Browse Items (16472 total)

Gauges Chaucer's "view and use of love," concentrating on BD, TC, and KnT as his only narratives that take courtly love seriously, both as a theme and a plot device. Even in these cases, courtly love is presented pejoratively--both foolish and…

Treats parody as a technique that expresses the inadequacies of a given topic but also evokes its ideals, exemplifying how Chaucer achieves this dual perspective in BD, PF, TC, and Part 1 of CT.

Explicates the "Gerveys scene" of MilT, focusing in particular on the meaning of "viritoot," the implications of "seinte Note," the demonic and infernal associations of blacksmithing, and Absolon's transformation of character from lover to wrathful.

Considers CT among other medieval pilgrimage narratives, distinguishing them from other journey narratives and emphasizing what makes CT unusual: "concretization, fragmentation, and emphasis on the human." Comments on pilgrimage as the "dynamic…

Explores the generally negative connotations and nuances of the lexicon, details, and imagery of the Monk's description in GP, providing context from medieval literature and exegetical commentary to argue that the Monk is "corrupt, gluttonous,…

Describes the advantages of close reading of Chaucer's lyrics and shorter poems, examining ABC and Ros in detail for their riches of prosody, tone, structure, and meaning, with attention to narrative voice.

Surveys the "editions and translations of Chaucer currently in print" (in 1965) and designed for college courses, commenting on their strengths and weaknesses.

Investigates the dramatic ironies of PardPT (comparing them with those of WBPT), arguing that the Pardoner does not reveal "more than he intends, but rather the converse": that none of the pilgrims "is able to see the full meaning of what he says"…

Explores associative and metaphoric links between Chaucer's Miller (GP and MilP), the devil, and Pilate, who was "traditionally an agent of the devil."

Identifies associations of the name "Huberd" (Hubert) with the Man in the Moon, the magpie, Cain, and theft, arguing that Chaucer's use of it for his Friar (GP 1.269) reveals the character's "inherently evil nature" and the "incongruity" of Chaucer's…

Includes brief comments (pp. 168-69) on Chaucer's use of the number 29 in GP and ParsP, and, in BD, on the use of 8 (Octovyen) and references to Argus (the "Arab mathematician Al-Kwārizm") and number symbolism.

Questions whether Troilus has gained wisdom by the end of TC and explores what is evident as true wisdom in PF. Although Troilus's laughter indicates his contempt for the world, the hero does not realize fully the hierarchical nature of love that is…

A non-Augustinian, antifeminist English tradition of the devil's mousetrap interprets it as a symbol for temptation and entrapment of the soul. The Prioress's distress in GP 143-45 therefore need not signify her sinfulness, as argued by Stephen…

Electronic "hypertext" versions of medieval texts often depend on the mediation of an expert reader. As an alternative, Remley outlines a system for producing electronic "reading texts" by prelemmatization, taking his electronic edition of CT as a…

An electronic text of "Canterbury Tales" can give explicit attention to important philological issues--e.g., metrics, Middle English dialects, pronunciation, etymologies--so that class time can be devoted to the literary, historical, social, and…

Remley describes the Devonshire manuscript (British Library Additional 17492) and assesses the role and purposes of Shelton's writing it-e.g., protesting the incarceration of Margaret Douglas and Thomas Howard, reflecting Tudor practices of "making"…

Considers Chaucer's rendition of Lucrece (in LGW) as part of a series of narratives that transform Lucrece's story into a text that "reveal[s] an evolving patriarchal ideology."

Twenty-five essays by various authors on topics that pertain to translation in the Middle Ages and the translation of medieval literature; the volume includes an index that lists many references to Chaucer. For two essays that pertain to Chaucer,…

Uses the Middle English translation of Lanfranc of Milan's "Chirurgia magna" ("The Science of Cirurgie") to help explore the compromise between authority and experience in TC, where Pandarus injects the language of experience into his uses of medical…

Clarifies the biography of Oton de Grandson (here "Othon"), particularly his role as "one of the leading knight-poets of his time," exploring how his status inflected his influence on other writers, including Chaucer. Chaucer's lower social status…

Discloses how compilations of devotional literature such as "Disce mori" can help us to recognize a "female textual subjectivity," exploring the work's makeup as compilation, and commenting on how "references [in it] to passages and characters from…

The red hose of the Wife of Bath may be her method of preventing venereal disease. According to the "doctrine of signatures," a fancied resemblance of a color to a disease could aid in remedy of prevention. Red was thought to be obnoxious to evil…

Consideration of contemporary education and conditions shows the Physician a capable and ethical "practisour" who "follows the established medical practices and standards of his time."

The Summoner's "bokeleer" of cake is a hypocritical parody of the eucharistic Host ritual. A magic object, consecrated bread was used in "bread cures"--the Summoner hopes to use his "Host-bread shield" to cure his "sawcefleem."

TC's first three images (peacock, stairs, Bayard) assume an affective function and create a context for reader response. Passages from the "Iliad," the "Aeneid," and "Chanson des quatre fils Amyon" explain the strong affective element of the allusion…