Though now it seems that all is required for the author of a written work (e.g. novel or play) to be praised is to be the author. This in itself gives this person merit and, for lack of a better word, ‘honor’ among the general public. However, as has been discussed before in class, this is a relatively modern trend. For a poet to reach the status of Chaucer, both during and after life, it took a whole team of scribes, illustrators, and patrons to appreciate his work and put in their own effort. The reading gives us the example of Hollywood’s version of this collaboration; what other modern day titles are given fame through the effort of a team? Or, alternatively, was it chance that earned Chaucer such devotion (why not his many other contemporaries?) or was there a specific aspect of his writing/persona?
ENGL 361 | Reading Medieval Manuscripts
Prof. Myra Seaman | Spring 2016
Honestly, just about any modern positions requires the help of others to reach a level of credibility or success. An author still needs a publisher, which needs editors and a sales team and a production crew. A doctor needs nurses, a singer needs a band, needs a sound crew, needs a manager, needs a venue which is run by an entirely separate group of people. A CEO needs his managers, his secretaries, assistants, accountants, etc. No job would be preformed the way we see it now if not for a whole host of people that are involved with each step, even in seemingly minor ways.
Chance was certainly one of the factors that led to Chaucer’s success, as chance is always a factor. But I’d say another huge factor was simply his dedication to his work, his determination to produce something that met a certain standard. Without his “meticulous scraping and rubbing of the vellum to correct the mistakes made by his scribe” then those early appearances of his work would not have met his own requirements, met his own standards, and therefore would have fallen short in one way or another.