This thesis is primarily concerned with the developments that have taken place in infinitival constructions in the late Old English, Middle English, and Modern English periods. It is an investigation into the status of Old English to-infinitive, the origin, nature, and distribution offor in Middle English (for)to-infinitival constructions, and the origin and reanalysis offor as a complementiser in the Modern English [for DP to VP] construction. In chapter one, we introduce some of the basic notions of the Minimalist Program outlined in Chornsky (1993,1995)). The airn of chapter two is to account for the structural status of to in the Old English toinfmitive. It is argued in this chapter that firstly (functional) C, Agr, and T are not eligible positions for to, and secondly that to occupies the lexical category P(reposition). The prepositional status of the Old English to-infinitive is supported by the fact that it occurs in coordination with ordinary PPs. Chapter three argues that the Old English to-infinitive should be treated as a single (morphological and) syntactic unit which cannot be broken up by intervening elements. We propose that to is generated with a D-feature and that the infinitival verb is a combination of two features: an Inf-feature and a D-feature. We argue that as long as V+W-to-D movement is attested, the syntactic unity cannot be broken up by elements like objects, adverbs, etc. Once the Old English case system disintegrated, the internal structure of the to-infinitive underwent a radical change such that the demise of -ne (which resulted from the weakening of to as a dative case-assigneri resulted in the demise of D, and this led to the disintegration of the syntactic unity of the to-infinitive, and the consequent appearance of for before to. In other words, when to ceased to be a preposition, for moved in and 'took over' (and perhaps became an infinitival marker as well, givingforto). In chapter four, we proceed to account for the structural status offor in Middle English to-infinitive. Three analyses that attempt to account for the status of for are examined and rebutted in favour of our analysis of for as part of the infinitival morphology. Chapter five provides morphological and syntactic evidence in favour of analysingfor and to as a compound infinitival marker. It is argued that the position of the compound infinitival marker (for)to is T(ense). This analysis correctly predicts (for)to to be present in raising and control infinitives. A number of factors which show that (for)to occupies T will be noted and discussed. The purpose of chapter six is to provide evidence for the correlation between verb movement and object shift in Middle English (for)to-infinitives. It will be argued that the infinitival verb moves overtly from VP to Inf, the functional head which hosts the infinitival feature. Some empirical evidence relating to conjoined structures and VPadverbs is discussed. The attestation of V-to-Inf movement in Middle English (for)toinfinitives is strongly supported by the presence of object shift. Our conclusion is that the non-attestation of object shift in Modern English to-infinitives can be attributed to the absence of overt V-to-Inf movement. Having established the morphological and syntactic status of the infinitival marker (forfto (chapter five) and the infinitival verb (chapter six), we proceed to investigate the origin offor in the Modem English [for DP to VPJ construction. On the basis of morphological and structural evidence, we propose that the [for DP to VP] construction is the outcome of two diachronic reanalyses (DRs), which took place at two different stages in the history of English. The first DR, which took place in the 12th century, was triggered by the loss of dative case which paved the way for the introduction of prepositions like for to realise the benefactive function. In Old English the benefactive function was typically associated with morphological dative case. Once dative case had been lost, the beriefactive. function had to be realised by prepositions likefor. Throughout the Middle English periodfor was a case-realiser and not a lexical preposition. Its main function was to realise an inherent case feature which belonged to the matrix lexical head. The second DR, which occurred in the 16th century, was triggered by the fact that the string [for DP to VP] had become structurally ambiguous for acquirers, allowing an interpretation where [for DPI is part of the matrix predicate, or alternatively an interpretation where [for DPI is the subject of the infinitival clause. In the latter interpretation for's function is to realise a Case which does not belong to any lexical head. It realises the Case property of the C-position. It will be argued that the prepositionfor was reanalysed as a complementiser as a result of the loss of infinitival clauses as complements of prepositions, and the consequent development of the C-position as a potential accusative Case licenser. The change can be regarded as a change in the status offor from a lexical case-realiser to a functional Case-realiser.

