which the confessor (narrator) has recast a tale that "clerkes . . . this chance herde" (1.1856) and wrote down "in evidence" (1.1857). ?The tale of Florent is a good instance of Gower?s ability to engage the reader in the circumstances and unfolding of a tale by intelligent filling out the mental action of the main characters and the physical experiences they go through? (Davenport 151). On the surface Chaucer?s tale forms a romance narrative, but Chaucer ?threw that kind of logic out the window when he invented for a romance a narrator who does not believe in it? (Davenport 159)."
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Medieval Societies, 2005.
This paper discusses some works of medieval literature that focus on medieval warrior societies.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 63.95
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Abstract
This paper studies Chretien De Troyes "Arthurian Romances", Seamus Heaney's "Beowulf" and other medieval literature that focus on medieval warrior societies, particularly concepts of heroism, ethics and spirituality as illustrated in the works.
From the Paper
"Medieval societies during the era of Beowulf and the Arthurian Romances were undergoing transformation from pagan illiterate societieswhere codes of conduct governed social relations and together with reason brought happiness. The warrior societies described in Chretien de Troyes' "Arthurian Romances" and Seamus Heaney's "Beowulf" along with other literature of the medieval era, show the ideals of reason and code of conduct as the foundation of human happiness. The character of Beowulf clearly expresses this ideal."
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Paintings of the Romantic Age, 2003.
A summary of Romantic paintings, what makes them Romantic, what they depict, and how they reflect the culture of Europe and the world at the time.
1,090 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
The Romantic Age was an age in which artists employed many different techniques to create certain effects and feelings in their paintings. This paper focuses on some of the key pieces of art from the Romantic Age and analyzes each painting to reveal its true meaning and explain what aspects of each painting make it a Romantic work of art. It also examines how each painting reflects a certain aspect of both European and world culture at the time. This includes social, economical, and political aspects of life. The paintings include "The Raft of Medusa" by Theodore Gericault and "Hunting in the Pontine Marshes" by Florace Vernet.
From the Paper
"One painting, The Raft of Medusa, by Theodore Gericault, is a painting of a small raft that is afloat in the sea which is covered with people sprawled out over the raft. There is a wide range of emotions shown by the people floating on the raft, as some are waving a white flag trying to catch the attention of a passing ship in the far distance, to the dead bodies of those not fortunate enough to make the journey on board the raft. In fact the range of emotions seems to follow a pattern from the top right to the bottom left. In the top right a ship can be seen very far off in the distance, which symbolizes the chance of rescue. Then moving downward and leftward there are a couple people trying to get the attention of the ship. Then there are some people who seem rather indifferent and are standing about, then there are people who seem worried, which gradually advances to into mourning, some people have their hands clasped over their faces, and finally there are the sick and then the dead. The elements of art which are important in this painting are line, space, and color. The line in this painting by Gericault is much defined by the way he outlines the bodies and faces to shape their expressions. Gericault also uses symbolism, using people to represent possible human emotions for dealing with such an event, and he expresses individualism by showing almost each person with their own emotion. Finally he uses the horizon very well by giving the painting a sense of depth."
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Outsiders of the Medieval Imagination, 2001.
A discussion of Medieval spirituality and imagination that guided Medieval people's belief system and differentiated between conformer and non-conformer.
5,055 words (approx. 20.2 pages), 7 sources, $ 127.95
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Abstract
A look at the Medieval imagination. The author discusses the idea of spirituality of the Medieval people that considered outsiders as non-conformists, or people that were viewed as sub-human (people with abnormalities etc.) and used the imagination to differentiate between the real and the spiritual world.
From the Paper
"The idea of an outsider is present in all medieval works, this is a society of conformists and those non-conformists were all looked upon as outsiders; but what about the idea of outsiders that come not from the community but from another invisible world altogether. The idea of monsters have existed from ancient times, and even to the modern day with bogey men, but in the middle ages we find a plethora of monsters of all shapes and sizes. One need only look in the elaborately illuminated bestiaries of the medieval period to discover creatures from every realm of the imagination, from the saintly unicorn to the demonic dragon. These creatures, widely influenced by pagan mythology but with their own Christian twists, served an important part of the concept of the medieval persons concept of otherness. If the limit of otherness was not defined by only the human spectrum there was no limit to the amount of difference that a medieval person could differentiate between themselves and those seen as sub-human, such as Jews, heretics, and lepers."
