Confessio Amantis Critical Essay | Critical Essay by Denise N. Baker

Critical Essay by Denise N. Baker

SOURCE: Baker, Denise N. “The Priesthood of Genius: A Study of the Medieval Tradition.” Speculum 51, no. 2 (April 1976): 277-91.

In the following essay, Baker vindicates Gower's characterization of the allegorical figure Genius in the Confessio Amantis, which has often been viewed as inconsistent and faulty.

The allegorical figure Genius plays a significant role in three important works of medieval literature: Alain de Lille's De planctu Naturae, Jean de Meun's Roman de la Rose, and John Gower's Confessio Amantis. Although scholars have commented extensively on the meaning and function of Genius in the first two works, the interpretation of this character in the Confessio Amantis has proven problematic. The crucial difficulty involves the dual priesthood of Genius in Gower's poem. As a priest of Venus the character is commissioned to instruct Amans about love; but as an orthodox priest he must also teach virtue. This complication of Genius's role...
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