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The tradition of the "Physiologus" is an influential one, and informed medieval literature —not to mention medieval art and architecture—more than we know. The "Physiologus" was "an established source of Medieval sacred iconography and didactic poetry" and still continues to rank among the "books which have made a difference in the way we think" (Curley x). Thus, our understanding of the "Physiologus" and its subsequent tradition becomes increasingly important to the fields of medieval literature, humanities, and art. Considering the vast importance of the "Physiologus" tradition in the Middle Ages, one would expect to find that scholars have edited, translated, and studied all of the various versions of the "Physiologus". While most of the Latin bestiaries and versions of the "Physiologus" have been edited, translated, studied, and glossed, the "Middle English (ME) Physiologus"—the only surviving version of the "Physiologus" in Middle English—has neither been translated nor strictly studied as a literary text. In light of the "Physiologus" tradition's importance, it would seem that the only version of the "Physiologus" that was translated into Middle English would be quite significant to the study of medieval literature and to the study of English literature as a whole. Thus, in light of this discovery, the current edition attempts to spotlight this frequently overlooked text by providing an accurate translation of the "ME Physiologus," critical commentary, and historical background. Such efforts are put forth with the sincere hope that such a critical translation may win this significant version of the "Physiologus" its due critical and literary attention. / Master of Arts

The objective of the present study is to investigate the historical development of negative constructions in ME verse and to provide a descriptive account of it. The central issues analyzed in this thesis are: (1) the usage of the negative adverbs 'ne', 'not' and some other negative elements such as 'never', 'no', etc.; (2) the occurrence of negative contraction as illustrated by 'nam' (< ne am) and 'nolde' (< ne wolde); and (3) the development and the decline of multiple negation. The thesis has both a chronological and a geographical perspective, since it examines changes in usage which took place during the ME period and various dialectal types. The thesis also includes a discussion of pleonastic negation and the omission of negative elements (termed 'unexpressed negation'). For the purpose of these analyses, twenty manuscripts of eighteen verse texts ranging chronologically from early ME to later ME are selected from various geographical areas of England. The texts investigated are: (1) Poema Morale, (2) The Owl and the Nightingale, (3) King Horn, (4) Havelok, (5) The South English Legendary, (6) English Metrical Homilies, (7) The Middle English Genesis and Exodus, (8) The Poems of William of Shoreham, (8) Cursor Mundi, (10) Sir Ferumbras, (11) Confessio Amantis, (12) Handlyng Synne, (13) Kyng Alisaunder, (14) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, (15) The Affiterative Morte Arthure, (16) Alexander and Dindimus, (17) The Destruction of Troy, and (18) The Stanzaic Morte Arthur. Due to the paucity of suitable material for linguistic analysis at the beginning of the ME period, Poema Morale is investigated in three selected manuscripts (MS Lambeth, MS Trinity, and MS Digby), all of which are localized in different areas of England.

This thesis presents a new approach to the alterity of medieval texts in a psycho-literary analysis of the modes of consciousness informing one group of those texts, the Middle English religious lyrics. In a bilateral analysis, Part I establishes criteria for evaluating modes of ego and relates these criteria to what is known about medieval culture and mentality with examples from the lyrics; Part II examines textual evidence from these poems for indications of notions of the self and the way the self is experienced. The thesis argues that a major source of medieval alterity lies in the ready access in the Middle Ages to modes of consciousness comparable to that identified by the archetypal psychologist James Hillman as an imaginal ego. The imaging of various aspects of the self is surveyed: body-consciousness, modes of perception, and major self-awareness-enhancing experiences of life-suffering, woundedness, sickness, old age, and death. Hypnotic aspects of the lyrics are found to be particularly significant in maintaining this consciousness. (For complete abstract open document)

In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, King Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain, is presented as a troublesome figure whose vengefulness hastens the collapse of Camelot. This characterization is unsurprising in the light of traditional French depictions of Gawain, but it is distinctly at odds with a rival, Anglo-Scottish tradition that depicts him rather differently as a figure of moderation, wise counsel, and courtesy. Indeed, throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, this version of Gawain was used by a number of romance writers to explore themes of kingship, identity, and regionalism in England and Scotland. This thesis attempts to explain the complexities and contradictions of Gawain’s role in the Middle English and Middle Scots tradition. Chapter one establishes a “northern Gawain type”, drawing on thematic patterns in four northern Gawain romances: The Weddyng of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell, The Avowyng of Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle, and The Knightly Tale of Golagros and Gawain. Gawain’s popularity in the north, coupled with similarities in characterization and narrative focus, mark him as an important regional figure. This discussion continues in the second chapter, which examines The Awntyrs off Arthure, a poem specifically concerned with Arthurian kingship and imperialism. In Scotland, Gawain is used in romances to explore pertinent contemporary concerns with the recent loss of Scotland’s kings and attitudes towards English expansion. The third chapter considers Gawain’s role in two Scottish romances, particularly, The Knightly Tale of Golagros and Gawain and Lancelot of the Laik. The final two chapters examine Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. By exploring these narratives in the context of the “northern Gawain type,” these chapters offer new insights into Gawain’s literary significance for late medieval writers. This thesis offers a reconsideration of Gawain’s reputation in late medieval Middle English and Middle Scots literature. It suggests both why he was such a useful figure for the authors of the northern and Scottish romances and why Malory ultimately chose to reject their reading of him and followed instead the more critical and dismissive French tradition. The lasting legacy of Malory’s Gawain has influenced his reputation and representation in post-medieval Arthurian literature. Yet, his popularity in the north of England and Scotland during the late Middle Ages, and his symbolic significance in discussions of governance, make him a character deserving of rehabilitation in the pantheon of Arthurian knighthood.

