The Tree (Motif)
The Tree motif in the poem represents Christendom. Soul first introduces the complex symbol in Step XV as a diagnosis of what is wrong with the current state of affairs: the tree is rotten at its roots. The First Estate (the clergy) is the root of the faith, which should rule. But sickness has sapped the roots, so the branches are barren. Later, Soul describes the Tree of Charity, which represents the ideal Christian community: “Its core is clemency, its flowers a fair visage, And its root is mercy and mildness of manner. Its leaves are loyalty and the law of the Church, And its fruit can grow thanks to good men and God.” Free Will tends the tree for Piers the plowman. He represents mankind’s freedom to cultivate our lives, unbound by fate, but guided by the Christian spirit. In a dream-within-a-dream, Piers explains how the tree is supported by three props, symbolizing the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. They have all “sprung from a single root,” meaning that while they are three, they are also all aspects of one God. Piers and Free Will use the props as weapons to defend the tree from the devil, who tries to steal its fruit. The three types of fruit on the tree represent the three feminine estates in the Middle Ages: marriage, widowhood, and virginity, and also the fallen state of mankind. The devil steals the fruit, but Piers steals it back, and then leaves it to Jesus to decide who it rightfully belongs to.
The Trinity (Motif)
The imagery of the poem contains many groupings of three, representing the Trinity in Catholicism: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; Will’s quest to find Do-well, Do-better, and Do-best; the Three Wise Men; the three days of Christ’s Passion; the faith, hope, and charity of St. Paul; the division of society into knights, laborers, and clergy (which in turn is subdivided into bishops, priests, and clerics); the Tree of Charity which bears three fruits: virginity, marriage, and widowhood; three defects that force a man to abandon his home: a nagging wife, rain, and smoke (which Sutton suggests symbolize “the flesh, sickness, and avarice”); the explanatory analogies for the Trinity of the fist, fingers, and palm of the hand, and the wax, wick, and flame of a candle.
Geography (Symbol)
The opening scene in the Prologue establishes a geographic symbolism. In his first dream-vision Will sees a field which lies between a tower on a hill to the East and a dungeon to the West. The tower is the home of Truth, or God. It sits in the East where the sun rises, as God is associated with light. The dungeon is the home of Wrong, the devil, and sits in the West where the sun sets, as Hell is associated with darkness. Just as the dungeon is situated the opposite of the castle, Wrong is the opposite of Truth. The field in between represents the earthly plane where humans live their everyday lives. The overall geography therefore represents Christian cosmology.
Will’s Clothing (Symbol)
Will’s clothing (“I set off like a sheep in a shaggy woolen smock,/ The unholy habit of a wandering hermit”) symbolizes his uncertain spiritual condition. In the New Testament, sheep represent the saved Christian. But this comparison to a hermit suggests that he may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Friars were also called hermits at the time, and distrust towards them is a constant theme in Piers Plowman. Medieval hermits were expected to renounce the world and devote themselves to contemplating God while being financially supported through alms and endowed monasteries. False friars took advantage of this position to drain resources from the community while jeopardizing its spiritual health. Will’s position at the beginning of the poem is thus suspect: What kind of wandering hermit is he? He has the appearance of a Christian, but he is not yet saved. He will have to earn his place in heaven by doing good works. Later when he pursues Do-well, Do-better, and Do-best, he learns how to lead an actively Christian life. Will’s spiritual development represents the human will which struggles and, through making the choice to do good works, ultimately achieves salvation.
The Parliament of Rats (Allegory)
The Parliament of Rats allegorical fable is likely drawn from the Good Parliament of 1376, which tried to address royal corruption. This reference helps date the text. The cat represents the worst of royal tyranny. The text argues, through a mouse, that while the Cat may be corrupt and cruel, the solution is not for the Rats to revolt. If they gained power, they would be incapable of ruling, since they are cowardly, selfish creatures. The poem points out corruption, but never advocates structural reform, instead insisting that an ideal society results from everyone playing their assigned role honestly for the common good.
Do-well, Do-better, and Do-best
Thought teaches Will that Do-well is one part of a triad that also includes Do-better and Do-best. He describes Do-well as honest labor, Do-better as compassion, and Do-best as the reprimand of sinners. What these three mean allegorically is a point of critical contention. Some theories have equated them with the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; the Illuminative, Purgative, and Unitive stages of mysticism; the Active, Contemplative, and Mixed lives; and Faith, Hope, and Charity. It’s clear that there is a relationship between the three, and that they have an order. Intelligence expands upon Thought’s definition. Do-well is self-focused, emphasizing personal obedience to God’s law. Do-better places the individual in the context of the community, and calls for love. Do-best acts on that love through good works to help others.
