The Literature of Alchemy and Chaucer's Canon's Yeoman's Tale: Framework, Theme, and Characters.

Description: Surveys late medieval "attitudes toward alchemy" in order to establish their influence on CYPT. Although Chaucer's depiction is generally orthodox in its condemnation of alchemy, it derives language and details from treatises that promote the study, especially Geber's "Sum of Perfection," Arnald of Villa Nova's "Rosarium" and his "De Secretis Nature," and the work attributed to "Senior," all cited in CYT. The Yeoman is critical of alchemy, but Chaucer's view is hard to determine, given his familiarity with these works.

Chaucer Subjects: Canon's Yeoman and His Tale
Sources, Analogues, and Literary Relations