Thesis advisor: Robert Stanton / This dissertation introduces the remix as an interpretive framework for the analysis of medieval texts and demonstrates its value as a new approach to understanding even well-studied texts. Breaking the process of remixing down into three composite processes—aggregation, compilation, and renarration—allows the reader to examine a given text as the cumulative effect of a series of actions taken by known or unknown remixers. Doing so in turn allows for new readings based on previously un- or under-explored alterations, completions, and juxtapositions present within the text or its physical or generic contexts, or embedded within its processes of textual production. This dissertation presents four case studies that show the usefulness of this approach in regard to (1) the physical and textual construction of the Junius manuscript; (2) the conventions of the ‘encomium urbis’ genre and the meaning of ‘home’ in Old English poetry; (3) King Leir narratives and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as forms of history writing; and (4) various contextualizations of Grendel, the antagonist from the poem Beowulf. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: English.

While excellent scholarly work exists on medieval space, especially in cultural geography, no book-length study of the conceptual implications of medieval vertical space exists. Attention has been lavished on the surface of the medieval world, while the heights go unseen and the depths go unplumbed. Using theories of space by scholars such as Henri Lefebvre and Jacques Le Goff, this project explores this lacuna through close reading of three late medieval English texts. The emphasis within Christian theology on a vertically-oriented model of virtue and the afterlife (ascending to Heaven, falling to Hell) was likely the initial reason for the prominence of verticality in the Middle Ages; the work of religious writers such as Bernard of Clairvaux and Walter Hilton set the stage for an explosion of the vertical imagination, as a blossoming of the incredible variety of what could be called "vertical thought." These ideas foreshadowed and accompanied similar developments in the secular arena, soon becoming an integral part of medieval life. By the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, closely interrelated--and strongly vertical--frameworks arose to structure complex concepts such as moral virtue, social class and kinship relations. The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries saw several major developments in what can be called "vertical thought." The evolution of Augustinian ideas of religion and morality led to a nuanced vertical hierarchy of virtues and vices, while the rise of the middle class helped define the explicit division of class into vertical tiers. A shift in conceptions of kinship, from a synchronous network to a diachronic tree of ancestry, affected perceptions of gender and family. Finally, the growth of parliamentary and urban political capital in late medieval England, especially in response to the reign of child-king Henry VI, led to a battle of wills between the powerful men of London and their king. These concerns with verticality were not limited to the realms of religious belief or temporal power, but manifested themselves in medieval literature and iconography as well. Highness and lowness feature in the plots, characters, and settings of many texts, and tropes of height and depth and rising and falling make frequent appearances textually and visually. Depictions of Heaven and Hell, for example, frequently make use of height and depth, and instances such as the Virgin Mary's ascension to Heaven or Lucifer's fall from Heaven to Hell involve explicitly vertical movement which parallels the perceived virtue of said figures. The Jesse tree, a genealogy of Christ, is usually illustrated as a tree emerging from a recumbent man's body, and reflects a newly vertical visualization of familial ties, while the concept of degree or scale, often represented as a ladder or stairs, is explicitly used as a framework for both moral virtue and socioeconomic status. Through discussion of three specific medieval tropes in literature and art-- the tree of Jesse in Chaucer's Merchant's Tale, the Dead Sea in Cleanness, and the giant of Lydgate's Triumphal Entry of Henry VI--this project attempts to demonstrate the importance of verticality in late medieval English literature from 1300-1500 and show how these tropes responded to and influenced changes in the way medieval, and modern, audiences perceived social class, kinship, politics, and religion.

Abstract The Breton lay, a genre claiming to enjoy popularity in Medieval England, often arouses critics?debate on its legitimacy of forming a distinct genre. By alluding to the remote literary form, the Anglo-Norman and Middle English author create their own Breton lays according to their social and historical context. Donovan asserts conclusively that the Breton lays are all concerned with the idea of