Classical and Medieval Influences on Chaucer’s Fabliau Comedy

Description

In this study, Chaucer's fabliaux are situated within the comedic tradition he inherited. A wide net is cast purposely in order to fully account for the manifold influences which contributed to Chaucer's version of the genre. In this investigation, an inclusive review of critical reactions to Chaucer's fabliaux is undertaken, along with a detailed survey of historical attitudes toward comedy, beginning with the Classical and Medieval theories antedating the Canterbury Tales. In addition, the effect of Classical and Medieval Latin literature on Chaucer's poetry is assessed because they are vital influences which have been neglected by scholars who most often over-emphasize the effect of the Old French fabliaux and under-estimate other equally important influences on Chaucer's works. Of paramount interest to this analysis are the writings of Ovid and Plautus, along with the subsequent Latin Elegiac comedies of the Middle Ages. An effort is made to establish the depth of Chaucer's knowledge of these works, and their availability in Anglo-Latin manuscripts of the late fourteenth century. Finally, the comic analysis is extended to include works not usually considered within the scope of the fabliau such as the Manciple's Tale, the Wife of Bath's Prologue, and Troilus and Criseyde, as well as a look at a fifteenth century Chaucerian imitation, the Prologue to the Tale of Beryn.