Honor As Displayed in Medieval Works

A common theme of medieval literature is the rigorously defined features of morality and virtue as set by society and the implications these definitions have on the people living in the time. This major emphasis put on society’s elevated expectations of men and women could be a direct result of the corrupt power assumed by the Catholic Church of the time. The Catholic Church’s main purpose seems to have been the gain of money and power at the expense of its followers. For example, one of the main methods of gaining revenue was the selling of indulgences, or pardons for sins. Obviously, it would be in the church’s best interest to hold high standards of morality and take a literal interpretation of the Bible in order to establish the maximum amount of acts as sins for which one would need to buy a pardon. Additionally, this literal interpretation of the Bible resulted in a very mechanical way of thought.
Another theme or aspect of medieval culture perhaps established by t...