The Importance of Disguise in the Middle English Romances

This thesis examines the literary motif of disguise in the context of the Middle English romances. The thesis seeks to explore the various manifestations and functions of disguise, and how they relate to the familiar exile-and-return structure of the genre. Chapter I discusses the conversation of genre description of the Middle English romances, and presents the scholarship reviewed for this project along with relevant terms to the discussion at large. Chapter II explores disguise as it relates to a character’s social mobility in King Horn, Havelok the Dane, and The Tale of Gamelyn. Chapter III looks at disguise when it is used to test a character’s true self, specifically in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Amadace, and Sir Orfeo. Chapter IV investigates the disguises of women through the romance of Emaré. Finally, Chapter V offers suggestions for further exploration on the types and purposes of disguise.