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Italian Cities in Medieval Europe, 2002.
This paper examines why Italian cities in medieval times developed at a faster rate than other European cities, becoming the richest in medieval Europe, possibly the world.
1,354 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 8 sources, APA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the reasons behind the huge development of medieval Italian cities in relation to the rest of Europe. These factors include: Their superior organization, military history, geographical advantages in terms of trade and commerce and the unique form of government dividing the country into city states.
From the Paper
"Medieval times saw an expansion in city life all across Europe, but nowhere more so than in Italy. As early as the tenth century, Italian towns, though still inferior to those in the East, had become far larger than those in other Catholic European countries. From 1100-1250, the population of many Italian cities grew considerably, rising from around 5,000-6,000 people to between 30,000-40,000. This was because of a number of factors, most notably the commercial revolution and explosion of trade, which Italy was in a unique position to exploit, due, among other things, to her history and geographical location."
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"Medieval Women" by Eileen Power, 2001.
This paper reviews the book, "Medieval Women" by Eileen Power, which pieces together the often-fragmented histories of medieval women using a variety of primary sources.
750 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, according to Eileen Power in ?Medieval Women?, early social notions regarding the nature of women and their role in society were created by the two most powerful classes of the age, the Church and the aristocracy, and only later were modified slightly by the urban middle class, which rose to prominence in the later Middle Ages. The author points out that, in the area of home and marriage, Power uses letters, wills, and household inventories to support her depiction of women. The paper relates that, because the proportion of women to men was greater within the noble ranks, many women were unable to wed; therefore, for them, monasticism was the only alternative to marriage.
From the Paper
"A considerable portion of the book is spent discussing various facets of the medieval lady?s life and when the bourgeois and peasants are discussed she often presents them in contrast to the noble woman. Many accounts of medieval women nobility often present only one view of their experience, depicting either a fanciful and luxurious life or the bleakness of being regarded as chattel. Fortunately Power draws from the writings of Christine De Pisan, one of the rare women of the Middle Ages to earn a living solely through her writing, to address the way in which the romanticized chivalry of the age overshadows the reality of their existence."
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The Romantic Period of British Literature, 2003.
This paper discusses the Romantic period of British literature, from approximately 1785 until 1830, which was spurred in part by the French revolution and followed the Age of Enlightenment period of literature.
1,900 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 60.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the Romantic period is about the ordinary and the outcast becoming glorified; romantic literature parallels romantic domestic life: Men spend their time talking of great ideals while women go unrecognized for meeting those same ideals as they get down and do the real work. The author points out that, after Wordsworth and Coleridge, Lord Byron is the next big name in the Romantic period of British Literature. The paper relates that the women writer of the Romantic period, such as Mary Robinson, Mary Wollstonecraft and
Anna Leticia Barbauld, also were predominantly members of the aristocracy, but, by the virtue of being women of their era, they were more down-to-earth.
From the Paper
"Wordsworth and Coleridge are essentially credited with starting the Romantic Era of British literature with the publication of the Lyrical Ballads. Wordsworth and Coleridge were heavily influenced by Milton and this shows the "Preface to Lyrical Ballads," in which Wordsworth defends his poetry, but not without making dozens of references to Milton throughout. The Lyrical Ballads themselves are very difficult reading, obviously intended for the elite. Then we have the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" in which we have a tale set up much like the Odyssey in which the "Ancient Mariner" has an epic adventure in which he is taken to the South Pole by a storm an kills an albatross which causes bad luck and releases spirits, but fortunately for our narrator he is saved by the "grace of the Holy Mother" and is witness to such epic-style special effects as ghosts, miracles, and reincarnation. This certainly does not fall under the heading of "glorification of the ordinary." It is another epic."
