Browse Items (16470 total)

Characterizes the narrator of BD as a comic "would-be courtier" who takes pains to "appear courtly and noble and in love." The narrator is also likeable and much in awe of the Black Knight, functioning as a device whereby Chaucer censures excessive…

Argues that the Wife of Bath is a "psychologically complex character" and that WBPT reveal that she desires, not mastery per se, but "'that thing which she does not have'" (italics in original), signaling a discrepancy between what she "thinks she…

Contrary to received opinion, the Wife of Bath argues implicitly for equality in marriage; she and the loathly lady in her tale gain dominance only to relinquish it. On the other hand, the Clerk, Merchant, and Franklin present views of women which…

Small debates turn on method, large debates on content--goals and purposes. Chaucer's BD and the Old English "Solomon and Saturn" are comparable big debates. In BD the Dreamer is converted, not refuted, when he recognizes the "routhe" the Knight…

Among the hitherto unrevealed examples of subtle bawdy humor in Chaucer's poetry are many in KnT. These provide suggestive commentary on the Knight's character. The Miller's values probably come closer to Chaucer's own sentiments than do those…

In PardT details from poison lore add to the sophistication with which Chaucer develops the central paradox of the tale: the Pardoner as a channel of grace despite his evil character.

Explores the use of "unsad," "untrewe," and "undiscreet" in ClT, relating these words to their stems--"sad," "trewe," and "discreet"--and to Chaucer's characterization of Griselda.

The courtly love interpretations of TC are not plausible; TC offers a burlesque of courtly love. In support of the exegetical promotion of "caritas," serious flaws in Troilus's character are revealed in animal imagery.

Orthodox notions of royal prudence and magnificence underlie the idealized figure of Theseus in KnT. Theseus embodies the traits that Richard II was accused of lacking.

Advocates "a book historical approach to digitized texts," seeking "to promote a codicology of the 'digital' medieval book," exposing various problems and inconsistencies in the uses of metadata in digital medieval studies. Refers to Adam and to TC…

Describes two projects that use digital research tools: one using Lexomics to compare passages in "Beowulf" and "Blickling Homily XVII" and another using Lexomics and Voyant to 1) examine verbal clusters in GP to "see if Chaucer wrote differently"…

Identifies parallels between TC and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," treating plot, theme, and characterization, and regarding the two works as tragedies of false gentilesse or gentility.

Explores how "blame" links politics and literature in late medieval England, arguing that CT (especially MilP and Ret) "democratizes narrative authority and erodes authorial intention by redistributing doubt and confidence through blame," thereby…

Keen surveys a range of late medieval attitudes toward chivalry, knighthood, and warfare, especially a "streak of puritanism" that criticized the vainglory of chivalry. He considers a range of texts, including Chaucer's ParsT and the GP description…

Explores ways that John Dryden's notions of congeniality and the value of the vernacular in his commentary on Chaucer help to clarify Gloria Naylor's adaptations of Dante's "Inferno" in "Linden Hills" and of CT in "Bailey's Café, "identifying in the…

The syntactical and lexical innovations in Bo suggest that Chaucer followed Jean de Meun's principles of "open translation" for rendering Latin into the vernacular; similar principles were articulated in the Prologue to the later version of the…

Explores representations of the mother-in-law as a figure of Jewry and the synagogue in Western literary tradition. Although MLT overtly poses the Orient as the malevolent Other through the Sultaness, it also suggests in veiled ways that Jews…

Surveys the cultural impact of "Omnis utriusque sexus," and shows how Chaucer, Gower, and Hoccleve used "confessional discourse" to help construct subjectivities in their works. Comments on ParsT as the "best known confessional manual in Middle…

Item not seen. WorldCat records indicate that this vocal–piano score, composed by Bennett for Percy E. Fletcher, was edited by Janet Schlein Somers and Paul Mack Somers. Sets MercB to music in three parts: "Captivity," "Rejection," and "Escape,"…

Builds on Homi K. Bhabha's definition of hybridity and studies the pilgrims as "the hybrids and/or mimics of medieval borderline society." Contextualizes these hybrid identities within economic and social changes, and concentrates on the Knight in…

Debunks tendencies in Chaucer criticism to read "too much into the text," identifying and exemplifying the "realistic fallacy," the "anachronistic fallacy," the "schematic fallacy," the "ideological fallacy," the "didactic fallacy," the "allegorical…

Chaucer and Shakespeare use different narrative techniques to lend ambiguity to the characterization of Criseyde/Cressida, but each uses ambiguity to create sympathy for his character.

Deals with Chaucer's technical knowledge, ambivalence toward astrology and magic, and literary uses. Studies ambiguities, confusion, complexities, and conflicting attitudes of the Franklin toward astrology, astronomy, and magic.

Essay not seen; reported in MLA International Bibliography.

Narrative autobiography of the author's fascination with Chaucer, recounting the writing and publishing of three books on allegory in CT. Includes Cullen's thoughts about the reception of Chaucer among academic and popular audiences.