Late-Medieval Prison Writing and the Politics of Autobiography

Boethius was the first of a small group of medieval writers who wrote their finest pieces while imprisoned. Although, as Summers makes clear, medieval imprisonment varied considerably as did the experiences of those considered here, the authors' condition and isolation inevitably affected the text, adding an autobiographical element. This study focuses on six prisoners and their texts: Thomas Usk and The Testament of Love ; James I of Scotland and The Kingis Quair ; Charles d'Orléans and his English Book of Love ; the Testimony of William Thorpe; the Trial of Richard Wyche ; Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur . The study considers the influence of 'the Boethian figure' on later imprisoned authors, arguing that it was Boethius who inspired these writers to make 'the connection between literary self-expression and imprisonment'. Summers also examines the reasons behind each author's 'artful self-depiction', his intended audience and his motivations.