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Medieval Towns: Crafts and Guilds, 2005.
A review of an article by Gervase Rosser about the economic and work culture dynamics of medieval communities.
2,373 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 72.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews Rosser's article about how medieval crafts and guilds functioned in a society in medieval England. The paper also talks about Rosser's effort to rebut many of the generalizations, myths, and factually incorrect views that are currently or previously held by scholars and historians of the medieval era.
The Emergence of Guilds and Their Impact on Workers and the Economy
The Rise of the Guilds in Social Power and Community Prominence
Were Guilds the Historical Framework for the Genesis and Evolution of Formal Organizations?
The Decline of the Crafts and Guilds
Weird Things about Medieval English Life and Times
Biographical Sketch of Gervase Rosser
From the Paper
"Rosser goes to enormous lengths to make clear why he is explaining the misconceptions and misunderstandings with reference to how life in the working world of Medieval England really took place. Rosser is a writer of obvious skill when it comes to deep scholarly thinking; he is a writer who more often than not takes the intellectual high road. But Rosser also apparently realizes that the reader may not be able to climb every step of the way with him on his scholarly ascent, so he takes brief moments to define his terms in more lay-friendly language."
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Shakespeare and the Romantic Poets, 2006.
This paper discusses the reception of William Shakespeare by the Romantic poets as referenced in several text of both Shakespeare and these poets.
2,930 words (approx. 11.7 pages), 14 sources, APA, $ 86.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the way in which Shakespeare was viewed by the poetic exponents of Romanticism, and how some of the characters of Shakespeare's plays may exemplify the Romantic ideal. This author explains that two hundred years separates the time of William Shakespeare in the Elizabethan era and the Romantic poets and their vision of a society, which put the concerns of the individual to the forefront of political issues. The paper points out that, while direct reference to Shakespeare's works by the romantic poets is less than abundant, John Keats, Samuel Taylor and Percy Bysse Shelley suggest a clear aesthetic link between Romanticism and Shakespeare's texts. The paper examines characters of Shakespeare's plays and how they exemplify the Romantic vision of individual liberty, the freedom of expression and mans' relationship with nature, which feature prominently in "King Lear", "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet"."
From the Paper
"If then, life is to be lived according to one's ideals, as opposed to the rules of society, then the examination of cerebral conflict is a relevant concern. It would be a simple matter to make one's point by filling an essay such as this with quotations from "Hamlet", whose central character, it appears, is in a state of permanent confusion, or from Corialanus, who, it could be argued is the most egocentric character ever created by Shakespeare, and whose vanity, ultimately, proves to be his undoing. The Romantic hero referred to in my question however, is, for this critic, personified in the character of the eponymous protagonist of "Romeo and Juliet"."
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Romantic Age, Slavery and Blacks, 2006.
This paper explores the extent to which inclusion of literature related to slavery and blacks is an aspect of the Romantic Age.
1,986 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 63.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how the inclusion of literature related to slavery and blacks is to a tremendous extent an indisputable aspect of the Romantic Age. The paper relates that the Romantic Age coincided with colonialism and the acquiring of African slaves. The paper reveals that this era founded and birthed racial taxonomies and the very term "Blacks" among other racial slurs. The paper shows how the height, depth and demise of slavery were witnessed during the Romantic period.
From the Paper
"The exact span of time attributed to the Romantic Era is still debatable. According to Joseph Strayer and Hans Gatzke, "The term Romanticism defies clear definition. It differed not only from country to country but from Romanticist to Romanticist" (The Mainstream of Civilization; 550). What is definite and sure is that Romanticism coincided with Colonialism. Colonialism has been defined as, "The practice of acquiring control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically" (The Oxford Dictionary). The chief tool utilized to achieve the ends of colonialism was African slaves. As stated by Damrosch et. Al. "From 1783 to 1793 more than 300,000 slaves were sold in the British colonies, at a value of over 15,000,000 pounds" (108)."
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