Chaucerian Works in the English Renaissance: Editions and Imitations

Description: Examines the early editions of Chaucer (Caxton-Speght), and argues that editorial direction may have led to an emphasis on Chaucer's moral "gravitas," at the expense of attention to his comedic aspects. The reception of those texts, in turn, may have led to his imitators (e.g., Spenser) overbalancing on the side of sententiousness.