Majed Kraishan is an assistant professor of Medieval English Literature. He is currently the Head of the Department of English Language and Literature at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University. His teaching and research interests are in medieval and early modern romance and fabliaux. His work is intersectional and focuses on gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. He is currently exploring the representation of women and romantic masculinity in Geoffrey Chaucer's works, and the disposition of Arab and Muslim women in Old and Middle English literature. Phone: +96232179000/ 09620775848188 Address: Majed R. Y. Kraishan P. O. Box 20, Ma’an 71111, Jordan.
The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The... more The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The Canterbury Tales, framing them within discussions of medieval views of eroticism that draw from religion, medicine, philosophy, and literature. These texts feature males and females who laugh and make jokes in sexual themes and plots which involve deception and sexual misbehaviour. First, the article explores medieval attitudes toward laughter in religious, medical treatises and literature. It then discusses a number of predominant themes in the Reeve’s Tale, the Miller’s Tale, the Merchant’s Tale and the Shipman’s Tale in the context of Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales to try to tease out how these particular themes may have worked to bring erotic pleasure to the reader of the comic texts. The comic themes discussed in this article are briefly cuckoldry, culinary humour, exposure of the genitals and farting. These subjects and how they are represented are very different from modern eroti...
The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The... more The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The Canterbury Tales, framing them within discussions of medieval views of eroticism that draw from religion, medicine, philosophy, and literature. These texts feature males and females who laugh and make jokes in sexual themes and plots which involve deception and sexual misbehaviour. First, the article explores medieval attitudes toward laughter in religious, medical treatises and literature. It then discusses a number of predominant themes in the Reeve’s Tale, the Miller’s Tale, the Merchant’s Tale and the Shipman’s Tale in the context of Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales to try to tease out how these particular themes may have worked to bring erotic pleasure to the reader of the comic texts. Such texts make it possible to study the operations of eroticism alongside the humour and laughter in the certainty that the combination of the two elements is the result of authorial intention. The comic themes discussed in this article are briefly cuckoldry, culinary humour, exposure of the genitals and farting. These subjects and how they are represented are very different from modern erotic representations. They are based both on a different understanding of the body and on a different social and cultural landscape, and their complexity resists simple interpretations about misogyny or functionality that are suggested by feminist perspectives on sexual humour. All quotations from the Canterbury Tales are taken from The Riverside Chaucer, edited by Larry D. Benson (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988).
The Journal of Al-Hussein University for Research, 2023
The present study examines Thomas Hoccleve’s the Regiment of Princes, placing special emphasis on... more The present study examines Thomas Hoccleve’s the Regiment of Princes, placing special emphasis on how Hoccleve acts as an insider and outsider in his observation of late medieval society, and how personal identity is linked with social contextuality throughout the text. Hoccleve’s critical self-constructions and his political poetry determine the text’s value; the narrating persona stands out as a “counsellor” that has transformed from being the “counselee”. The construction of the Hoccleve persona in the Regiment was used as a focal point to state frankly the cultural and moral criticism Hoccleve offers throughout the poem. The Regiment of Princes is analysed in the context of Hoccleve’s role as a royal clerk, and the proliferation of Middle English political and didactic texts during this period. The aim of this article is to analyse Hoccleve’s attempt to present himself as an authoritative advisor within the social world of court based on his literary expertise. All quotations from the Regiment of Princes are taken from Thomas Hoccleve, the Regiment of Princes, ed. Charles R. Blyth. (Kalamazoo, Michigan: Medieval Institute Publications, 1999). All quotations from The Book of the Duchess are taken from Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess, ed. L. D. Benson (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988).
Women in the medieval period suffered from abuse and inequality. The pressure on women was so not... more Women in the medieval period suffered from abuse and inequality. The pressure on women was so noticeable that they were treated as a marginal component of society in all aspects, an important one of which is the literary aspect. The literary role of women has largely disappeared from the European society in general and the English one in particular. Therefore, women, at every stage, struggled to show themselves amid these great pressures; their struggle led them to reach and succeed in the feminist movement. They attempted to counter the stereotypical image of the medieval women being helpless and subservient in the warrior societies depicted in Old English texts and the evil shrews responsible for men’s failings in Middle English texts. Their new adapted literary role focuses on showing their strength, intelligence, agency in society, and the extent of women’s impact on society and its change, despite the fact that this change came in secret. This study sheds some light on the women’s role in the literary social movement by critically examining the relevant literary works through which the role and effectiveness of women are revealed. This study contributes to dispelling some of the myths surrounding the perspectives assumed about women by providing greater clarity for their cultural and historical settings. Also, this study offers a feminist reading to the female characters in the selected works which clearly illustrates women’s role and the impact of feminist literature on English literature and English society at that period using the famous old legendary epic in English literature, Beowulf.
