Boccaccio, Chaucer, and Stories for an Uncertain World: Agency in the Decameron and the Canterbury Tales

Boccaccio, Chaucer, and Stories for an Uncertain World explores the Decameron and the Canterbury Tales to communicate a radical uncertainty haunting human endeavors. The key to coping with this challenge is pragmatic prudence, which is rational calculation issuing in an opportunistic, often amoral choice of ingenious deeds and/or eloquent words appropriate to mastering a specific crisis and achieving the goal of agency in the here and now. This study aims to help assure that the reader's labor shall not be lost.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 28 October 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Boccaccio, Chaucer, and Stories for an Uncertain World delve into the depths of human uncertainty, challenging our understanding of the past, present, and future. This comparative analysis uncovers the complexities of language, perception, and power, emphasizing the need for pragmatic prudence in navigating these treacherous waters. The book explores the Aristotelian foundations, cultural influences, and narrative techniques that shape the radically uncertain world of the Decameron and the Canterbury Tales. Through captivating stories adapted from simpler antecedents and profound eloquence, it illustrates the quest for agency, showcasing both its successes and failures. This storytelling reveals a culture's fears and aspirations for mastery, urging readers to engage in a labor of love to preserve the essence of these tales. The ultimate goal of this study is to ensure that the reader's efforts are not in vain, offering insights and perspectives that deepen our understanding of the human condition and the uncertain world we inhabit.

Weight: 734g
Dimension: 165 x 240 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192894755