The Medieval Risk-Reward Society

Focusing on the interplay of adventure and love in the European Middle Ages, this study examines how medieval poetry reflects a shift from a sacrifice-based society to one centered on risk and investment. Will Hasty employs a sociological lens and game theory to analyze works by notable poets, revealing how characters' identities and happiness hinge on the uncertainty of their desires. By drawing parallels with diverse texts from antiquity to the High Middle Ages, the book highlights the evolution of a European worldview shaped by the dynamics of risks and rewards.