Piers Plowman and Prophecy: An Approach to the C-Text

Originally published in 1991, Piers Plowman: An Approach to the C-Text studies what might be called the mindscape of Piers Plowman. The book argues that the C-text poem is inspired by the writings of the biblical prophets. The book outlines the fourteenth-century background and discusses the idea of prophecy and how the biblical prophets were read, as well as the role of literary models such as Wyclif and Joachim of Fiore. By examining the specific aspects of the poem, the book shows imaginative connections between the poem and the prophets, offering a unique perspective that Langland’s prophetic stance is complementary to other approaches to the poem.