Chaucers Canterbury Tales
analytical Essay
1044 words
The Canterbury Tales is a great assortment of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer. Each individual story is told by a pilgrim from the voyage to Canterbury. “The Prioress’ Tale” was a Miracle of the Virgin story, told by the Prioress. Another tale is “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” which is a Beast Fable. Then there is “The Pardoner’s Tale”, which is an Exemplum. The genres of The Canterbury Tales help shape the entire story.
In “The Prioress’ Tale”, the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, miraculously aids a follower in the time of need, which is also known as a Miracle of the Virgin tale. A few quotes from the tale support this, one is the following: “Where he lay face upright with throat slit, began to sing ‘Alma Redemptoris’ so loud, that all the place began to ring” (Chaucer 291). The little boy’s throat had been slit, but since the Virgin Mary had placed the grain on his tongue, he was still able to sing until the grain was taken away. Since the story shows the miracles that can happen when a follower is in the time of need, and how the Virgin Mary guides the follower, it proves that “The Prioress’ Tale” is a Miracle of the Virgin.
An Allegory “is the representation of ideas or moral principles by means of symbolic characters, events, or objects” (Stein 150). The little boy in the story is compared to Jesus, the son of the Virgin Mary. Throughout “The Prioress’ Tale,” she tells of the Jews and uses a allegory, and compares Jesus’ death to the little boy’s.
“My throat is cut to my neck-bone,” said this child, “and according to nature, I should have died, yes, a long while ago; But Jesus Christ, as you find in books, wills that His glory endure and be remembered; and, for the majesty of His Mother dear, yet may I sing ‘o Alma’ loud and clear” (Chaucer 294).
“The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” is a Beast Fable, or when “animals are given human qualities and are involved in clever tales that preach a moral lesson” (The Center for Learning 31). In the tale, Chanticleer is a rooster who is given human characteristics. He talks throughout the story, showing his human like features. “Here men may see that dreams are to be feared” (Chaucer 316). The entire tale tells the story of Chanticleer and his seven wives.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the canterbury tales is a great assortment of stories written by geoffrey chaucer.
- Explains that "the prioress' tale" shows the miracles that can happen when a follower is in the time of need.
- Explains that an allegory is the representation of ideas or moral principles by means of symbolic characters, events, or objects. the little boy is compared to jesus, the son of the virgin mary.
- Opines that jesus christ, as you find in books, wills that his glory endure and be remembered; and, for the majesty of his mother, may i sing ‘o alma’ loud and clear.
- Analyzes how "the nun's priest’s tale" is a beast fable, or when animals are given human qualities and are involved in clever tales that preach moral lessons. it shows how you shouldn't be fooled twice.
- Explains that personification is the giving of human qualities to objects, ideas, or animals, by showing them in situations, and conversations that humans can normally have.
- Explains that "the pardoner's tale" is an exemplum because it shows the punishments, and what happens when you are greedy or go against what you say and are a hypocrite.
- Opines that if you are eager to find death, turn up this crooked path, for he will remain under a tree. he won’t go into hiding because of your boast.
- Analyzes how "the pardoner's tale" tells of greed, and how it eventually leads to death. the old man sends the three men to a tree where the treasure is.
- Analyzes how the pardoner preaches against avarice, and commits this sin himself. he gets money from people as they confess their sins to him.
- Opines that avarice and cursedness are all their preaching, to make them liberal to give their pennies, and especially to me.
- Explains that the canterbury tales has a great variety of different genres throughout all the individual stories.
- Cites chaucer, geoffrey, "the nun’s priest's tale." the canterbury tales (selected).
- Explains chaucer's "the prioress' tale." the canterbury tales (selected).
Related
- analytical
- argumentative
- Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Talesanalytical essayGeoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories in the
In this essay, the author
- Explains that geoffrey chaucer's canterbury tales is a collection of stories in the summary.
- Analyzes the framing of a pilgrimage of 30 or so pilgrims, ranging in status, as distorted microcosm of the 14th century english society.
- Describes the prioresse as one of the most fully described pilgrims in the general prologue, with gentle satire. she is guilty of vanity and worldly indulgences as well as the exploitation of sexuality and beauty.
- Analyzes chaucer's use of french words such as "pleasaunt" and "charitable and pitous" to emphasize the prioresses misdirected charity and kindness.
- Analyzes how the prioresse's corruption and worldliness is emphasized by the irregularity of the portrait itself.
- Analyzes how dyvyne, senely, and fetishly create irregular rhythms that are appropriate for the elements of the prioresse, stressing her flaws as a nun, as well as her typical medieval romance heroine allusion with reference to her beauty.
- Analyzes how chaucer concludes the prioresse's portrait with her "fair forheed" and "eyen greye as glas". her simple and coyly smile and flirtation indicate that she conscious of her accomplishments and beauty and aware of the power play that it gives her.
