Reading Women in Late Medieval Europe: Anne of Bohemia and Chaucer’s Female Audience (The New Middle Ages)

Although Chaucer is typically labeled as the "Father of English Literature," evidence shows that his work appealed to Europe and specifically European women. Rereading the Canterbury Tales, Thomas argues that Chaucer imagined Anne of Bohemia, wife of famed Richard II, as an ideal reader, an aspect that came to greatly affect his writing.Geoffrey Chaucer has traditionally been seen as indebted to the great male writers of medieval Europe: Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch and Guillaume de Machaut. However, little has been written about the European woman who was Queen of England and his possible patron: Anne of Bohemia, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and wife of Richard II. Although Chaucer explicitly compliments the Queen in his work, scholars have been reluctant or unable to engage seriously with the question of her role in Chaucer's oeuvre. This book shows that Anne came from a long line of highly educated and multilingual royal women and he book rereads some of the famous stories from the Canterbury Tales alongside contemporaneous works in Czech, German, and Latin - languages with which the Queen was familiar. Alfred Thomas argues that even if she did not literally commission any of his works, Chaucer seems to have been writing for Anne as an imagined reader and this awareness shaped the way he wrote and what he chose to write. Critics Have Traditionally Emphasized Geoffrey Chaucer's Status As The Father Of English Literature But In His Own Time He Was More Interested In Becoming A Great European Writer. This Book Shows How Chaucer Looked For Inspiration Not Only To The Great European Male Writers Of His Time (boccaccio, Petrarch, Dante) But Also To A European Woman--queen Anne Of Bohemia, Wife Of Richard Ii-- As His Ideal Patron And Inspiration -- Introduction -- Devotional Texts For Royal Princesses In Late Medieval Bohemia -- Writing Jews, Writing Women: The Prioress's Tale And The Sacred Drama Of Medieval Europe -- The Lady As Saint: The Second Nun's Tale, Pearl, And The Czech Life Of Saint Catherine Of Alexandria -- Dangerous Amazons: Sexual And Textual Rivalry In The Knight's Tale And The Dalimil Chronicle -- Powerful Wives And Captive Knights: The Wife Of Bath's Tale, Sir Gawain And The Green Knight, And The Czech Chivalric Romances -- Women Defended, Women Defamed: The Legend Of Good Women, The Plowman From Bohemia, And The Little Weaver -- Conclusion. Alfred Thomas. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 225-235) And Index. Cover 1 Title 10 Copyright 11 Contents 14 Acknowledgments 15 A Note on Proper Names/Places and Translations 17 Introduction 18 1. Devotional Texts for Royal Princesses in Late-Medieval Bohemia 42 2. Writing Jews, Writing Women: Chaucer’s “The Prioress’s Tale” and the Sacred Drama of Medieval Europe 62 3. The Lady as Saint: “The Second Nun’s Tale,” Pearl , and the Czech Life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria 95 4. Dangerous Amazons: Sexual and Textual Rivalry in “The Knight’s Tale” and The Dalimil Chronicle 127 5. Powerful Wives and Captive Knights: “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , and the Czech Chivalric Romances 154 6. Women Defended, Women Defamed: The Legend of Good Women , The Plowman from Bohemia , and The Little Weaver 181 Conclusion 219 Notes 225 Bibliography 239 Index 250 Front Matter....Pages i-xvii Introduction....Pages 1-24 Devotional Texts for Royal Princessesin Late-Medieval Bohemia....Pages 25-44 Writing Jews, Writing Women: Chaucer’s “The Prioress’s Tale” and The Sacred Drama of Medieval Europe....Pages 45-77 The Lady as Saint: “The Second Nun’s Tale,” Pearl, and the Czech Life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria....Pages 79-110 Dangerous Amazons: Sexual and Textual Rivalry in “The Knight’s Tale” and The Dalimil Chronicle....Pages 111-137 Powerful Wives and Captive Knights: “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,”Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and the Czech Chivalric Romances....Pages 139-165 Women Defended, Women Defamed: The Legend of Good Women, The Plowman from Bohemia, and The Little Weaver....Pages 167-204 Conclusion....Pages 205-210 Back Matter....Pages 211-251 "Critics have traditionally emphasized Geoffrey Chaucer's status as the "Father of English Literature" but in his own time he was more interested in becoming a great European writer. This book shows how Chaucer looked for inspiration not only to the great European male writers of his time (Boccaccio, Petrarch, Dante) but also to a European woman--Queen Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II-- as his ideal patron and inspiration"-- Provided by publisher