Boccaccio, Chaucer and the International Popular Tale

Author / Editor
Utley, Francis Lee.

Title
Boccaccio, Chaucer and the International Popular Tale

Published
Western Folklore 33 (1974): 181-201.

Description
Comments on the roles and methods of folklore study in literary criticism, arguing that international folktales are as important as elite narratives for understanding and appreciating medieval literature. Discusses plots shared by Boccaccio and Chaucer (RvT, ClT, MerT, FranT, ShT) and assesses relations between FrT and an analogous Irish folktale. Also discusses the Proem to Book 4 of the "Decameron" and its analogues.

Chaucer Subjects
Sources, Analogues, and LIterary Relations
Friar and His Tale
Reeve and His Tale
Clerk and His Tale
Merchant and His Tale
Franklin and His Tale
Shipman and His Tale