- Analyzes how chaucer uses harsh satire in the description of the portrait of pardoner.
- Analyzes how the imagery used for the description of the pardoner is seen as grotesque and repelling.
- Analyzes chaucer's references to animals, including hares, hawks and mares when describing the pardoner. he is an amusing but repulsive character, where critics most often see him as a monster.
- Compares the corruption and abuse of power of the church in the 14th century to that of mccarthyism in america.
- Analyzes how arthur miller explores the nature of humanity and the individual in the face of fear.
- Analyzes how danforth's evilness is seen as corrupt and abusing the powers of the court and his position as a magistrate.
- Analyzes how mccarthyism represents the sheep mentality, when the individuals follow the mass. mary warren turns against proctor, under so much pressure.
- Analyzes how proctor's defiance to authority represents the individuals who stood up and against the mccarthy era.
856 wordsRead More - Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Talesanalytical essaySit and Spin: Chaucer’s social commentary grows from so-called "intrusion" The relationship Geoffrey Chaucer establishes between "outsiders" and "insiders" in The Canterbury Tales provides the primary fuel for the poetry’s social commentary. Both tales and moments within tales describing instances of intrusion work to create a sense of proper order disturbed in the imaginary, structured universes presented by the pilgrims. The perturbances, conflicts born of these examples of, "intrusion into the inner circle," bear the responsibility for most of the ironic-comedic role reversal on which the Tales thrive. From the knight’s rape of a maiden in the Wife of Bath’s fantastic tale to Absolon’s jamming of a hot iron into Nicholas’ rectum in the Miller’s tale, examples of such invasion and inversion represent the foundations of most of the tales’ plots. Chaucer exposes his fundamental device in the opening stanza of the General Prologue. The first five lines of the poetry address only major natural forces—"Aprill with his shoures soote," (1) and, "Zephirus…with his sweete breeth" (5). Life forms, first grain and then birds, grow organically from these bricks of the earth. The poet creates a chain of existence molded into a comfortable hirearchy that culminates in "smale foweles maken melodye" (9) after the mountain of nature from which they were born jabs them into action. Man drops onto this finely constructed reality from an unrelated angle. The poet explains that Men, like birds, find Spring’s call irresistable and, "Thanne longen…to goon on pilgrimages" (12). However, people do not arise from the same flow of the narrative.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how chaucer's social commentary grows from so-called 'intrusion' in the canterbury tales.
- Analyzes how chaucer's introduction misrepresents the physics of the earth to the rise of man and calls for an evolutionary analysis of existence.
- Analyzes how theseus touches off the whole narrative by stepping outside of his own boundaries. palamon and arcite find themselves forced far below the station that their 'blood roial' would naturally secure for them.
- Analyzes how chaucer indicates that he will enthrone the gods as soon as theseus stops the earthy war.
- Analyzes how the knight's tale functions as a figurative introduction to the whole of the canterbury tales. the general prologue provides no justification for chaucer’s sniping.
- Analyzes chaucer's method of creating situations in which class relationships are questioned or bent by forcing incongrous objects or people together.
1734 wordsRead More - Chaucer's The Canterbury Talesanalytical essayChaucer's The Canterbury Tales Critics interpreting Chaucerian depictions of drunkenness have traditionally focused on the state as an unalloyed vice, citing variously as justification the poet’s Christian conservatism, his intimate association with the disreputable London vintner community, and even possible firsthand familiarity with alcoholism. While we must always remain vigilant to the evils of excessive inebriation, to portray Chaucer’s images of drink and revelry in The Canterbury Tales as an unqualified denunciation is to oversimplify the poet’s work and to profane his art. By fusing his portrayals of drunkenness with the revelation of truth and philosophical insight, Chaucer demonstrates the capacity of wine and ale to evoke the funky earthiness of humanity that we so desperately seek to avoid and that is so fundamental to our corporeal experience. On the surface, drunkenness in The Canterbury Tales seems to be a force of disruption.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how chaucer accentuates the miller's heavy nature by explicitly evoking the figure’s stoutness and by using plosive alliteration to emphasize his “big brawn and bones.”
- Analyzes how chaucer reintroduces the tipsy miller "that for dronken was al pale" in "the miller's prologue."
- Analyzes how the pardoner asserts the importance of the second commandment that forbids swearing and cites its position before the prohibition of murder as evidence of its significance.
- Analyzes how the riverside chaucer glosses swyved, nether ye, and towte in keeping with poetic justice. in violation of the strictures of christian decorum, the pilgrims' uniform approbation for the tale.
- Argues that the salient location near the end of pilgrimage in which the lines take place prevents us from dismissing them as the mere blasphemes of a bartender.
- Analyzes how drunkenness realigns pilgrims with the earthy creatureliness that constitutes the fundamental paradox of the human condition.