The present study traces the development of Sir Gawain"s traits in the Arthurian legend through a... more The present study traces the development of Sir Gawain"s traits in the Arthurian legend through an analysis of Arthurian literature in early medieval works, in transition, and in modern cycle. It aims to show what makes Sir Gawain a multiple character and how his plastic character has appealed to the literary, political, and social taste of the time of his creation and recreation. The focus will be upon the roles that the new characteristics of Sir Gawain should fulfil and the reasons which stand behind this transition in his character. The study examines the representation of Sir Gawain as a heroic knight in mainly three texts from the medieval and modern English Arthurian tradition: Geoffrey of Monmouth"s Historia Regum Britanniae Sir Thomas Malory"s De Morte Arthur, Alfred Lord Tennyson"s Idylls of the King. Some references are made to other contemporary texts. These texts range from literary to history, providing a broad overview of the many ways in which history and romance approaches the question of the roles of knighthood and chivalry through the figure of Sir Gawain. By exploring these narratives in their historical and social contexts, the present study explains why Sir Gawain maintains certain characteristics across a particularly eventful period in English history, as well as why certain characteristics change drastically. It will also offer new insights about public perception of medieval notions of knighthood and chivalry.
The present study traces the development of Sir Gawain’s traits in the Arthurian legend through a... more The present study traces the development of Sir Gawain’s traits in the Arthurian legend through an analysis of Arthurian literature in early medieval works, in transition, and in modern cycle. It aims to show what makes Sir Gawain a multiple character and how his plastic character has appealed to the literary, political, and social taste of the time of his creation and recreation. The focus will be upon the roles that the new characteristics of Sir Gawain should fulfil and the reasons which stand behind this transition in his character.The study examines the representation of Sir Gawain as a heroic knight in mainly three texts from the medieval and modern English Arthurian tradition: Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae Sir Thomas Malory’s De Morte Arthur, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. Some references are made to other contemporary texts. These texts range from literary to history, providing a broad overview of the many ways in which history and romance appr...
The present study investigates the representation of King Arthur in the Historia Regum Britanniae... more The present study investigates the representation of King Arthur in the Historia Regum Britanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth (1343–1400). In doing so, it concentrates on specific historical context – early Anglo-Saxon England – and a specific form of authority – Anglo-Saxon kingship. The intention of the study is to show how Geoffrey of Monmouth used historical chronicles, not only for cataloguing the stories of various rulers of the island, but also for creating and shaping a single leader who can unify the kingdom.The study claims that the ideal kingship constructed around the figure of King Arthur in the Historia involved a re-orientation of some of the more conventional norms of kingship; the heroic qualities of martial prowess, generosity and morality are quite essential in every conception of an ideal king. Geoffrey’s conception of this ideal king was largely influenced by his personal aspirations, some of which have been outlined in the introduction of this article. The remainin...
The present study investigates Chaucer’s use of the erotic in The Canterbury Tales and Troilus an... more The present study investigates Chaucer’s use of the erotic in The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde. The study addresses an oversight within Chaucerian scholarship. Scholars have largely ignored his use of the erotic as a literary device. The thesis argues that his use of the erotic allows for both a celebration and a critique of the often conflicting mores of his days. The study argues that, by subverting traditional literary genres, and inventing new ones, Chaucer provided alternative life-views. These alternatives served as subtle but powerful critiques both of institutional hegemony and of the power structures the hegemony protected. The study locates Chaucer in relation to a number of ancient and medieval currents of thought in which, by the late Middle Ages, questions of sexuality, agency, and autonomy had come to intersect. It also examines Chaucer’s sources for the construction of erotic relationships in his poetry. The study’s viewpoint is that, if one is to understand Chaucer, one needs to understand the culture in which he lived.
The scope of the study is broad. It draws together cultural, historical, psychological, philosophical, and literary material to offer both depth and breadth in its arguments. It is hoped that this will stimulate new debate about the relationship between eroticism and genre in Chaucer’s poetry.
