A merchant's wife on knight's adventure
Subtitle: permutations of a medieval tale in German, Dutch and English chapbooks around 1500
By: Myra J. Heerspink Scholz.
Series: German life and civilization,; v. 17
Publisher: P. Lang; Lang AG International Academic Publishers, Peter
Published: 1999
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 266
Subjects: Folk literature, German -- History and criticism.; Folk literature, Dutch -- History and criticism.; Folk literature, English -- History and criticism.; Chapbooks -- History.; Tales, Medieval -- History and criticism.; Women in literature.; Merchants in literature.
Description: "Popular among readers of early printed fiction was the story of a merchant's wife who transformed the misfortune of exile into an opportunity for adventure. Using Boccaccio's rendering as a backdrop, this study of four chapbook versions uncovers links between the themes of the story - fortune, merchant ethics, and women's roles - and the concerns of early modern city dwellers. The author also focuses on the experimental quality of narrative prose in the early printing years."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [243]-261) and index.
Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Indiana University, 1993.