Structure Wynnere and Wastoure

I. Introduction (1-220):

• Prologue (1-30)
• The dream landscape (31-69
• The Wodewyse, King and Herald (70-120)
• The Herald's speech (121-201)
• The King's household (202-220)

II. Debate (220-455):

1. Winner (221-245) - Waster (246-262)
2. Winner (263-293) - Waster (294-323)
3. Winner (324-367) - Waster (368-391)
4. Winner (392-422) - Waster (423-455)

III.The King's Judgement (456-503)

Some topics of scholarly investigation:

• What do the allegorical characters stand for?
• Is Wynnere and Wastoure a satirical poem?
• What is the poem's historical situation?
• For which audience was the poem written?
• How are we to understand the King's  judgement?
• Why is the poem cast in the form of a dream-vision?
• How is the poem related to other texts of the 'alliterative revival'?
• What is the function of the debate form?

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