The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The... more The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The Canterbury Tales, framing them within discussions of medieval views of eroticism that draw from religion, medicine, philosophy, and literature. These texts feature males and females who laugh and make jokes in sexual themes and plots which involve deception and sexual misbehaviour. First, the article explores medieval attitudes toward laughter in religious, medical treatises and literature. It then discusses a number of predominant themes in the Reeve’s Tale, the Miller’s Tale, the Merchant’s Tale and the Shipman’s Tale in the context of Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales to try to tease out how these particular themes may have worked to bring erotic pleasure to the reader of the comic texts. The comic themes discussed in this article are briefly cuckoldry, culinary humour, exposure of the genitals and farting. These subjects and how they are represented are very different from modern eroti...
The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The... more The present study offers an examination of laughter in comic texts from a range of fabliau in The Canterbury Tales, framing them within discussions of medieval views of eroticism that draw from religion, medicine, philosophy, and literature. These texts feature males and females who laugh and make jokes in sexual themes and plots which involve deception and sexual misbehaviour. First, the article explores medieval attitudes toward laughter in religious, medical treatises and literature. It then discusses a number of predominant themes in the Reeve’s Tale, the Miller’s Tale, the Merchant’s Tale and the Shipman’s Tale in the context of Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales to try to tease out how these particular themes may have worked to bring erotic pleasure to the reader of the comic texts. Such texts make it possible to study the operations of eroticism alongside the humour and laughter in the certainty that the combination of the two elements is the result of authorial intention. The comic themes discussed in this article are briefly cuckoldry, culinary humour, exposure of the genitals and farting. These subjects and how they are represented are very different from modern erotic representations. They are based both on a different understanding of the body and on a different social and cultural landscape, and their complexity resists simple interpretations about misogyny or functionality that are suggested by feminist perspectives on sexual humour. All quotations from the Canterbury Tales are taken from The Riverside Chaucer, edited by Larry D. Benson (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988).
The Journal of Al-Hussein University for Research, 2023
The present study examines Thomas Hoccleve’s the Regiment of Princes, placing special emphasis on... more The present study examines Thomas Hoccleve’s the Regiment of Princes, placing special emphasis on how Hoccleve acts as an insider and outsider in his observation of late medieval society, and how personal identity is linked with social contextuality throughout the text. Hoccleve’s critical self-constructions and his political poetry determine the text’s value; the narrating persona stands out as a “counsellor” that has transformed from being the “counselee”. The construction of the Hoccleve persona in the Regiment was used as a focal point to state frankly the cultural and moral criticism Hoccleve offers throughout the poem. The Regiment of Princes is analysed in the context of Hoccleve’s role as a royal clerk, and the proliferation of Middle English political and didactic texts during this period. The aim of this article is to analyse Hoccleve’s attempt to present himself as an authoritative advisor within the social world of court based on his literary expertise. All quotations from the Regiment of Princes are taken from Thomas Hoccleve, the Regiment of Princes, ed. Charles R. Blyth. (Kalamazoo, Michigan: Medieval Institute Publications, 1999). All quotations from The Book of the Duchess are taken from Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess, ed. L. D. Benson (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988).
Women in the medieval period suffered from abuse and inequality. The pressure on women was so not... more Women in the medieval period suffered from abuse and inequality. The pressure on women was so noticeable that they were treated as a marginal component of society in all aspects, an important one of which is the literary aspect. The literary role of women has largely disappeared from the European society in general and the English one in particular. Therefore, women, at every stage, struggled to show themselves amid these great pressures; their struggle led them to reach and succeed in the feminist movement. They attempted to counter the stereotypical image of the medieval women being helpless and subservient in the warrior societies depicted in Old English texts and the evil shrews responsible for men’s failings in Middle English texts. Their new adapted literary role focuses on showing their strength, intelligence, agency in society, and the extent of women’s impact on society and its change, despite the fact that this change came in secret. This study sheds some light on the women’s role in the literary social movement by critically examining the relevant literary works through which the role and effectiveness of women are revealed. This study contributes to dispelling some of the myths surrounding the perspectives assumed about women by providing greater clarity for their cultural and historical settings. Also, this study offers a feminist reading to the female characters in the selected works which clearly illustrates women’s role and the impact of feminist literature on English literature and English society at that period using the famous old legendary epic in English literature, Beowulf.
