Chanticleer

literary character

Also known as: Chantecler, Chauntecleer

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Also spelled:: Chantecleror Chauntecleer

Related Topics:: beast epic

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Chanticleer, character in several medieval beast tales in which human society is satirized through the actions of animals endowed with human characteristics. Most famous of these works is a 13th-century collection of related satirical tales called Roman de Renart, whose hero is Reynard the Fox. The Roman de Renart includes the story of Reynard and Chanticleer, a cock, a tale soon afterward retold in German, Dutch, and English versions. In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer took it as the basis for “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.” The character appeared in later works as well, such as Edmond Rostand’s verse drama Chantecler (1910), which is set in a barnyard and features a boastful rooster.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.