Social Structures in Middle English Literature

Social Structures in Middle English Literature

Dominic Peters

ENG 493

10-1-12

Stephen Mendonca

Social Structures in Middle English Literature

Social structure is often the blueprint to a literary work no matter what the genre of the story is. Even if it is placed in the under workings of the story and the characters, social structure is something that becomes a driving force that pushes the story forward; starting with a character that is trying to change the order of the world around them because of the injustice it brings or a character that is trying to save themselves from a fate dictated by their own society. Social structure is always presented even if it is not seen.

In ‘The Canterbury Tales’ there is a concept that comes up and was reflected in the social structure of that era in time, the concept of courtly love refers to a set of ideas about love that was largely influential on the literature and culture of the Middle Ages. poets throughout Europe promoted the existence that true love only exist outside of marriage; that true love may be idealized and spiritual, and may exist without the couple ever being sexual. “During this period of time marriages were arranged and had little to do with love. A successful marriage was perceived as one that brought material advantages to the participants and their families. As love was clearly unrelated to marriage, the requirement for romance could be gained outside marriage as long as the rules relating to chastity and fidelity were strictly adhered to.” ("Courtly Love", n.d.)

Many of the characters in ‘The Canterbury Tales’ whose roles are defined by their religious or economic functions, blend the cultural ideals of courtly love into his or her lives because there was often not a choice to marry or even love the person of his or her own choosing, this was shown both in ‘The Canterbury Tales’ and in the medieval social structure. “Yet love in the middle ages was not a simple affair and was often fraught with difficulties. It involved complicated transactions and it was not easy to marry by choice because of social restrictions. Often family, friends and even neighbors would have a say in whom and when a person might marry. In aristocratic families couples had no choice as to who their bride or bridegroom might be.”

As much as courtly love appeared in the social structure of this time period and was reflected in such literary works as ‘The Canterbury Tales’ there was another subject that was cover in this literary work that appear in the social structure but was not talked about directly because of the sensitive nature it brought. The corruption of