Chaucer and Trauma

Trauma is an inescapable condition of Chaucer’s works. From the ravaging of Troy and the abandonment of Dido to the devastating aftereffects of sexual assault, Chaucer portrayed the most unsettling, searing aspects of human experience. While the term “trauma” was not part of Chaucer’s vocabulary, the author was assuredly aware of its causes and consequences, its victims and symptoms.

This timely volume explores depictions of violence, victimhood, and overwhelming grief or loss in Chaucer’s m...