Geoffrey Chaucer : the literary use of the dream vision

Abstract

This dissertation will attempt to look at how Geoffrey Chaucer makes use of the medieval convention of the dream vision in three of his major poems, The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame, and The Parliament of Fowls. To begin with, I intend to explore certain aspects of medieval dream poetry to provide some information on key aspects of this genre. Furthermore, I will provide some context to the Middle Ages in relation to this type of literature as well as the view on love, since dream-visions usually discussed the topic of love. Following this introductory chapter, I intend to explore the dream visions. Various aspects of the poems will be discussed including the influence of other sources such as the French love-vision Le Roman de la Rose, the discussion of theories of dreams most importantly Macrobius‟ commentary on the Somnium Scipionis, the allegorical aspect including the use of mythological deities such as Nature and Fame, the occasion the poem was written for, since all three poems are said to be poems of occasion, and the connection of these dream poems with love. Finally, at the end of the dissertation, there will be a brief discussion of the major points mentioned in the previous chapters, discussing once again why Chaucer uses the dream-vision.