John Lydgate's Fall of Princes
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Description
The Benedictine monk John Lydgate was the most admired poet of the fifteenth century. He received commissions from some of the most powerful men in the land (including Henry V); he is spoken of with constant admiration; manuscripts of his work are abundant; many of his poems were put into print by England's earliest printers, ensuring that his influence extended well into the sixteenth century. The Fall of Princes, probably the longest poem in the language, is arguably Lydgate's masterwork; yet, until now, it has received only cursory critical attention. This book offers the first extended discussion of the poem.The Fall of Princes accumulates accounts of nearly 500 figures from mythology and history (biblical, classical, and medieval) who have fallen from their positions of fame and power into obscurity, adversity, or poverty. In presenting these tragedies Lydgate probes the causes of the reversal of their fortunes; how far can the caprice of a blind Lady Fortune be blamed? How far are the protagonists themselves responsible for their undoing? Most pressingly of all, why is it that bad things happen to seemingly innocent people? In drawing its conclusions about the downfalls of powerful men and women, Lydgate's poem operates within the popular medieval genre of "advice to princes" literature.
This book locates Lydgate's work within its contexts, exploring the nature of his relationship with the uneasy Lancastrian dynasty during the minority of Henry VI as well as his response to contemporary conflicts between ecclesiastical and secular authority. In particular, this book closely analyses Lydgate's manipulations of his French source text, allowing readers to see in detail for the first time what it is that Lydgate was setting out to achieve. Finally, the book identifies the readership of Lydgate's poem in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, discussing its influence on the evolution of narrative tragedy in English.
Features
- This is the first book-length study of Lydgate's seminal work
- Examines the importance of Lydgate in the evolution of English tragedy
- Covers both political and ecclesiastical history of the fifteenth century
Reviews
"Mortimer's astute close readings effectively present Lydgate's Fall as 'a rich and rewarding text, the product of an accomplished, shrewd, and forthright poet operating a the height of his powers.' His analyses of this complext poem are accompanied by a host of useful tables, charting, manuscripts and their owners. Those wishing to study the Fall for themselves will appreciate his appendix listing corresponding lines in Lydgate and in his Latin and French sources. As the first sustained, sympathetic treatment of Lydgate's magnum opus, Mortimer's monograph will be welcomed by the 'new and open-minded audience' it addresses and will, I am sure, further the Lydgate renaissance that is under way."--Karen A. Winstead, Speculum
About the Author(s)
Nigel Mortimer is Assistant Head and Head of English at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh. He has previously taught English at Bradfield College, Berkshire, and Old and Middle English at Oxford University.
