Langland, Piers Plowman (C-text)

thinking about version of the Church that emerges from Piers Plowman in secondary literature, Wycliffism has status -- stand-in for modern liberalism; brings modern scholars closer to what they wished medieval people believed

observing dis/continuities with Langland's own theology

interested in listening to versions of Wycliff that get spread outside of Oxford

some critics think about Langland as uneducated, as a "clever grammar school boy" -- but he engages with 14th century theology very seriously

question of the Reformation -- how does Langland fit into Eamon's version of the Middle Ages? what does this say about Duffy's construction of the late medieval Church?

restless poem; seems opaque, but great deal of dialectical control

Prologue

"I've become a problem to myself" -- famous lines from the Confessions

models of the Middle Ages as static and hierarchical; this prologue doesn't know them

"Conscience in the Middle Ages" -- is Piers Plowman's "Conscience" Thomistic?

Andrew Galloway, commentary on Piers Plowman

allegorical figures -- high stylistic of Kynde Wit clashes with final lines, full of ordinary life

"fragmentation of the forms of inquiry"; Will is given maps for finding his way -- give the possibility of a unified inquiry; how do we go on if the ground we're put on doesn't match the maps we're given?

when reason can't control us, we have anarchy; we *need* the cat -- all the forces of reform swallowed up in image of human beings who have become mice and rats

put him to pride -- put him to the plow -- concretized images

friars: mobile figures; answerable to papacy, not bishops

Structure

PROLOGUE

Will, dressed as a sheep -- falls asleep

DREAM I

sees tower of Truth to the east, valley of Death to the West, field full of folk between

Conscience comes to accuse them (Pr.95)

Kynde Wit speaks to the king and commons (Pr.147)

Conscience speaks to the clergy and king (Pr.151)

Conscience and king go to court

crowd of rats come to hold council about cat (Pr.165)

rat of renown suggests putting a bell around the cat's neck (Pr.176)

crowd of rats applaud his plan (Pr.190)

mouse steps forward, suggests one cat or another will always bother them; better to suffer in silence; rats could never rule themselves (Pr.196)

dreamer doesn't know how to interpret this vision; goes on to see diverse people

(PASSUS I)

Holy Church indicates people, says the only heaven they think of is here (I.5)

dreamer asks what it means (I.11)

Holy Church discusses tower of Truth (I.12)

dreamer asks to whom the world's treasure belongs (I.41)

Holy Church answers "Reddite Cesari" (I.44)

dreamer asks what the deep, dark dale means (I.55)

Holy Church answer it's the Castle of Care; evil lives there (I.57)

dreamer asks who she is (I.71)

Holy Church says I am Holy Church (I.72)

dreamer falls to knees, begs grace

dreamer asks how to save his soul (I.80)

Holy Church answers when all treasures have been tested, truth is the best (I.81)

dreamer asks why devil wants to be on the north, instead of the east (I.I.112)

Holy Church answers hell is wherever the devil is (I.114)

dreamer asks for "kynde knowying" (I.137)

Holy Church says he's a dummy, didn't learn enough Latin; discusses "kind knowynge" (I.139)

Holy Church starts to leave

(PASSUS II)

dreams kneels before her, begs for grace (II.1)

dreamer begs her to stay (II.1)

Holy Church indicates Falsehood and Favel to the left (II.5)

dreamer looks to the left; sees Meed

dreamer asks Holy Church who this is (II.18)

Holy Church answers it's Meed, describes Meed's Marriage (II.19)

Holy Church leaves (II.53)

dreamer sees Meed's marriage (II.54)

Liar leaps forth

Liar says Guile gave a charter to False and Meed (II.69)

Civil and Simony look over charter (II.72)

Simony says Meed is married more for her riches than her high birth (II.75)

Wrong steps forward as witness (II.109)

several craftsman, a beadle and a pardoner step forth, seal the deed (II.110)

Theology gets angry (II.116)

Theology says to Simony that Meed is legitimate, the daughter of Amends and Favel; warns about wedding (II.117)

Civil agrees (II.155)

Simony doesn't agree (II.155)

Favel comes with florins, orders Guile to give out the gold (II.157)

everyone thanks Favel, pledge to help him marry Meed to False (II.162)

Favel and False are pleased

everyone goes to Westminster; allegories ride reeves and jurors (II.173)

Civil says he and Simony will ride adulterous rich men (II.183)

Truthful sees them riding, says nothing; passes them to go to king's court and warn Conscience (II.200)

