Who Composed 'Havelok' for Whom?
Robert A. Levine
Lessons learned in attempting to determine who made up the audience for medieval fabliaux have not been transferred problem of Middle English romances. Havelok particular has generated a confused and confusing discussion, partly because those speculated on tend rely questionable hypothesis that Ages aristocrats bourgeois or peasants had antithetical tastes literature. In addition, they fail consider other comparable texts thirteenth earlier centuries, particularly their representations lower classes violence. John Halverson, example, finds 'entirely essentially middleclass', while promotion Grim's sons from fishermen barons is an articulation 'a peasant fantasy class ambition resentment'.' As additional evidence he offers fact noble usurpers fall far more ignominious death than French version. The implication relationship between tolerance violence social misleading, light work done by Per Nykrog and, recently, R. Howard Bloch.2 Nykrog, fact, insists categorically clear distinctions among literary genres did exist century.3 Nevertheless, critics continue tojudge basis expressed implied difference aesthetic taste classes, as Ganim demonstrates his attempt describe classify stylized poem: Even frequent scenes poem horror what being described very often mitigated exaggerated scale enthusiastic, uncritical tone ... blood, gore, torture some these suggest naturalism, but rather naive world unlike modern cartoon western.4
Yearbook of English studies