29 September, 2014

Langland's Piers Plowman Passus 6 Question


What might lines 302-318 in Passus 6 imply about social unrest?

The cynical implication that Langland gives when describing the state of the poor and the complaints they give is far from subtle. He accuses the poor of complaining for more, though they are given the basic necessities (as outlined by Passus 1, 20-25). He describes the beggars "would not eat bread that had beans in it" (6, 303) nor "drink half-penny ale in any circumstance" (6, 305). Or "unless he's hired at high wages he will otherwise complain" (6, 312) and "grows angry at God" (6, 316), "then curses kings...because they legislate laws that punish labouring men" (6, 317-8). 

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