The Sinful Knights: A Study of Middle English Penitential Romance Book

This is the first detailed study of four Middle English Romance poems—Guy of Warwick, Sir Ysumbras, Sir Gowther, and Robert of Cisyle—all of which are concerned with the sin, repentance, and atonement of their heroes. Hopkins argues that the kind of penance experienced by the heroes reflects archaic traditions and views at variance with the contemporary teaching and practice of the Church. The book explores whether or not the authors consciously exploited the literary conventions of romance to teach their moral lessons and examines the nature of romance itself. Providing a detailed examination of the penitential romance, this work illuminates such frequently studied texts as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.