Analysis Of The Canterbury Tales - 1806 Words

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of twenty-four stories regarding numerous pilgrims and their pilgrimage to Canterbury written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer. The subjects of these tales range from knights to the clergy to government officials. The various tales in the Work are presented in the manner of a contest at the Tabard Inn in London, in which the prize for the best story is a free meal upon their return. Chaucer’s first impressions of the Miller as a rude and sinful man continue to manifest as the tale progresses. After the Knight finishes his story and the Monk starts his, the Miller interrupts him and begins his tale, much to the disapproval of the pilgrims. Even the Miller himself warns the others that his tale will†¦show more content†¦However, this ideal of behavior is contrasted with the human reality of a cuckolded husband and his wife, for the â€Å"Knight’s courtly romance is succeeded by the Miller’s bawdy fabliau† (P opescu 32). These two tales being told in succession clearly shows the disparity between the human reality and ideal expectations during this time period. The main conflict in this this fabliau is between a Church clerk Absolon, Oxford clerk Nicholas, both of which exemplify the struggle between the ideal of the courtly lover and the reality of human sexuality. Both Absolon and Nicholas are pining over the young woman Alison, who is married to a carpenter significantly older than she. Both men are determined to get her to sleep with them, though they have very different approaches. From the very first lines, the Miller describes Nicholas as â€Å"skilled in secret love affairs† and who, after meeting the carpenter’s wife, â€Å"began with this young wife to fool and play† (Chaucer 242). While Nicholas is a very flirtatious man, Absolon, on the other hand, approaches her from the more traditional and accepted route. Rather than stooping to Nicholas’s vulga rity, he attempts to employ the â€Å"medieval discourses† of the ideal man behavior: â€Å"Christian masculinity, courtly masculinity, and discourse of the intellectual male† (Forbes 3). In fact, Absolon succeeds at many of these traits; he is a clerk of the Church, courts Alison respectfully, and is intelligent, as he canShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Canterbury Tales 1189 Words   |  5 Pagessuch examples following this concept is The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1478, and Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley 1818. Three characters in The Canterbury Tales (The Wife of Bath, The Pardoner, and The Knight) and The Monster in Frankenstein have developed a talent for successful storytelling, proven by their abilities to engage the audience with their pathos and passion. While storytelling is used differently in The Canterbury Tales (as a method of entertainment) than in FrankensteinRead MoreCanterbury Tales Analysis841 Words   |  4 PagesIn th e Canterbury Tales, Chaucer gives a detailed description of what life was like in Medieval times . In the â€Å"Prologue†, the reader comes to better understand the people of the time period through the characters words and actions. Chaucer uses a variety of groups of society to give the reader a deeper insight into the fourteenth century Pilgrims customs and values. Through the Court, Common people and the Church, Gregory Chaucer gives a detailed description of ordinary life in the medieval timesRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis1988 Words   |  8 Pages The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a collection of tales and prologues of stories told by many characters whilst on a pilgrimage to the city of Canterbury. From religious figures such as nuns, monks and pardoners; to doctors, cooks and millers, this pilgrimage embarked on by many interesting people with stories that range from inspiring to gruesome. A few of the most predominant stories include those of the Prioress, the Summoner, the Wife of Bath, the Miller, and the Reeve. In theseRead MoreAnalysis Of The Canterbury Tales1157 Words   |  5 PagesThe Canterbury Tales, written by English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, is arguably the most notable yet controversial work of British Literature. Known as the Father of British Literature, Chaucer ultimately revolutionized both the English language and literature by refusing to follow the status quo and writing his works in Middle English instead of the more widely accepted languages at the time, such as Latin or French. Chaucer used The Canterbury Tales to target and satirize society of the Middle AgesRead MoreCanterbury Tales Analysis1124 Words   |  5 PagesIn Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, various people band together to go on a pilgrimage from England to Canterbury. Their aim is to see a shrine of St Thomas Beckett, the revered Archbishop of Canterbury who had reportedly healed others when they were ill. The pilgrims have a variety of occupations and are divided fairly evenly amongst the three estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners). The pilgrims who are members of the clergy are ironically depicted as the least moral, compared to theRead MoreCanterbury Tales Analysis1934 Words   |  8 PagesUnderstanding the Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer is considered by many scholars to by the father of early English poetry literature. Prized for his literary talent and philosophic disposition, some of his best works include The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde (Encyclopedia of World Biography). The Canterbury Tales, in particular, shows a remarkable depiction of society during the Middle Ages. Through this piece of literary work, Chaucer provides powerful commentary the church, socialRead More Summary and Analysis of The Shipmans Tale (The Canterbury Tales)928 Words   |  4 PagesSummary and Analysis of The Shipmans Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Introduction to the Shipmans Tale: The Host asks the priest to tell a tale, but the Shipman interrupts, insisting that he will tell the next tale. He says that he will not tell a tale of physics or law or philosophy, but rather a more modest story. The Shipmans Tale: A merchant at St. Denis foolishly took a desirable woman for a wife who drained his income by demanding clothes and other fine array to make her appearRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis997 Words   |  4 Pageslanguages grants her access to the forms of power that patriarchy denies to women, establishing her character as an authoritative female through the authentication of English as a literary language. In the dissertation â€Å"Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales: Rhetoric and Gender in Marriage,† Andrea Marcotte analyzes Chaucer’s usage of ethos to grant the Wife authority in her male-dominated culture. Marcotte argues that the Wife reflects on her experiences in marriage throughout the general prologueRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis981 Words   |  4 PagesUpon first reading of the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the reoccurring theme of social status is not blatantly obvious. Upon further reading, however, it becomes apparent that it in fact plays large role in most of the aspects of the tales. In both the Wife of Bath’s Tale and the Nun’s Priest Tale, social status plays a role in the plot, characters, and themes in order to more effectively portray the messages Chaucer is trying to get across. The underlying theme addressing social statusRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis1334 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales is a written work, by Geoffrey Chaucer, that is a representation of the society he lived in. His work portrays the feudal system during the medieval times and how each level of livelihood was a character, whose personalities reflect how Chaucer and his culture view them. During his time, his society regarded the Christian Church as corrupt and manipulative, with a few clergy who are honest and genuine in their exertion. Therefore, the ecclesiastical persona has the dispositions