Tara Williams
Search for other papers by Tara Williams in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Recreating and reassessing Margery and Julian’s encounter
Abstract only
Log-in for full text

Several twentieth- and twenty-first-century scripts dramatise the encounter between Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich, including J. Janda’s Julian, Dana Bagshaw’s Cell Talk, Heidi Schreck’s Creature, and the Queynte Laydies’ Marge & Jules. The re-creations develop the women’s relationship through private conversations, following the format of Margery’s Book even if they privilege Julian as a character. These modern plays point up a parallel focus on Margery and Julian’s connection in scholarly interpretations of the Book; however, a re-examination of the fifteenth-century text reveals emphases on Julian’s authority and Margery’s network rather than on a female friendship. The chapter considers their encounter in the context of Margery’s many other exchanges with religious and secular figures in public, private, and visionary spaces. The placement of their meeting within a series of visits in Norwich and the description of their ‘dalyawns’ and ‘comownyng’ (terms used to characterise multiple other encounters) locate it within the pattern of Margery’s meetings with religious figures rather than friends. She seeks out Julian for her visionary expertise and authority, as part of an ongoing project to collect approvals and develop a diverse and international network.

  • Collapse
  • Expand

All of MUP's digital content including Open Access books and journals is now available on manchesterhive.

 

Editors: and

Metrics

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 445 203 28
Full Text Views 92 55 0
PDF Downloads 86 44 0