ABSTRACT
In the later twentieth century, Old English scholarship has moved away from its previous bias towards the study of the language. The last two decades have witnessed the publication of a large number of literary histories, many of which challenge the idea that Old and Middle English literature are incomparable. While the view of Old English scholarship as the last bastion of “traditional” criticism unsullied by modern literary theories still prevails in many quarters, recent interest in subjects such as the history of women has had its impact on this area of learning as on many others.
