The Eighteenth-Century Chaucer and the Rewriting of English History

Abstract

Abstract:The resulting modernization of every Chaucerian tale between 1700 and 1795 is a remarkable achievement for many reasons. For one, it represents a preoccupation with medieval themes in the late-Stuart and Georgian eras, both in terms of the tedious work performed and the literary market that continuously supported it. In addition, the way these poets modernized the tales, by sticking only loosely to the source material and effectively rewriting the stories from a contemporary perspective, reveals the thoughts, fears, and prevailing attitudes that defined the eighteenth century.