- Analyzes how chaucer's portrayal of drunkenness in the canterbury tales is an unqualified denunciation of his work and profanes his art.
- Argues that chaucer is not emphasizing the miller's earthiness, but instead is placing him firmly in the tradition of estates satire, which holds millers to be stout and belligerent.
- Analyzes how chaucer's portrayal of the miller illustrates the dangers of inordinate carnal desire and worldly pleasure.
- Analyzes how chaucer indicates that the miller is on the verge of falling as a result of excessive drunkenness.
- Analyzes how the miller encapsulates the unequivocal humanity of jesus christ and illustrates the mysterious truth that the son of god had to take on a wretched earthy form before he could cleanse us of our sins.
- Analyzes how the miller's tale is a tour de force in the comedic exaltation of the paradox of our humanity.
- Analyzes how cornel west, in a discussion about john coltrane and anton chekhov, explains the reasoning behind the pilgrims' appreciation of the miller's tale.
- Analyzes how jesus christ turns hatred into love, conflict into peace, and death into eternal life. drowning in alcohol, the pardoner is a lost soul.
3290 wordsRead More - The Canterbury Talesanalytical essayThe Canterbury Tales “The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales” were told during a pilgrimage journey from London to the shrine of the martyr St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. This was approximately 70 miles to the southeast. These Tales were told by a group of 29 pilgrims, and a Host who met up with them at the Tabard Inn. They left the Inn on the morning of April, 11. The Nun’s Priest Tale was the first story actually told, this was determined by whoever drew the shortest straw.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the canterbury tales were told during a pilgrimage journey from london to the shrine of the martyr st. thomasa becket at canterbury cathedral.
- Explains that geoffrey chaucer, the greatest english poet of the middle ages, wrote "the canterbury tales" in 1387 and had never finished.
- Introduces the miller, who was one of the 29 pilgrims on the religiousjourney. they will learn about his physical traits, his personality, and his professional trades.
- Analyzes how the millers' beard was red, and his nose had a wart on the end, with red hairs protruding out ofit.
- Explains that the millers' personality was distinct, it matched his physical traits almost exactly. the miller was veryboastful in his ways.
- Explains that the miller was greedy and greedily — he would steal from the poor without even thinking twice. he also had a filthy mouth and told tavern stories.
- Explains the greediness, dishonesty, and boastful nature of the miller and his professional trades.
- Analyzes how the miller was skilled in cheating the scale, but overall he was good at his job, even though cheating his customers.
- Describes the miller's boastful personality, his beard wasred, and his wart on the end of his nose. he was also a very dishonest and immoral person.
533 wordsRead More - Canterbury Talesanalytical essayCanterbury 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 this essay, the author
- Opines that chaucer was right to record culture like he saw it, with no bias or impure intentions.
- Analyzes how the miller's tale showed the crude humor that people in the middle ages liked to read about. the plot describes the two lovers trying to make love, yet her husband must be distracted.
- Analyzes how chaucer wrote the prioress's tale in the way he felt that best expressed the times.
- Analyzes how the pardoner's tale discusses different types of sins, and tells a tale of boys' sin. however, the religious aspects of the tale were too much.
- Analyzes how chaucer discusses the virtues of cheating, or infidelity, in the wife of bath's tale, which mocks christian morals.
596 wordsRead More - Priest's Taleanalytical essayTold by a charming priest and kindly man, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is a beast fable in Chaucer’s genius framed narrative, The Canterbury Tales. Written in the late 14th century, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is a fable about an all too egotistic rooster named Chanticleer who dreams of his impending doom which takes the form of a beast. Deeply troubled, he seeks the consolation of other wise barn animals and his favorite wife, Pertelote. Being a beast fable, the Nun’s Priest mocks the Court World by lowering nobles to the level of animals to be mocked. As this fable displays that animals act like humans is to also imply that humans, namely people of the court, act like animals.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how chaucer's the canterbury tales is a beast fable about an all too egotistic rooster named chanticleer who dreams of his impending doom.
- Analyzes how the nun's priest and chaucer are directly criticizing and humiliating people of the court world by comparing a simple barnyard chase to the aeneid.
- Analyzes how the priest degrades the court in a mock-heroic tone. the barnyard animals discuss theological and philosophical ideals such as boethian themes and god causing chanticleer to have dreams.
- Analyzes how chanticleer uses a historical event to defend his argument and continues to brag of his intellectual status and vast knowledge in history.
- Analyzes how the nun’s priest's description of chanticleer juxtaposes the rich and the poor while mocking the absurdity of an elegant life.
- Analyzes how the adjectives used to describe chanticleer's physical attributes can be paralleled to that of a knight. the irony of this tale is blatant.
