The Form of Romance and the Resolution of Theological Issues

Description: Considers romance as a vehicle for the resolution of philosophical and theological problems, the relation of history to romance, and the rhetorical systems of each genre. KnT, TC, and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" illustrate how Chaucer and the "Gawain"-poet utilized the formal structures, rhetorical devices, and themes of romance to address the crucial issue of free will within a providential universe.; KnT is a "twin" narrative and romance corollary of Augustine's argument against pagan fatalism. TC and "Sir Gawain" use formal structures and a persona or controlled point of view to create a perspective similar to the logic tjht Augustine used to refute Cicero's denial of free will. The poems illustrate, rather than state, that God's foreknowledge is not foreordination.