Conclusion

In sum, medieval literature is filled with cases of violent behaviour, not only within a military setting, but also often in domestic and private contexts. Poets regularly engaged with this topic and treated it from different perspec­tives.

Just as the topic of love and death emerged in medieval literature, so too does the theme of violence appear. As the examples reveal, medieval poets and their audiences were obviously deeply concerned with this issue and debated its causes, consequences and etiology in a highly complex manner. Violence was ubiquitous, and yet the many different literary voices undoubt­edly signalled how perpetrations and transgressions were viewed highly critically. Violence is not simply violence; much depends on the circum­stances, the motivations, the intention, and the general framework within which it is committed. In other words, just as today, medieval poets reflected the great need to think about violence, to evaluate its etiology, and contain or remove it by legal means, by better communication, and by laws, of course. Nevertheless, personal violence is often actually described as necessary, logical and unavoidable in order to protect one’s honour or the well-being of a kingdom, or to punish evil-doers. But in every case discussed here we notice how much violence is described as caused by emotions, passion and lack of self-control.