1004 wordsRead More - The Canterbury Talesanalytical essayBy offering the reader the choice to read on or to find another tale, the narrator includes the reader in the narrative as someone who is either already disciplined, and so will choose another story, or included in the category of shame created for the Miller: “narrator and reader can choose to identify as subjects in process, performing at times contradictory public and private functions” (226). For Burger, this is a moment that reveals The Canterbury Tales’ work as the foundation of modern English:
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how murphy's comparison brings up an important connection between pedagogies of shakespearean and medieval texts.
- Argues that the social order institutionalized in "the neoliberal university" is a purposeful system from which real people, however few, do benefit.
- Analyzes how the discipline of english came into its own in an age of colonialism.
- Analyzes viswanathan's critique of the disciplinary practices that have produced english literary study.
- Analyzes how the narrator's interjection echoes the queer performativity of the miller and his tale by inserting the modernizing effects of textuality.
- Argues that the ideal relationship between teacher and student reflects the romanticism invested in modern understandings of the roles of authors.
- Analyzes the casualization and deskilling of academic workers by their unions and activists.
2603 wordsRead More - Canterbury Talesargumentative essayCanterbury Tales There is a great deal of useful information to be found on the Internet but sorting through it can often be a hassle. There are some sites that are useful and give a great deal of helpful information but there are also many sites that just don't meet up to those standards. Since anyone can put information on the web, it is often hard to tell a good site from a bad one. Today, I am going to go through a few sites relating to Geoffrey Chaucer and his book The Canterbury Tales and give examples of good and bad sites relating to them.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there is a great deal of useful information on the internet, but there are also many sites that don't meet those standards.
- Recommends the litrix reading room at http://www.litrix.com, which gives free electronic distribution of books for readers.
- Explains that a very good site relating to geoffrey chaucer is http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucer.html.
- Recommends http://www.media.wright.edu/studorgs/english20403/chaucer.html for people interested in chaucer's biography, chaucerian language, online reports, and medieval sites.
- Analyzes how one page about geoffrey chaucer shows what junk can be put on the net. this page has no detail and entails one paper and the paper isn't even good.
- Explains that there is a great deal of good information on the internet relating to geoffrey chaucer and his works, the only thing is finding the right location. the three sites i gave good ratings to are more than enough to suffice.
- Analyzes the squire as one of the thirty pilgrims travelling to the shrine of st. thomas a' becket in the canterbury tales.
- Explains that the squire was apprenticed to a knight before he could become one. he has ridden for sometime with the cavalry and places like flanders, artois, and picardy.
- Compares chaucer to the description of spring at the very beginning of the "general prologue". his clothes are embroidered like a meadow, "al ful of fresshe flowres, white and rede."
- Explains that the squire is a happy person and has many talents, such as making songs and words come together. since he is so young, his spirits and energy are high.
- Explains that the squire is a good character who one day will make his father proud. he is courteous, eager to serve, and perfect for his type.
- Cites abrams, m.h., and blakelock, jane. the norton anthology of english literature.
1021 wordsRead More - The Canterbury Talesanalytical essayIn 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how chaucer's canterbury tales reexamines the stereotypes and roles in society and separates his characters from the social norm by giving them ironic and/or unusual characteristics.
- Analyzes how chaucer points out that women are easily swayed by temptation by using allison's extramarital affair as an example.
- Analyzes how chaucer's work in the wife of bath focuses on women stereotypes and the essence of what it is that women really want.
- Analyzes how chaucer uses his characters and stories to project various stereotypes to the reader. women are manipulating, sinful, and power hungry, while men are considered gullible and rash.
842 wordsRead More - The Canterbury Talesanalytical essayThe Prologue of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales provides either a positive or negative description of each character presented by the narrator, namely the tavern keeper. He explains that some characters like the Reeve do not meet the standards of their class. At the beginning of the Reeve’s description, Chaucer tells the reader that he is an old, sick man that is well shaven, clean cut, and hard working on the farm. He also describes the Reeve as choleric, which means he is bad tempered or angry most of the time towards others, and is not as innocent as he looks.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how chaucer's canterbury tales' prologue provides either a positive or negative description of each character presented by the narrator. he explains that some characters like the reeve do not meet the standards of their class.
- Analyzes how the reeve in canterbury tales is primarily a manager of someone's farm, which he has been doing for many years. he estimates the yields of his owner’s crops and livestock based on the rainfall every year.
- Analyzes how the narrator explains how much money and stuff the reeve has compared to his lord that he manages.
- Analyzes how the reeve was considered a skilled thief, blackmailer, and enjoys the greetings he gets from his lord. he buys gifts with dirty money and expects to get something in return.
- Analyzes how the reeve is a thief, blackmailer, and user of one's belongings to make his life better. chaucer does not accept the tavern keeper in the canterbury tales prologue.
586 wordsRead More