The present study traces the development of Sir Gawain"s traits in the Arthurian legend through a... more The present study traces the development of Sir Gawain"s traits in the Arthurian legend through an analysis of Arthurian literature in early medieval works, in transition, and in modern cycle. It aims to show what makes Sir Gawain a multiple character and how his plastic character has appealed to the literary, political, and social taste of the time of his creation and recreation. The focus will be upon the roles that the new characteristics of Sir Gawain should fulfil and the reasons which stand behind this transition in his character. The study examines the representation of Sir Gawain as a heroic knight in mainly three texts from the medieval and modern English Arthurian tradition: Geoffrey of Monmouth"s Historia Regum Britanniae Sir Thomas Malory"s De Morte Arthur, Alfred Lord Tennyson"s Idylls of the King. Some references are made to other contemporary texts. These texts range from literary to history, providing a broad overview of the many ways in which history and romance approaches the question of the roles of knighthood and chivalry through the figure of Sir Gawain. By exploring these narratives in their historical and social contexts, the present study explains why Sir Gawain maintains certain characteristics across a particularly eventful period in English history, as well as why certain characteristics change drastically. It will also offer new insights about public perception of medieval notions of knighthood and chivalry.
The present study traces the development of Sir Gawain’s traits in the Arthurian legend through a... more The present study traces the development of Sir Gawain’s traits in the Arthurian legend through an analysis of Arthurian literature in early medieval works, in transition, and in modern cycle. It aims to show what makes Sir Gawain a multiple character and how his plastic character has appealed to the literary, political, and social taste of the time of his creation and recreation. The focus will be upon the roles that the new characteristics of Sir Gawain should fulfil and the reasons which stand behind this transition in his character.The study examines the representation of Sir Gawain as a heroic knight in mainly three texts from the medieval and modern English Arthurian tradition: Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae Sir Thomas Malory’s De Morte Arthur, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. Some references are made to other contemporary texts. These texts range from literary to history, providing a broad overview of the many ways in which history and romance appr...
The present study investigates the representation of King Arthur in the Historia Regum Britanniae... more The present study investigates the representation of King Arthur in the Historia Regum Britanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth (1343–1400). In doing so, it concentrates on specific historical context – early Anglo-Saxon England – and a specific form of authority – Anglo-Saxon kingship. The intention of the study is to show how Geoffrey of Monmouth used historical chronicles, not only for cataloguing the stories of various rulers of the island, but also for creating and shaping a single leader who can unify the kingdom.The study claims that the ideal kingship constructed around the figure of King Arthur in the Historia involved a re-orientation of some of the more conventional norms of kingship; the heroic qualities of martial prowess, generosity and morality are quite essential in every conception of an ideal king. Geoffrey’s conception of this ideal king was largely influenced by his personal aspirations, some of which have been outlined in the introduction of this article. The remainin...
The present study investigates Chaucer’s use of the erotic in The Canterbury Tales and Troilus an... more The present study investigates Chaucer’s use of the erotic in The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde. The study addresses an oversight within Chaucerian scholarship. Scholars have largely ignored his use of the erotic as a literary device. The thesis argues that his use of the erotic allows for both a celebration and a critique of the often conflicting mores of his days. The study argues that, by subverting traditional literary genres, and inventing new ones, Chaucer provided alternative life-views. These alternatives served as subtle but powerful critiques both of institutional hegemony and of the power structures the hegemony protected. The study locates Chaucer in relation to a number of ancient and medieval currents of thought in which, by the late Middle Ages, questions of sexuality, agency, and autonomy had come to intersect. It also examines Chaucer’s sources for the construction of erotic relationships in his poetry. The study’s viewpoint is that, if one is to understand Chaucer, one needs to understand the culture in which he lived.
The scope of the study is broad. It draws together cultural, historical, psychological, philosophical, and literary material to offer both depth and breadth in its arguments. It is hoped that this will stimulate new debate about the relationship between eroticism and genre in Chaucer’s poetry.
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The scope of the study is broad. It draws together cultural, historical, psychological, philosophical, and literary material to offer both depth and breadth in its arguments. It is hoped that this will stimulate new debate about the relationship between eroticism and genre in Chaucer’s poetry.
The scope of the study is broad. It draws together cultural, historical, psychological, philosophical, and literary material to offer both depth and breadth in its arguments. It is hoped that this will stimulate new debate about the relationship between eroticism and genre in Chaucer’s poetry.