Conscience tells the king he wants to catch False and Favel and Liar (II.204)

Conscience commands constable to arrest False, behead Guile, bring Meed in (II.211)

Dread hears, goes to tell False he'd better flee (II.217)

False flees to friars (II.220)

Guile flees for his life; merchants meet him and take him in (II.221)

Liar leaps away; pardoners take him in (II.225)

Simony and Civil went to Rome to appeal to pope (II.243)

Conscience accuses them to the king (II.245)

Conscience says Holy Church may be damaged beyond repair if nothing is done (II.246)

all flee except Meed (II.250)

(PASSUS III)

Meed brough before King (III.2)

King tells clerk to look after Meed, that he'll examine her (III.5)

Clerk brings Meed to chamber (III.9)

mirth and minstrelsy amuse Meed (III.12)

judges try to appear Meed not to be sad, they'll help (III.17)

Meed thanks them, offers them gifts (III.21)

clerics comfort Meed (III.25)

Meed promises them rewards (III.30)

confessor offers to absolve her (III.38)

Meed kneels before him, confessees (III.45)

confessor absolves her (III.50)

confessor tells her they'll have her name engraved on a window (III.51)

Meed replies (III.55)

prophetic voice breaks through, warns against such kinds of meed; direct address (III.68)

King calls for Meed (III.127)

King chastises Meed, asks her if she'll have Conscience as a husband (II.133)

Meed responds that she will (III.147)

Conscience is called; kneels (III.149)

King asks Conscience if he'll marry Meed (III.153)

Conscience says no (III.155)

Meed asks to speak in her defense (III.215)

King grants her wish (III.218)

Meed speaks in defense of the reward system (III.220)

King says to Conscience that Meed has made her point well (III.283)

Conscience refuses; uses grammatical metaphor (III.285)

King says to Conscience he doesn't understand the metaphor (III.340)

Conscience explains (III.243)

Meed is angry (III.483)

Conscience retorts that she's misunderstanding (III.491)

PASSUS IV

King asks them to stop arguing, kiss (IV.1)

Conscience refuses (IV.4)

King tells Conscience to fetch Reason (IV.6)

Conscience agrees (IV.13)

Conscience rides to Reason (IV.14)

Conscience tells Reason what's going on (IV.14)

Reason agrees to come (IV.16)

Reason calls Cato and Tom True-tongue to sattle up (IV.17)

Conscience and Reason leave together (IV.24)

Wily-fellow and Clever-man, &c., follow them (IV.27)

Conscience warns Reason against them (IV.33)

Conscience and Reason ride on (IV.40)

King greats Reason (IV.42)

Peace comes with petition to parliament about how Wrong had wronged him (IV.45)

Peace explains Wrong's wrongs (IV.49)

King knows it's true because of Conscience (IV.64)

Wrong is afraid (IV.66)

Wrong tries to explain himself (IV.69)

Meed notices Wrong (IV.71)

Peace shows his bloody skull from Wrong (IV.74)

Peace explains he didn't deserve this wound (IV.75)

Wisdom and Wit try to overcome the King with Meed (IV.78)

King throws Wrong in irons (IV.81)

someone wise says this isn't right (Iv. 83)

Wit agrees (IV.88)

Meed begs mercy, gives Peace gold (IV.90)

Meed vouches Wrong will never do it again (IV.92)

Peace asks the king to have mercy on Wrong, since Wisdom has had Meed pay amends (IV.94

King refuses for Conscience's sake (IV.99)

some advise Reason to pity Wrong, look to Conscience to counsel the King (IV.105)

Reason refuses to take pity (IV.108)

Clerks attempt to translate Reason 's speech (IV.146)

Meed winks at lawyer, asking them to stop Reason (IV.148)

just men declare Reason 's truth, see that Meekness overcomes Meed (IV.151)

Love and Loyalty think little of Meed (IV.156)

Love and Loyalty tell Conscience and the King no one should marry Meed for money (IV.158)

Meed mourns, is taken out of chamber (IV.160)

Sheriff's clerk cries out to Meed (IV.164)

King calls Conscience and Reason into his council (IV.166)

King chastise lawyers for losing him revenue (IV.169)

Conscience speaks to King, encourages commons' help (IV.175)

Reason agrees (IV.179)

King asks Reason and Conscience to stay and be his council (IV.183)

Reason agrees (IV.187)

King orders Conscience to fire his officers (IV.195)

dreamer awakes (IV.196)

AWAKE

(PASSUS V)

dreamer awakes, clothed like a loller (V.2)

