The Authority of Elde in The Parlement of the Thre Ages.

The poet of P3A presents Elde as an intentionally flawed figure, guilty of numerous factual errors regarding the Nine Worthies, and utterly without repentance for his attitudes or earlier activities, i.e., the consequences of obsessive behavior and moralistic self-absorption as figured in Youth and Middle Elde. The dreamer most resembles Youth; his dream predicts the possible consequences of his behavior. But the dreamer need not become like Elde, and his last words call to Mary to save him and the audience which identifies with him.