PRISON LITERATURE IN PERSPECTIVE: A STUDY OF THE CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY AS A PRISON NARRATIVE

Abstract

Among all the works of literature produced in different prisons of the world across the human history, The Consolation of Philosophy (ca.524) holds a prominent position. Boethius was not the first person in human history to have been incarcerated for his beliefs and work, The Consolation of Philosophy, belongs to an extremely rich tradition of writing, now called Prison Literature. Boethius was a learned man who had profound knowledge of Christian traditions and was also well-versed in Classic literature; however, he found himself in the dark chambers of prison awaiting the king’s order for his execution regardless of the status and position he had before. While he was in the prison, he did not lose his nerves. Lady Philosophy visited him as a source of hope as he went on meditating and reflecting on life and its different shades. Prison actually became the place where he could think about some of the most important questions that human beings have ever asked about the nature of good and evil, providence and free will and time and eternity; thus, the prison becomes a place where Boethius is physically in chains but he enjoys the liberty and freedom through his unquenchable imagination. The present paper is an attempt to read The Consolation of Philosophy as a piece of prison literature. An attempt shall be made to look into the mind of the author for understanding the depths that his work attains in an otherwise highly restraining and controlling atmosphere.