Chaucer and the Tradition of Fame: Symbolism in The House of Fame

The author’s aim is to “restore to the reading of the poem a background of medieval meanings familiar enough to Chaucer’s contemporary reader but almost lost to the modem.” Mr. Koonce believes that fame was a clearly defined Christian concept in the Middle Ages, and his interpretation of Chaucer’s allegory proceeds from that central focus.

Originally published in 1966.

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