Genre in Lydgate's "The Churl and the Bird"

Abstract

The Churl and the Bird is definitely not John Lydgate’s best known text. While the text is not well-known, it remains an intricate piece of writing, especially since it has not been researched extensively. Its genre has not been researched yet, but genre in itself is a difficult subject in the Middle Ages. This thesis will focus on genre in The Churl and the Bird, analysing the text to see if it can be classified as a beast fable, fabliau, or exemplum, or if it fits neither of these genres. Several works from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales will be analysed as well in order to establish the characteristics of those genres.