The most unifying aspect of medieval literature is religion. Nearly all works contain religion in some aspect. The mystery play, which was born in during the medieval period, deals completely with religion, often to the exclusion of the other elements. In the popular mystery play Everyman, God himself is a character. He addresses Death as such:

And that he bring with him a sure reckoning

In this passage, God is telling Death to visit Everyman (who, of course, symbolizes humanity) and bear him to the grave. The reasoning behind this is that the people of the time are ?Drowned in sin? and ?know?not?thei

?For though a widow had no shoes to show,

Yet another main characteristic of medieval literature is castle life. Very few works of this period are about everyday peasants; most are tales of knightly valor and triumph. As such, the castle is a focal point of the story. This is best evidenced in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In this tale, Sir Gawain stays in a stranger?s castle while waiting to fight the Green Knight, and seemingly woos the lady of the castle. This story accurately depicts life in a castle, from the feasts at Camelot to the foxhunt while Gawain was residing in the Green Knight?s castle.

The second most prevalent aspect of medieval literature is the concept of chivalry. According to modern-day Webster, chivalry is simply the possession of ?martial valor? or ?knightly skill,? or the act of being a ?gallant or distinguished gentleman.? During the medieval period, however, chivalry was not simply a code of conduct; it was a way of life. Chivalry encompassed all aspects of a knight?s life. He was expected to be loyal, generous, courteous, and to possess great prowess in battle. In addition, a knight was to pledge his life and honor to a lady or maiden. In Chapter 5 of Book 21 of Thomas Malory?s Morte d?Arthur, Sir Bedivere?s loyalty is put to the ultimate test. He was asked to throw King Arthur?s sword, Excalibur, into the lake. The first two times he was asked, Sir Bedivere failed to complete his task, instead hiding the magnificent sword under a tree. The third time, however, Bedivere mustered his resolve and threw the sword in, proving his undying loyalty to King Arthur. Sir Lucan?s loyalty was tested even more

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1117
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)