Leprosy as a Salutary Penance: a Re-Reading of The Testament of Cresseid

Robert Henryson’s Testament of Cresseid is a much-debated poem, with many scholars questioning the poet’s choice to afflict the proud Cresseid with leprosy as a consequence of her blaspheming against the gods. Some scholars regard Cresseid’s punishment as out of proportion compared to the sin she committed. While some critics see her affliction as too harsh for the offence, looking more closely at how leprosy was understood in medieval devotional texts may reveal a more complex and meaningful interpretation. Rather than functioning purely as punishment, the disease may have a salutary purpose, giving Cresseid the possibility of spiritual renewal and redemption. The present study is an attempt to find a new way of reading the poem and, therefore, a new way of understanding Cresseid’s story. To that end, I will analyse a range of French and English medieval sermons and devotional texts in which leprosy and other afflictions play a central theological and moral role. The dissertation will be divided into three chapters. The first chapter will first present the legal and religious context of fifteenth century Scotland. It will focus on Robert Henryson and his works, with particular attention to his Testament of Cresseid. This chapter will also consider the influence of Boethius and Saint Augustine, whose writings significantly shaped Henryson’s texts. The second chapter will examine the representation of leprosy in biblical texts, medieval French and English sermons, and devotional writings, providing insight into the cultural and spiritual meanings attached to the disease in the Middle Ages. The final chapter will offer a re-reading of The Testament of Cresseid in light of these religious and cultural contexts, arguing that, when interpreted through a Christian lens, Cresseid’s fate can be understood not as condemnation, but as a redemptive journey.