Carolyn P. Fazio English 330: Prof. Zeikowitz September 23, 1999 Response II The introduction of the Black Night in the Book of the Duchess, provides an interesting redirection of focus regarding the narrator’s tale of suffering. Such focus turns towards the Black Night and his story as the narrator gains compassion beyond himself and probes into the pains of the knight. However, the dynamics between them are not founded in brotherly-like support; instead, the narrator, although actually …showed first 75 words of 477 total…

…showed last 75 words of 477 total…Seys and Alcyone. However, in the next few lines (715-19) he becomes hypocritical as he advises the Black Knight to “Have some pitee on your nature/ That formed yow to creature” while the narrator himself is unable to fulfill this task. Thus, although emphasis is re-directed to the Black Knight’s complaint, the shift is essentially inclusive of the narrator’s tale, since he created the story as well as this other half of himself.