Chaucer's Man of Law as a Literary Critic
1953; Volume: 68; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/2908887
ISSN2326-1978
Autores Tópico(s)Translation Studies and Practices
ResumoIf Chaucer describes Man of Law seeming wiser and busier than he really is, then we also question whether his knowledge of literature is great he claims. The Man of Law is self-appointed literary critic and his tendency to error is shown by his mention of seven or eight women about whom Chaucer did write and by omission of two that he did write. Either Man of Law likes to exaggerate, or he has read only Prologue to LGW and believes to have been written (5). Similarly, Man of Law's reference to cruelty of Medea and hanging of her children shows that he is not actually familiar with Medea myth at all (6). As for disparaging remarks about Gower, Sullivan suggests that a hypothetical parallel would be if Charles Dickens referred to Jane Austen's novels being vulgar content (6). In addition, Man of Law's inclusion of extra names might be considered result of his confusing two works [the CA and LGW] similar subject matter (6-7). The remarks about incest relation to of Canace and Apollonius show the extremely broad comical effect of Chaucer's selfish humor putting into mouth of Man of Law a speech condemning Gower's choice of material, and, after a blunt relation of most obnoxious facts (which Gower had carefully avoided), an announcement that he is going to tell such stories (7). The humor lies in fact that expansive Man of Law is making a blunder accusing Chaucer's 'moral Gower' of immorality (7). Nevertheless, Chaucer's removal of complimentary reference to Chaucer from later recensions of CA may indicate that he found Chaucer's humor as being bad taste (8). [CvD]
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