Cato, Christ, and Piers: the Disticha Catonis and Christian literacy in Piers Plowman
Date
2015-08-18
Authors
Baer, Patricia Ann
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Abstract
Langland's use of moral distichs from the medieval text known as the Disticha
Catonis has been noted but never critically examined as a whole. The figure of 'Cato' and
the distichs attributed to him stand out in Piers Plowman. I will begin by placing both
Piers and the Disticha in their medieval literary context. Questions of audience and
literacy have always been central to Piers, and I will look at the way in which Langland's
use of Latin quotations from the Disticha relates to these issues. I will also examine the
role of ' Cato' and the distichs in Piers in order to dispell the prevailing critical view that
'Cato' represented a pagan authority. The medieval Christian commentaries which
accompanied the Disticha illuminate Piers as well. Critics have often wondered why
Langland choose to write in a mixture of languages. 'Cato' and the Disticha are part of the answer.
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Keywords
Langland, William, 1330?-1400?, Catonis disticha, Piers Plowman