The Loathly Lady in Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Tale and Gower's Tale of Florent

The motif of the loathly lady has been shaped and used across literatures, cultures and genres, changing its meaning according to its aim. In particular, the motif has been subject to several reinterpretations and rewritings during the Middle Ages, when different stories using the same pattern were produced. When looking at earlier versions of the motif, it is interesting to note the coexistence of two stories, very similar in the narrative, but written by two different medieval English writers. This thesis proposes the analysis of these two stories, The Wife of Bath’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer, and the Tale of Florent by John Gower, with the aim of considering similarities and differences between two versions of the loathly lady, found in distinct narratives. First, a general introduction on general concepts regarding the motif and an overview of the historical, social and cultural background are presented. Then, the framework of the two stories (respectively, The Canterbury Tales and Confessio Amantis) is considered to set some interpretations regarding the motif, according to the aims of the respective writer. Finally, the two stories will be analysed in detail, considering similarities and contrasts between the same elements, with the attempt to connect each version of the loathly lady with its meaning.