Envy: An Insidious Emotion in Medieval Anglo-Norman Tradition of England

OpenAlex · English

There are two main categories of emotion theories: basic emotion and componential theories. While these theories are generally focused on the contemporary world, they may provide new perspectives on medieval literature. Roman de Horn and Boeve de Haumtone are Anglo-Norman romances that tell the stories of noble, handsome, and good-looking heroes who become courageous along their journeys. Although they somehow begin their journey with bad luck, they both triumph in the end. All these seemingly spectacular characteristics of the heroes naturally evoke envy among others. Envy occurs when someone's autonomy or closely identified persons/property is threatened. In both romances, the heroes battle against false accusations made by their enviers. In this respect, the major concern of this article is to explore how the philosophical and emotional significance of envy performs in medieval tradition.