The Earliest Plan of the "Canterbury Tales."

Author / Editor
Owen, Charles A., Jr.

Title
The Earliest Plan of the "Canterbury Tales."

Published
Mediaeval Studies 21 (1959): 202-10.

Description
Corroborates and extends Carleton Brown's effort to show (in 1937) that the MLH was intended to introduce the first story in the CT, exploring evidence and counter-evidence for positing an "original opening sequence" as follows: GP, MLH, Mel, MLE, WBP 1-193, ShT (told by the Wife), and ParsP. Closes with comments on relative chronology among several of Chaucer's works and his changing depictions of women.

Chaucer Subjects
Canterbury Tales--General
Man of Law and His Tale
Tale of Melibee
Wife of Bath and Her Tale
Shipman and His Tale
Parson and His Tale