In Pursuit of "Trewth": Ambiguity and Meaning in Amis and Amiloun

Abstract

the moment of climax in the Middle English romance Amis and Amiloun has long been a source of palpable anxiety for modern readers because it involves Amis cutting the throats of his sleeping children in order to fulfill an obligation to his sworn brother, Amiloun. What is decidedly more difficult to gauge is the extent to which medieval audiences would have been appalled or reassured by this “perfect” act of devotion. the poem clearly establishes that Amis recognizes killing his children to assist his friend is a mortal sin, and yet he elects to do so anyway:

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