Browse Items (16471 total)

Reinforces suggestions that the Black Knight's age at BD 455 should be emended to "nine and twenty yer" to coincide with the age of John of Gaunt at Blanche's death, justifiable because of evidence that twenty-nine years was considered to be young in…

Suggests that the insertion of "prolaciouns" in Bo 2.pr.1 was intended as a technical clarification of the preceding "moedes," potentially misleading to English readers who could read it as either "mood" or "mode." The insertion may evince the…

Considers the two "observances" of May ritual in KnT (Emelye's at 1.1041-45 and Arcite's at 1491-1512), neither found in Boccaccio's "Teseide," identifying various French analogues that may have inspired Chaucer, while noting that he may also have…

Proposes that the facade of the thirteenth-century "Maison des Musiciens" in Reims may have inspired Chaucer's description of the exterior of Fame's palace in HF 1189-1266, hypothesizing how and when Chaucer may have seen the historical building.

Disagrees with R. L. Chapman's argument (1956) that the Shipman was the original teller of ShT, offering further evidence that Chaucer first assigned the narrative to the Wife of Bath.

Offers evidence that Troilus is "extremely young" in TC, comparing details from Boccaccio's "Filostrato" and other analogues.

Accepts that the manuscript of Equat is Chaucer's own draft, with revisions, and suggests that evidence from TC indicates that "Chaucer did not wait till he had finished his work to have parts of it copied out fair by his scribe."

Reviews arguments that identify and explicate "Seinte Loy" in the GP description of the Prioress (GP 1.120) as a reference to St. Eligius, and suggests an alternative possibility: St. Eulalia. Explores resonances of the reference--thematic and…

Shows that evidence from a twelfth-century bestiary may indicate that the comparison of Alison to a swallow in MilT 1.3257-58 ironically anticipates later events of the plot--her "departure" from John and his fall from the roof beam.

Transcribes (with modern punctuation, capitalization, and commentary) a 26-line compilation of proverbial misogynistic sentiment from London, British Library MS Harley 7333, fol. 121v-122r, attributed there to "Impingham," identified by Manly and…

Compares Chaucer's version of Hermengyld's miracle in MLT 2.554-74 with analogous passages in Trevet's and Gower's versions of the Constance story, suggesting that one stanza is missing from Chaucer's account, perhaps due to scribal error.

Suggests that several details of the Wife of Bath's chiding of her elder husbands (WBP 3.257-62) derive, ultimately, from Isidore of Saville's "Etymologiarum."

Traces backgrounds to the coral beads held by the Prioress (GP 1.158-59), both as an amulet against evil and a charm for earthly love, also found in John Donne's "Sonnet. The Token," lines 10-12.

Identifies biblical and patristic resonances in GP 1.634, suggesting that they help to "deepen an already ugly picture of spiritual as well as physical deformity."

Explicates the "striking instance of Chaucer's use of word-play and Scriptural allusion" in TC 4.1585 to "enrich his presentation of the lovers' predicament" and emphasize differences between earthly and divine happiness.

Observes in MerT several commonplaces of the "aube" in the description of January and May's wedding-night, suggesting that they help "to point up the bitterly comic incongruities in January's marriage," and echo details of RvT and TC.

Suggests that the miller's name in RvT, Simkin, puns on Latin "simus," meaning "snub-nosed," offering classical examples of similar wordplay and identifying characters with similar names in classical comedy.

Suggests that "Philosophre" at ParsT 10.536 refers to Seneca and his "De Ira."

Considering grammar, context, and manuscript evidence, argues that "hors" is singular in the GP description of the Knight (GP 1.74).

Challenges L. G. Evans' suggestion that TC 4.1585 alludes to Matthew 10.39 (MLN, vol. 74), Baugh arguing that the phrasing is the same as in a common proverb, and Donaldson that the emendation underlying Evans' suggestion ("lyf" for "lief") is…

Supports the reading of "hors" as plural in GP 1.74 on the grounds that "goode" in the same line is a plural form that "determines the number of the entire construction."

Offers surmises and suggestions about the number of GP pilgrims, professional groupings of them, and a two-stage "development" of GP--an early set of fourteen descriptions written ca. 1387-88 and a later revision, ca. 1396, that reflects plans for…

Explores the mythological tradition which "linked Jupiter with the sands of Libya" as well as "Venus' association with the wilderness of Libya," helping to clarify Chaucer's reference to the "desert of Libye" in HF and his use of Virgil's "Aeneid" as…

Argues that Chaucer's references to May third, assigned in Ovidian tradition to "the goddess Flora and her celebrations," is a day on which the "force of love is especially and powerfully felt," and therefore "a suitable day for Pandare [TC 2.56],…

Assesses the attitudes toward love and internality reflected in various accounts of the Dido and Aeneas story: Virgil's "Aeneid," Ovid's "Heroides," the "Roman d'Enéas," Chaucer's LGW, and Marlowe's "Dido Queen of Carthage." Chaucer derives his…