English Literature
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The Middle Ages spawned some of the best works of literature in all of history. The literature in this time period reflected many different themes for its time, from satire to epic battles. However, the reoccurring themes resonating from the literature of famous authors of the Middle Ages seem to reflect the Church and the code of chivalry. While the Church and chivalry are seen as orderly and good, the writings during this period illustrate the weaknesses that plague these two. The stories of "Canterbury Tales", "Beowulf", and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, have themes that emphasize either on the church or a noble code of conduct and ultimately depicts the corruption or greed in these two things that are supposed to be good and holy.
Like the Middle Ages, the Renaissance generated some great works of literature in history. While many great works were produced during this age, one cannot deny that William Shakespeare was probably the most profound and well-known writer during this time. Shakespeare's works varied in genre consisting of comedy, romance, and tragedy. More specifically, a couple of Shakespeare's better-known works focused on the sense of blindness and deception. Similar to the themes of corruption and greed from the Middle Ages, Shakespeare's plays "King Lear" and "Twelfth Night" focused primarily on how blindness and deception are used to cause transformations in oneself or to get what one desires...