Overview
I work mainly on English literature from the 14th to 16th century, with particular interests in the literary invention of outlaw figures, such as William Wallace, Joan of Arc, and Robin Hood. In my research, I examine how the existence of these figures served as “exceptions” that unsettled the law and how their cultural significance gave rise to a number of concerns over social justice and the ethics of violence. The authors I study include Blind Harry, John Gower, Christine de Pizan, John Lydgate, William Shakespeare, as well as some other anonymous contemporaries.
Research Focus
- Late medieval and early modern literature in English, Latin and Scots
- Literature and law
- War, violence and literature
- Political theory and ethics
- National identity building and nationalism
- Post-medieval medievalism