Reason rebukes him for not using his skills usefully (V.12)

dreamer says he's too weak (V.22)

Reason tells him not to waste/beg (V.26)

dreamer says he's never found a life he likes better than lolling (V.25)

Conscience says dreamer is wrong in his reasoning (V.89)

dreamer admits wasting time (V.92)

Reason advises him to get started on the good life (V.103)

Conscience backs up reason (V.104)

dreamer goes to church, kneels, tells his sins, falls asleep (V.105)

DREAM II

DREAM

dreamer sees Reason preaching as the pop not to waste time (V.114)

Reason orders people not to be wasteful; enters apocalyptic mode (V.136)

Reason counsels king to love his people (V.180)

Reason commands peace as penance and perpetual forgiveness (V.194)

(PASSUS VI)

Repentence runs in (VI.1)

Will weeps (VI.2)

Purnel repents (VI.3)

Repentence orders repentence

Pride repents

Repentence ask God to give him grace to amend

Envy repents (VI.63)

Repentence says he'll be sorry (VI.91)

Envy says he is (VI.93)

Wrath wakes up

Wrath confesses

Repentence orders repentence (VI.164)

Repentence absolves Wrath

Lechery confesses

Covetousness comes

Covetousness confesses

Repentance asks if he's never repented

Covetousness says he once stole from someone

Repentance calls that a lousy restitution; asks if he practiced usuary?

Covetousness says no, just a little when young

Repentance asks if he ever lend to a lord for protection

Covetousness has

Repentance demands restitution before absolution

Covetousness confesses more

Repentance says he's an "unkynde" creature; he can't absolve him until restitution (VI.296)

Welshman says he'll make restitution

Robert the Rifler noticed the law of reddite, weeps because he has nothing to make restitution with

Robert begs forgiveness

dreamer doesn't know what happened to Robert, but notes his genuine torment

Repentence says he's heading for heaven if his heart is right (VI.331)

Glutton goes to confession, stops at bar on the way

Glutton gets drunk, ends up vomiting (VI.412)

Glutton's wife and daughter put him to bed

Glutton confesses to Repentance

(PASSUS VII)

Sloth comes to confess, falls asleep

Repentance orders him awake

Sloth confesses

Repentance asks if he doesn't repent?

Repentance faints; is awoken

Repentance recommends repentance to Sloth

Sloth sits up, corsses himself

Sloth confesses

prophetic narrative voice on sloth; direct address (VII.70)

Repentance advises all to kneel

Repentance prayers for forgiveness (VII.121)

Hope takes up the horn

a thousand men throng together, crying for Christ, grace and Truth; but no one knows the way

pilgrim enters (VII.160)

folks ask him where he's from

Pilgrim describes journies

folks ask where Truth lives

Pilgrim doesn't know

Piers Plowman says he knows the way; Conscience and Kynde Wit gave him directions (VII.182)

folks offer Piers money

Piers refuses; describes the journey to Truth

several people don't think they have any kin there

Piers prods them on with mercy

one leaves

one says he has to plow first

he asks Piers to excuse him to Truth

Active can't go because his wife is too wiled to be left alone

Contemplation says he'll follow Piers

(PASSUS VIII)

Piers wants to plow the half-acre

Woman asks what the women should do

Piers says sew sacks

Knight asks what he could do

Piers says keep them safe

Knight pledge to do so

Piers asks him not to trouble any tenant unless Truth agrees; don't oppose Conscience or Holy Church

Knight assents

Piers dresses as a pilgrim

Piers says he'll sow, then go on a pilgrimage for pardon

Piers commands his wife, daughter and son to obedience

Piers dictates his will (VIII.95)

Piers and pilgrims begin plowing (VIII.112)

Piers lets his plow stand, begins to act as overseer

Others sit down in idleness

Piers tells them to get up and work

they tell Piers they can't work, make excuses, pray to him

Piers calls them false

Waster gets angry

Piers complains to the knight

Knight warns waster to improve

Waster refuses

Piers calls on Hunger

Hunger grabs Waster around the belly

Piers asks Hunger for mercy on them

phonies are frightened, take up working

Piers is proud, puts them to work

Piers pities them

Piers tells Hunger to leave (VIII.206)

Hunger says Wasters must work

Piers asks if he might be sinless if he does as Hunger wants

Hunger says yes; shows that everyone must work for their food

Piers says he'll show this proverb to those who beg and won't work; says his stomach hurts

