Chaucer's Tale of Sir Topas
Sir Topas is Chaucer's tale in Canterbury Tales (1387).
In Canterbury Tales, there is a character named Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer's portrait of himself is unflattering and humble. He presents himself as a reticent, maladroit figure who can barely summon a tale to mind. In comparison to the other travelers in the group, Chaucer the character is reluctant to speak, and when he does tell a tale, it is in keeping with what a student/clerk would tell.
Sir Topas is the story of a knight who is kidnapped to fairyland by the queen of the fairies and banished for his mistaken love. The tale is a parody of Thomas Warton who first suggested (at least in print) that Chaucer was not serious, that the whole tale is a parody and that the character of Geoffrey Chaucer must not be confused with Geoffrey Chaucer the author.
