Shock! Horror! Didacticism and Diversion in Medieval Biblical Narratives

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Special Session

Organizer Name

Christopher Monk

Organizer Affiliation

Univ. of Manchester

Presider Name

Gale R. Owen-Crocker

Presider Affiliation

Univ. of Manchester

Paper Title 1

Escaping from Dangerous Detail in the Old English Judith

Presenter 1 Name

Denis Ferhatović

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Connecticut College

Paper Title 2

The Drowned Dead and Bludgeoned Heads: The Amplification of Horror in Medieval Old Testament Manuscript Art

Presenter 2 Name

Christopher Monk

Paper Title 3

A Massacre of Innocence? Playing with Horror and Humor in Medieval and Modern Performances of the Slaughter of the Innocents

Presenter 3 Name

Daisy Black

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Univ. of Manchester

Start Date

8-5-2014 10:00 AM

Session Location

Schneider 1275

Description

The three papers in this session address the amplification of violence within medieval adaptations of biblical narratives: from the Old English poem *Judith*, through manuscript artwork depicting the Flood and the destruction of Sodom, to the Middle English play *Slaughter of the Innocents*. The speakers will explore how violence is not only used didactically but also how it is deployed to divert, amuse and provoke.

Christopher Monk