A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture, c.1350-c.1500 challenges readers to think beyond a narrowly defined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries. * A ground-breaking collection of newly-commissioned essays on medieval literature and culture * Reflects the erosion of the traditional, rigid boundary between medieval and early modern literature * Stresses the importance of constructing contexts for reading literature * Explores the extent to which medieval literature is in dialogue with other cultural products, including the literature of other countries, manuscripts and religion * Includes close readings of frequently-studied texts, including texts by Chaucer, Langland, the Gawain poet, and Hoccleve * Confronts some of the controversies that exercise students of medieval literature, such as those connected with literary theory, love, and chivalry and war