The Birth of English Romance: The Thematic Evolution of English Literature in the Aftermath of the Norman Conquest

Abstract

This paper is a study of the origin of romance in English literature and its effect on modern society. This study begins by exploring the history of the Anglo-Saxons, including their literature. This study then moves onto the history of the Normans and the Norman Conquest. By exploring different literary works beginning with the Conquest in 1066 and ending in the fifteenth century, this study defines the romances within four sub-categories. By exploring literature from the Anglo-Saxons and the Anglo-Normans, this study explains how the Normans brought romance to English literature, displaying the theme through four sub-categories.