Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories in the

framing of a pilgrimage of 30 or so pilgrims, ranging in status - a

distorted microcosm of the 14th century English society. Using from

gentle to scathing satire, he comments on the Catholic Church as one

of the most powerful elements in medieval society and its abuse of

authority. The portraits of the Prioresse and the Pardoner reflect the

corruption in the institutions of the Church and its people.

PRIORESSE

The Prioresse is one of the most fully described pilgrims in the

General Prologue, with gentle satire. Being everything a nun should

not be, she is guilty of the sin of vanity and worldly indulgences as

well as the exploitation of sexuality and beauty. Her virginity is

seen as an object of attractiveness, since during this time period,

chastity is valued more than marriage. Her courtly manners and

inappropriate sophistication is emphasized by the use of French words

such as "pleasaunt" and "charitable and pitous".

The Prioresse's misdirected charity and kindness is reflected in her

sentimentality for animals rather than humans, portrayed in the lines:

"She was so charitable and pitous,

She wolde wepe if that she saugh a mous,

Knaught in a trappe…" (Line

Chaucer uses this undercutting and anti-climax as well as the sudden

crisp one-line statements following a series of flowing descriptions

to hig...

... middle of paper ...

... to be saved as well as those who submit out

of fear and self preservation and those who take advantage, manipulte

assertiveness.

The last scene, Proctor signing the paper. Theocracy has enough power

to surpress him, make him submit. Again the same example of the

majority of the the nature of the population in such a situation,

however, his later defiance to authority, represents the individuals

who stood up and against the McCarthy era.

Concludes, the purging process seperates the heroic individuals,

matyrs, Proctor Nurse and those who hanged, the individuals who submit

to the authority and those who gain and abuse it.

The dramatic scene where Proctor signs the paper to confess:

Biggest irony: after 300 hundred years, is that although humanity has

progressed 300 hundred years, human nature has not changed.