Convention and the Individual in Medieval English Romance

Offers a nuanced reading of character and subjectivity in medieval romance via an exploration of its conventions.


Medieval romances can be characterised by their formulaic motifs, predictable plots, and "stock" figures and character types. This book offers a fresh perspective on these conventions, arguing that authors used them, and the expectations they generate, as a form of shorthand to interiority. Understanding romance conventions in this way reveals that romance characters' complex and...