A. J. Minnis, _Chaucer and Pagan Antiquity_

A. J. Minnis presents an interesting argument for paganism in the book _Chaucer and Pagan Antiquity_. Minnis begins by analyzing Chaucer’s approach to paganism and why he might include them. Chaucer was writing from a medieval period concerned with Christianity and the salvation of the soul through a single God. The use of pagan figures and allusions in his writing would seemingly contradict the time period, but readers must realize that we must observe from Chaucer’s context. Just as we are looking back at Chaucer, he was looking back at pagan antiquity. He was only keeping literary tradition as it was at that particular point in time.
The book continues by pointing out the shortcomings of antiquity and how the pagan theology and philosophy falls short. The basic argument for this is that paganism originated out of a worship of the material world. Deities were later created to control the material world, such as the sun, water, and other elements of nature. Still, Christian scholars scoffed at paganism for its main flaw in the value of the material world.
Minnis then examines how Chaucer preserves the value and antiquity of paganism by exploring the noble features of Chaucer’s characters that are pagan. The main example is the transformation of Theseus, Arcite, and Palamoun. Minnis suggests that these characters are given a more fair treatment from that of the source texts. There nobleness and ability for rational thought is raised in Chaucer’s versions, making them the noble pagans that are worthy of admiration for their personal beliefs and convictions.
This book makes easy to follow arguments, but it depends too much on the knowledge of outside sources. It refers to other authors and critics without giving much information on the background of their ideas. Many of the ideas coming from Minnis are wonderful and easily understood, but the book fails when trying to another author’s understanding of how Chaucer’s use of pagan antiquity should be viewed. Avoid if not interested in pagan religious aspects of Troilus and Creseyde or The

--Andrés Boyer