University of California Press Chaucerian Play: Comedy and Control in the Canterbury Tales

In Chaucerian Play: Comedy and Control in the Canterbury Tales, the author examines the intricate relationship between laughter, fiction, and the human condition in Chaucer’s work. Drawing on Baudelaire’s assertion that humor reflects humanity’s fallibility and serves as a coping mechanism for imperfection, the book explores how Chaucer’s humor operates as both a tool for navigating life's uncertainties and a form of artistic expression. Despite medieval religious skepticism toward humor and storytelling―seen as distractions or falsehoods―Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales embraces comedy and laughter, inviting readers to question their ethical and social implications. By employing theories from thinkers like Freud and Huizinga, the study demonstrates how Chaucer’s humor and fictional play address existential fears, transform chaos into order, and provide a framework for cultural reflection. The stories in the Canterbury Tales, particularly those blending comedy and moral complexity like the Pardoner’s Tale and the Miller’s Tale, encourage audiences to engage actively with the text, uncovering deeper insights beneath the laughter. The study situates Chaucer’s storytelling within the broader human need for art and fiction as a form of solace during periods of crisis, such as the Black Death. Chaucer’s playful narratives serve not only to entertain but to help audiences process societal anxieties, offering an ordered space where chaos can be imaginatively controlled. The Canterbury Tales creates a dynamic literary "game," where each tale interacts with others, provoking laughter while addressing serious moral and philosophical questions. This duality reflects the enduring power of storytelling to comfort and transform. By framing laughter as a denial of reality and a means of reasserting control, Chaucerian Play positions Chaucer’s work as a profound exploration of the human need for meaning and connection, highlighting the universal role of humor and fiction in confronting the complexities of life. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1988.