Comparison of Medieval Literature and Culture While studying the Medieval times it is easy to see the difference between their culture and the culture of today. The way the people acted, the way the government ran the society, and the roles of men and women were much different than what we refer to as the normal of today. This difference was shown in all of the selections read, and two main examples were ?Ballad? and in ?The Fisherman and the Jinnee?. These two writings show how justice was served in the Middle Ages. Tools such as a refrain, frame tale, and theme were used to help tie their writing into the culture they were living in so others could also understand.
Within the poem ?Ballad?, the author writes of six men hanging and asks the people not to treat this situation as they usually do. The hanging men were being punished as a result of a crime they had committed in their community.
A scene showing monks, disfigured by the plague, b...
A prostitute in the Middle Ages
The Metropolitan 'M' Stamp.These ordeals were set up as a type of entertainment for the people. Many would gather around for days watching the painful deaths or torture of men and women who had done wrong. Some would have picnics and others would stop by daily to see the aging process of the dead bodies laying around. This was not hidden from anyone, even children were allowed to watch the actions with their parents. No one would do anything with the bodies after they were killed. Therefore, their eyes and beards would be pecked out by birds and magpies. The author, Francois Villon, wrote this way because he was once in this situation, almost having to face death, however, managed to get his way out of it by a royal pardon on grounds of self-defense. He said that he...