John Capgrave, St Katherine

Karen Winstead (Ohio State University)

Ed. by Rory Critten, Université de Lausanne
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1463

Places

England (Country of Origin; Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

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Recommended Reading

John Capgrave’s

Life of Saint Katherine of Alexandria

is the longest and most complex medieval narrative about one of medieval Europe’s most popular saints. In over eight thousand lines of Middle English verse, Capgrave provides an elaborate account of Katherine’s ancestry, upbringing, education, mystical marriage to Christ, and martyrdom. Katherine’s story is told through the eyes of a garrulous and fallible narrator and exhibits a psychological and moral complexity unusual in saints’ lives. The issues it addresses range from the proper roles of women to the qualities of a good ruler to the importance of education.

Legends of Saint Katherine

Legends of Saint Katherine

Katherine of Alexandria is one of many legendary saints whose stories were first narrated centuries after they

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2448 words

Citation: Winstead, Karen. "St Katherine". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 January 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=39419, accessed 26 April 2024.]

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