| This dissertation examines references to money (treasure, specie, and credit) in key literary works in English from the tenth to the fifteenth century and shows that these references are purposeful and consistent because there is a distinct pattern that develops from one work to the next. This pattern emerges along the lines of Christian thought, particularly in the Augustinian notions of caritas and cupiditas, because money can be used either as an expression of generosity or greed. The former would be associated with the Christian ideal, and the latter with the exigencies of secular society.;Chapter One explores the historical, economic, and theological landscape of the Middle Ages in order to show how the attitude toward money changes drastically. The next chapter investigates the distinction between distributed treasure and useless treasure in Beowulf, and argues that the former is a metonymy for lordship and the Christian ideal, while the latter is a perversion of them. Chapter Three examines the ambiguous nature of Lady Meed and argues that the uncertainty surrounding Meed in Piers Plowman reflects the ambivalent attitudes about money in the latter half of the fourteenth century. Chapter Four argues that the highly competitive atmosphere of the Canterbury Tales reflects the volatile economic conditions of the time as gentry, upper bourgeoisie, lower bourgeoisie, and agents of the Church battle one another for advantage. This chapter examines the prologue and tale of one pilgrim from each class, namely the Franklin, the Merchant, the Shipman, and the Pardoner in order to see their respective outlooks on money. The final chapter examines the York Cycle because money not only stimulated the growth and popularity of the genre, but also provided vocabulary and themes for the dramatists. The York Cycle is the culmination of six centuries of angst over emerging commercialism, and because of its inescapable association with commerce and presentation of biblical events, it presents a clear account of how one should view and use money. |
