Seventeenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Geoffrey Chaucer is representative of the literary culture of fourteenth-century Western Europe. Like many of his contemporaries, Chaucer drew upon a variety of sources from multiple linguistic traditions to compose the “Canterbury Tales” as well as his other works. Modern scholars have long recognized the international nature of Chaucer’s work; however, they have focused primarily on the influence of French and Italian sources. In my study, I discuss an often-overlooked influence on Chaucer’s work: medieval Iberia. Although not as immediately obvious as the French or Italian influences, medieval Iberian writers and culture influenced Chaucer in significant ways and provided the direct source material for some of his most famous works. In order to explore this theme, I first discuss how Chaucer may have been exposed to Iberian writers, which includes the presence of Castilian figures at court the John of Gaunt as well as the time that Chaucer himself spent in the Iberian Peninsula. Next, I explore the various ways that Iberian writers influenced Chaucer’s work, focusing on the “Canterbury Tales” in particular. Finally, I analyze the way that Chaucer adapted his source material for an English audience.