Clerks and Courtiers : Chaucer, Late Middle English Literature, and the State Formation Process

Description: Tripartite study that first sketches the process of state formation in late-medieval England as a struggle between clerkly and chivalric cultures. Part II locates Chaucer's poetry within this process, assessing his reaction to chivalric culture in the portraits of the Squire and the Franklin in GP and in SqT and FranT; also assesses Chaucer's evaluation of clerkly culture in the portrait of the Clerk in GP, the opening of ClT, and MLP. To determine Chaucer's own position, Johnston analyses Th and Mel. Part III traces the reception of Chaucer's poetry by Gower, Usk, Scogan, and Hoccleve, who try to assimilate Chaucer and his poetry to their respective cultures. Includes two concluding chapters on Hoccleve and Lollardy and Reginald Pecock, and discusses illuminated Chaucer portraits.

Chaucer Subjects: Background and General Criticism.; Chaucer's Influence and Later Allusion.; General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.; Squire and His Tale.; Franklin and His Tale.; Clerk and His Tale.; Man of Law and His Tale.; Tale of Sir Thopas.; Tale of Melibee.