16 September, 2014

Response Question to Langland's Piers Plowman Passus 1


6. Compare and Contrast the nature of "Truth" in Chaucer's poem, and the "Truth" that is discussed in Passus 1 of Piers Plowman.

Both of these late Medieval English authors utilize Truth as a character in their literary works. They employ Truth as a God-like figure, perhaps even meaning to present God himself through this name. Truth, in both of these poems, is a being that you should please in order to, according to Chaucer, be "delivered, it is no fear" or in the case of Langland, "be certain that their souls will ascend to Heaven". The subtle difference between these two Truth's is that Langland's Truth reigns as not only salvation but also as supreme judgment ("Truth has determined their trespass in full."), where Chaucer only describes the former. Also, in Chaucer's poem, Truth seems to seek you out if you do good, whereas in Langland's writing, "Truth is the truest treasure on Earth" but it also something that must be pursued and sought out for.

1 comment:

  1. Truth must be discovered and embodied by oneself ("natural knowledge"), which certainly demands that the individual must seek it out, rather than have it presented by a mediator?

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