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The idea of the Orient is a major motif in Chaucer and medieval romance, and this new study reveals much about its use and significance, setting the literature in its historical context and thereby offering fresh new readings of a number of texts. The author begins by looking at Chaucer's and Gower's treatment of the legend of Constance, as told by the Man of Law, demonstrating that Chaucer's addition of a pattern of mercantile details highlights the commercial context of the eastern Mediterranean in which the heroine is placed; she goes on to show how Chaucer's portraits of Cleopatra and Dido from the 'Legend of Good Women', read against parallel texts, especially in Boccaccio, reveal them to be loci of medieval orientalism. She then examines Chaucer's inventive handling of details taken from Eastern sources and analogues in the 'Squire's Tale', showing how he shapes them into the western form of interlace. The author concludes by looking at two romances, 'Floris and Blauncheflur' and 'Le Bone Florence of Rome'; she argues that elements in Floris of sibling incest are legitimised into a quest for the beloved, and demonstrates that Le Bone Florence be related to analogous oriental tales about heroic women who remain steadfast in virtue against persecution and adversity. Professor CAROL F. HEFFERNAN teaches in the Department of English, Rutgers University.

Midden-Oosten -- In de literatuur --- Midden-Oosten in de literatuur --- Middle East -- In literature --- Middle East in literature --- Moyen-Orient -- Dans la littérature --- Moyen-Orient dans la littérature --- Orient dans la littérature --- Orient in literature --- Orientalism in literature --- Orientalisme dans la littérature --- Oriënt in de literatuur --- Oriëntalisme in de literatuur --- English literature --- Literature. --- Littérature anglaise --- Mittelenglisch. --- Moyen-Orient dans la littérature. --- Orient dans la littérature. --- Orient --- Orientalism in literature. --- Orientalisme dans la littérature. --- Oriëntalisme. --- Roman courtois --- Romancen. --- Romances --- Romances. --- Versroman. --- Asian influences. --- Influence asiatique. --- Histoire et critique. --- History and criticism. --- Chaucer, Geoffrey, --- Chaucer, Geoffrey. --- Knowledge --- Orient. --- Et l'Orient. --- Asia --- Middle East --- Middle East. --- Orient . --- In literature. --- Chaucer, Geoffrey --- Asian influences --- History and criticism --- Chivalric romances --- Chivalry --- Courtly romances --- French romances --- Medieval romances --- Romances, French --- Romans courtois --- French literature --- Literature, Medieval --- Oriental influences --- Chaucer, Jeffrey, --- Chʻiao-sou, Chieh-fu-lei, --- Chieh-fu-lei Chʻiao-sou, --- Choser, Dzheffri, --- Choser, Zheoffreĭ, --- Cosvr, Jvoffrvi, --- Tishūsar, Zhiyūfrī, --- Asia, South West --- Asia, Southwest --- Asia, West --- Asia, Western --- East (Middle East) --- Eastern Mediterranean --- Fertile Crescent --- Levant --- Mediterranean Region, Eastern --- Mideast --- Near East --- Northern Tier (Middle East) --- South West Asia --- Southwest Asia --- West Asia --- Western Asia --- Chaucer. --- Cleopatra. --- Commercial Context. --- Dido. --- Eastern Mediterranean. --- Heroic Women. --- Interlace. --- Medieval Romance. --- Persecution. --- Sibling Incest. --- Virtue.