Wrestling for the Ram: Competition and Feedback in 'Sir Thopas' and 'The Canterbury Tales'

Author / Editor
Brinkman, Baba.

Title
Wrestling for the Ram: Competition and Feedback in 'Sir Thopas' and 'The Canterbury Tales'

Published
LATCH 3 (2010): 107-33.

Description
Considers patronage and the developing status of the poet in the role of "court maker" in late medieval England, aligning the change with the influence of Italian culture. In his response to Th, the Host represents a courtly "negative feedback loop," probably reflects Chaucer's personal experiences as a young poet, and suggests Chaucer's awareness that his poetry is innovative and subject to audience response.

Chaucer Subjects
Tale of Sir Thopas
Sources, Analogues, and Literary Relations
Chaucer's Life