Would “The Miller’s Tale” and “The Reeve’s Tale” hold first place over “The Man of Law’s Tale”? The author, Geoffrey Chaucer, was born circa 1340 on an exact date that is unknown. He wrote many great pieces of work prior to his passing, with the famous Canterbury Tales being written between 1387 and 1400. The Canterbury Tales were written as a frame story, including a multitude of short stories contributing to its plot. Unfortunately, Chaucer passed away in October of 1400 before he had the opportunity to finish the tales. The tales that he wrote were for a storytelling contest on the characters’ way to Canterbury. To win this contest, one’s tale had to be morally sound and entertaining. Between The Miller and The Reeve vs. The Man of Law, “The Man of Law’s Tale” would win, because his story was morally sound as well as entertaining, whereas both “The Miller’s Tale” and “The Reeve’s Tale” lacked good, pure morality, though they were comedic. The Man of Law’s Tale was a morally sound story. It demonstrated a character holding good morals through her strong devotion to God. This character, Constance, expresses her trust in God many times throughout the tale. In a time of great emotional distress she states, “May Jesus Christ that died for our salvation / Give me …show more content…
The Host felt the need to apologize for having to retell such an absurd story, and said “And I regret I must repeat it here,” (88). The tale included vulgar words, as well as actions that may have offended some readers, but the Host made sure to mention that “So was the Reeve, and other some as well,” (88). This does not demonstrate the pure morals that were held throughout “The Man of Law’s Tale.” Since the Host saw necessary to apologize for “The Miller’s Tale” and “The Reeve’s Tale” they would fall behind in the storytelling contest, despite The Cook stating in “The Cook’s Prologue” the joy of laughter he received from “The Reeve’s Tale”
The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, is an older book containing a entertaining storytelling contest between a group of pilgrims on a pilgrimage. The pilgrims, on their pilgrimage, venture from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas á Becket. During their pilgrimage, the Host introduces the idea of a storytelling contest. He claims the trip to the shrine of Saint Thomas á Becket will be boring to travel in silence. The Host lays out the plan of each pilgrim telling two tales on the way to Canterbury and two tales on the way back from their adventure. Upon their return, the winner, decided by the Host for the most entertaining and meaningful tale, will receive a meal paid by the rest of the pilgrims. At his own cost, the Host guides the group of pilgrims, while the pilgrims pay for their adventure. To decide who starts the contest off, the members draw straws. The admired Knight is up first.
In the Fictions of Satire, Ronald Paulson talks about the four ways satire works. It implies corruption, the consequences of it, motivates the reader to make a moral decision, and operates as a corrective (Paulson). It also talks about the difference between Horatian and Juvenalian satire. These different types of satire are used to give different emotions in a story. An example of Horatian satire would be The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and an example of Juvenalian would be “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift. No matter if a satire is Horatian or Juvenalian, the ultimate goal of a satire is to put humor in a story, while pointing out flaws in society and
The Reeve which is Osewold does take offense at the Miller’s tale of a stupid carpenter and counters his tale of a dishonest Miller. Osewold speaks in the Millers churl’s terms to basically lay it on the line for him on basically how he feels about the Miller’s tale, but in a weird, friendly way. Osewold speaks “I pray to God his neck may break into pieces, he can well in my eye see a piece of straw, but in his own he can not see a large piece of timber” In Lines (3918-20). Basically, the Miller and the Reeve don’t like each other at all due to them working with each other as carpenters in the same mill. Osewold is basically, trying to explain that the Miller is a thief and a dishonest miller and not fully honest with the company. Plus, the Miller is drunk so it’s still going to look bad on him because of him still being dishonest with his
Money is a very important attribute to have, but worrying about it too much could maybe get you killed. In the canterbury tales there are two tales. One of them is the pardoner's tale and the other is the wife of bath's tale. I believe that the pardoner's tale is the better tale. (Geoffrey Chaucer) author of (The Canterbury Tales). In the Canterbury Tales the narrator goes on a pilgrimage and for entertainment he has the people he went on the pilgrimage with tell him tales. And he would reward whoever told him the best tale. The pardoner's tale is about three friends who let greed and money get to their heads which end up killing their friendships and themselves. The wife of bath's tale is about a knight who let's lust get to his head instead of loving someone for who they are. Although both tales are great tales and give a great moral lesson, The pardoner's tale is the better tale of the two because of its ability to teach a lesson while still creating a great story.
The narrator is the first element of humor Chaucer uses in his story. The Miller is rude and drunk but generally a jolly fellow. This sets the tone of story as being fun and even a bit coarse, just like the Miller himself. He tells a few jokes before he tells his story: "One shouldn't be two inquisitive in life? / Either about God's secrets or one's wife. / You'll find God's plenty all you could desire"(53). As well, the Miller wants to punish the Reeve, a ...
