Abstract
The paper focuses on how the 15th-century Scottish writer Robert Henryson deals with and punishes a female character’s betrayal in The Testament of Cresseid. For centuries, scores of male authors have described the heroine Cresseid by applying the social and religious significance of the time. More than anyone else, Henryson uniquely commences The Testament of Cresseid by summoning Cresseid from the narrative after her betraying Troilus and being cursed with leprosy because of the blasphemy of gods. Some critics still argue that Henryson lays the groundwork for Cresseid’s salvation. In contrast with this, Henryson punishes Cresseid for her betrayal. With leprosy, her beautiful appearance disappears, which makes her suffer from social isolation. She is brutally chastised and dies alone. In The Testament of Cresseid, showing the death of a beautiful but faithless heroine, Henryson attempts to enlighten medieval readers and give moral lessons and religious admonitions by using it as warnings.
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