Abstract
The opening passūs of Piers Plowman depict a disordered world in which all ranks of society neglect the pursuit of Christian truth to indulge their own desires. Matters come to a head in passus 5 of the B-text as Reason preaches a sermon that compels the Seven Deadly Sins, as well as many more ordinary sinners, to repent. After repentance, though, the crowd finds itself stymied: they intend to go on a pilgrimage to seek Truth, but no one can tell them where to go. They are rescued from their confusion by Piers Plowman who, in his first appearance in the poem, describes the road that the repentant must travel. The road to Truth Piers describes is a concatenation of sacred texts, credal statements, and Christian virtues figured in spatial terms, as the pilgrims are enjoined, for example, to steer clear of the twin pillars of ‘stele-nought’ and ‘sle-nought’ and seek a shining castle whose moat is mercy. Piers’ description culminates in a promise that grace awaits those who persevere:
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
