The Bounds of a Male Perspective: Assessing the Strengths and Limitations of 'The House of Fame' and 'The Legend of Good Women' Amelia Coen College

It is notable that within the medieval period, attitudes towards women were notoriously polarised, particularly within Middle English literature; and thus it is no surprise that when a poet opts to focus upon women within their works, their motives are usually ambiguous. Therefore, Chaucer’s presentation of women is of particular interest to modern critics, particularly do to Women being held to a much higher moral standard than men in Chaucer’s society. It may be perceived that Chaucer demonstrates a considerable amount of sympathy to the female sex within his poems, particularly within The House of Fameand The Legend of Good Women, in which women take a central role in the themes and narratives of both poems. However, despite this overt empathy for women, the poems are not without their limitations in their presentation of the female sex, with many critics, such as Gavin Douglas attacking Chaucer for his versions of Dido’s betrayal arguing that he is too sympathetic in his portrayals of gender. This essay shall discuss the strengths and limitations of Chaucer’s presentation of women within the two poems, focussing particularly on the figures of Dido and Lucretia, and shall argue that Chaucer’s sympathetic portrayal is...