THE ARGONAUTS AND MEDEA IN MEDIEVAL AND EARLY RENAISSANCE ENGLISH LITERATURE (GEOFFREY CHAUCER, JOHN LYDGATE)

Abstract

Myth of the Argonauts and Medea was always popular in the Medieval Ages, but mostly it was based on Latin version, not the Greek one. Later, when the Greek versions became available and knowledge about Classical literature increased in Europe, Medea’s image was based mostly on the Greek version. This transformation can be well traced in English literature, especially in the works of John Lydgate. Geoffrey Chaucer and John Lydgate are two major authors who treat the Argonaut’s myth. While Lydgate includes their story in the cycle of Troy Book and in another story, Fall of Princes, Chaucer made Medea a protagonist and included her story in his “Legend of Good Women”. Chaucer’s Medea is not a sinner, but rather a seduced woman, who was abandoned. Chaucer made Medea different from classical and Renaissance versions, because of two reasons: 1) Chaucer did not know Greek version of the myth, 2) Medea was supposed to be a protagonist in his work, therefore, a positive hero. As for Lydgate, Medea in his early works also seems to be more positive than in later one – Fall of Princes, which was determined by one fact: he became acquainted with Giovanni Boccaccio’s work, who knew the Greek version also and as a result, Lydgate’s attitude has changed.Medea’s image in Medieval and early Renaissance Ages was less studied in Georgian scientific literature, therefore we decided to pay attention to this issue and we hope, that it will increase the interest in this topic.