Wisdom and Chivalry Chaucer's Knight's Tale and Medieval Political Theory

Rigby, Emeritus Professor Of Medieval Social and Economic History Stephen

ISBN 10: 9004176241 / ISBN 13: 9789004176249

Published by Brill, 2009

About this Item

Text clean and tight; no dust jacket; Medieval And Renaissance Authors And Texts; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 332 pages.

Seller Inventory # 204347

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Wisdom and Chivalry Chaucer's Knight's Tale and Medieval Political Theory
• Publisher: Brill
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9004176241
• ISBN 13: 9789004176249
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good+
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket As Issued

About this title

Synopsis

The Knight's Tale is one of the most controversial of all the Canterbury Tales. Does Chaucer portray Theseus, the duke of Athens whose actions dominate the tale, as an ideal ruler, one who is noble, wise and chivalrous, or does the duke's behaviour reveal him to be immoral, self-seeking and tyrannical? This book (now in a corrected second printing) assesses the duke's conduct and thought in terms of the ideals set out in medieval mirrors for princes, particularly in Giles of Rome's De Regimine Principum. It argues that, when judged by the standards of these works, Theseus can be seen as a model prince in terms of his self-government ('ethics'), his rule of his household ('economics'), his governance of his realm ('politics) and his cosmography and philosophy.

About the Author

Stephen H. Rigby, Ph.D. (1983) in History, University of London, is Emeritus Professor of Medieval Social and Economic History. He has published extensively on medieval history and literature and on social theory including English Society in the Later Middle Ages and Chaucer in Context.