Looking back through many historical time periods, people are able to observe the fact that women were generally discriminated against and oppressed in almost any society. However, these periods also came with women that defied the stereotype of their sex. They spoke out against this discrimination with a great amount of intelligence and strength with almost no fear of the harsh consequences that could be laid out by the men of their time. During the Medieval era, religion played a major role in the shaping of this pessimistic viewpoint about women. The common belief of the patriarchal-based society was that women were direct descendants of Eve from The Bible; therefore, they were responsible for the fall of mankind. All of Eve’s characteristics from the biblical story were believed to be the same traits of medieval women. Of course, this did not come without argument. Two medieval women worked to defy the female stereotype, the first being the fictional character called The Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The second woman, named Margery Kempe, was a real human being with the first English autobiography written about her called The Book of Margery Kempe. In these two texts, The Wife of Bath and Margery Kempe choose to act uniquely compared to other Christians in the medieval time period because of the way religion is interpreted by them. As a result, the women view themselves as having power and qualities that normal women of their society did not.
Alison in the Miller's Tale and May of the Merchant's Tale are similar in several ways. Both are young women who have married men much older than themselves. They both become involved with young, manipulative men. They also conspire to and do cuckold their husbands. This is not what marriage is about and it is demonstrated in both tales. What makes the Miller's Tale bawdy comedy and the Merchant's tale bitter satire is in the characterization. In the Miller's tale we are giving stereotyped characters. The principals are cardboard cut-outs sent into farcical motion. The Merchant's Tale gives us much more background and detail of the character's lives. The reader is more involved and can feel their situations. Here we will focus on the two women of each tale and how they demonstrate this difference.
Oswald, the overly-sensitive Reeve, is none too happy with the Miller and his tale. The drunken Miller tells an embarrassing tale about the Reeve indirectly. In defense, the Reeve tries his best to punch back, but his attempt is weak. The Reeve shares a story of a dishonest Miller, looking to avenge the Miller himself.
Chaucer’s book The Canterbury Tales presents a frame story written at the end of the 14th century. It narrates the story of a group of pilgrims who participate in a story-telling contest that they made up to entertain each other while they travel to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. Because of this, some of the tales become particularly attractive for they are written within a frame of parody which, as a style that mocks genre, is usually achieved by the deliberate exaggeration of some aspects of it for comic effect. Chaucer uses parody to highlight some aspects of the medieval society that presented in an exaggerated manner, not only do they amuse the readers, but also makes them reflect on them. He uses the individual parody of each tale to create a satirical book in which the behaviours of its characters paint an ironic and critical portrait of the English society at that time. Thus, the tales turn satirical, ironic, earthy, bawdy, and comical. When analysing the Knight’s and the Miller’s tale, one can realise how Chaucer mocks the courtly love convention, and other social codes of behaviour typical of the medieval times.
Canterbury Tales as a whole was very interesting. It has introduced us to a way of life that we never knew existed. It also introduced us to a type of crude humor that we have never been exposed to. It has shown us a true side of life during the Middle Ages. We have learned many things already from our World History teachers, but to experience it first hand is a different story. To experience the jokes, the merriment, and culture opens the gates to a new world. I think that these tales have been very entertaining, and enriching. I liked all the tales that I have read. I think that Geoffrey Chaucer was right to record culture the way it is, and not have toned it down to fit the needs of religion. The culture is the way it is, and no one can change it, only to record it. Chaucer recorded like he saw it, with no bias or impure intentions. He was just an author trying to write a book, for people to read and enjoy.
In The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, the stereotypes and roles in society are reexamined and made new through the characters in the book. Chaucer discusses different stereotypes and separates his characters from the social norm by giving them highly ironic and/or unusual characteristics. Specifically, in the stories of The Wife of Bath and The Miller’s Tale, Chaucer examines stereotypes of women and men and attempts to define their basic wants and needs.
The relationship between the Miller and the Miller’s Tale is close, for the tale is a reflection of the teller. The Miller’s tale is a fabliau, a genre best described as a short story full of ribald and humor. The Miller’s tale consists of events of “cuckoldry” (Chaucer 1720), “foolishness” (1718), and “secrets” (1719). Telling such a story, the Miller can immediately be classified as a man of low social status with a vulgar sense of humor full of shrewdness. However, as the tale continues, it reveals the unexpected soft side of the Miller as he sympathizes with the distressed woman trapped in the norms of society. Thus, the Miller’s characteristics of obscenity, deception, and sympathy drive the plot of his tale.
In the prologue to the Man of Law's Tale, Chaucer once again plays with the divergence between the actual author and the narrator of each tale with the lawyer's critical reference to Chaucer, as if he were not the actual architect of the tale's words. The lawyer's critique of Chaucer is playful, little more than a sarcastic jibe at Chaucer's own abilities and a critique of Chaucer's contemporaries not meant to be taken seriously. In fact, little that the lawyer says is momentous or significant. Chaucer portrays the lawyer as pompous and formal, addressing the motley crowd as if he were speaking to the court.
The Man of the Law in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales came across as wise, but yet winning was his top propriety. Everyone around him thought of him as a wise man, but no one would really speak up if they thought otherwise. The Man of the Law also came off as trying to learn from others case, or maybe he just thought he could do better. He also must have had a great memory as well since “he knew of every judgment, case, and crime, every record since King William's time”.
An interesting aspect of the famous literary work, "The Canterbury Tales," is the contrast of realistic and exaggerated qualities that Chaucer entitles to each of his characters. When viewed more closely, one can determine whether each of the characters is convincing or questionable based on their personalities. This essay will analyze the characteristics and personalities of the Knight, Squire, Monk, Plowman, Miller, and Parson of Chaucer's tale.