Hunger says he's eaten too much; has to work harder

Piers says he can go now

Hunger says he won't go away until he's dined and drunk

Piers says he doesn't have anything to eat

poor bring Hunger what they have

Hunger eats it all, asks for more

poor people give him more, with harvest coming

Waster refuses to work

prophetic voice, direct address; warns people to get ahead while they can; hope God of his goodness grants us a truce (VIII.343)

(PASSUS IX)

Truth obtains a pardon for Piers and his heirs, tells him to stay home and plow -- he'll pardon whoever does

prophetic voice breaks through to describe who is included in the pardon; merchants (who pray for Piers for bringing them this bull (IX.42); poverty of women; beggars with bags won't be pardoned -- if you have your health, you should work; every now and then voice merges with Piers' voice (IX.37,159-161

Priest asks Piers if he can read his pardon

Piers unfolds the pardon, shows last lines of Athanasian Creed

Priest says the only pardon is Dowel and have well; do evil and have evil, be damned

Priest and Piers argue about pardon

dreamer awakes

AWAKE

dreamer wanders, "meatless and moneyless" on Malvern Hills; thinks about pardon

dreamer comments on dreams, and Dowel

prophetic voice bursts through at the end, advising rich men to account for their actions

(PASSUS X)

dreamer roams, looking for Dowel; comes upon two friars

dreamer asks friars where Dowel resides

friars say he's with the friars

dreamer disputes

friars tells story of man in a boat tossed about by sin

dreamer says he has no kynde wit to understand; says eh'll keep looking

dreamer wander alone in savage wilderness, listens to birds

dreamer falls asleep

DREAM III

dreamer sees tall man

dreamer asks him who he is

Thought responds

dreamer asks Thought where Dowel is

Thought says Dowel is true of tong, Dobet preaches, Dobest is a bishop

dreamer still doesn't understand

Thought recommends Wit

Thought and dreamer walk, debating Dowel; come upon Wit

Thought asks Wit about Dowel, Dobet, Dobest

Wit responds by describing human nature as a castle (X.127)

dreamer asks what Kind is

Wit responds Kind is creator; man with inwit has treasure enough from Truth to provide for himself; speaks on marriage (X.151)

(PASSUS XI)

Wit's wife, Dame study, is angry

Dame study says Wit shouldn't throw pearls of wisdom to swine

Wit laughs at Study, tells dreamer to beg for her grace

dreamer begs for Dame Study's grace, asks about Dowel

Dame Study refers dreamer to her cousin Clergy

dreamer asks where Clergy dwells

Dame Study gives directions; talks about what she knows, but how Theology has troubled her; must ask Clergy

dreamer leaves

dreamer comes to Clergy, asks about Dowel

Clergy says keep the 10 commandments

Scripture scorns dreamer, tells Clergy to get rid of the dreamer

Scripture puts dreamer down in Latin

dreamer weeps for woe and anger

dreamer falls asleep

DREAM-WITHIN-A-DREAM

Fortune fetches the dreamer, takes him to the land of longing

Fortune shows the dreamer the mirror of Middle Earth

Concupiscencia carnes and covetousness-of-eyes follow fortune

Concupiscencia carnes tells dreamer to enjoy his youth

Covetousness-of-eyes agrees, says she'll attend him

Fortune promises to be dreamer's friend

Old Age comes

Old Age warns dreamer not to be seduced

Recklessness tells dreamer not to mind Old Age; Fortune will follow him;

Recklessness gives long speech on grace and doctrine of good works, predestination; sounds like prophetic voice at moments

poet Plato says let God do his will, encourages dreamer to be reckless

Childishness pulls dreamer forth

(PASSUS XII)

Old Age and Holiness lament dreamer's being pulled away

Coveousness-of-eyes comforts dreamer, calls him Recklessness

dreamer does as she says, passes from youth into Old Age

Fortune leaves dreamer

friar who promised absolution leaves dreamer

Loyalty laughs

dreamer scowls

Loyalty asks why dreamer scowls

dreamer says friar flattered him only as long as he had money

Loyalty says don't blab publicly (poet's role)

Scripture agrees with Loyalty

Scripture goes to pulpit, preaches; few understand

dreamer is vexed by her text debates whether or not he's chosen

dreamer says everyone must pay for their sins

Scripture agrees; says no sin keeps mercy from amending

Trajan the knight says he was saved, even though an unchristian creature

Recklessness begins long speech on proper forms of poverty, the seeds of faith

(PASSUS XIII)

Recklessness's speech continues