Cafe Arcane

Review

Rating: 8

Part One: Knowledge
Leading authority on the Middle Ages, Professor Robert Bartlett, presents a series which examines the way we thought during Medieval times. To our forebears, the world could appear mysterious and even enchanted, with sightings of green men, dog heads, and alien beings commonplace. But as the Middle Ages grew to a close, it became a place to be mastered, even exploited.

Part Two: Sex
Professor Robert Bartlett explores the complex passions of the Middle Ages, an era in which the Church preached hatred of the flesh and condemned women as the sinful heirs of Eve. Conversely, poetry of the same period celebrated love’s heroes such as Lancelot and Guinevere, and songs regaling women as goddesses echoed across courtly walls.

Part Three: Belief
Professor Robert Bartlett investigates the popular spiritual credo of the Middle Ages, which saw mankind sharing the world with the dead, and angels and demons battling for human souls. He also explores how the Church tightened its grip on social beliefs and how thousands were dragged before religious courts and killed as a consequence

Part Four: Power
In the final programme of the series, Professor Robert Bartlett reveals the framework of the medieval class system. He explores why family status determined the rights of an individual and deconstructs the myth of the chivalrous knight. He goes on to explain the positive role the Black Death played in bringing about the change in the social order.