Examples Of Gentilesse In The Canterbury Tales

“Refer to the extract and other parts of the text using relevant context on medieval ideas about gentilesse , examine poetic methods which Chaucer uses to present the idea of gentilesse.” Lines 1109-1145

Gentilesse can be defined as a quality that causes a person to do noble deeds and behave virtuously. The word “gentilesse” itself is a nuance of the more common modern term “gentleman” indicating a male of aristocratic origin who displays virtues expected of his social rank. In the 14th century gentilesse was a quality expected of the Knight, who in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” is symbolic of all men. Fifteenth century England society was obsessed with class and social rank. The existence of the feudal system demonstrates this hierarchical system, with the King at the top, his noblemen, including Lords and Knights below him, and the Peasantry and women at the very bottom of the social rank. Gentilesse was considered to be inherited if you were born into an aristocratic family, but Chaucer presents his idea of gentilesse both through Alison the Wife of Bath aswell as in her tale through the ‘Loathly Lady’. The Wife argues that gentilesse is certainly not inherited dependent upon birth into an

For example in the extract the wife says “For God of his goodnesse wole that of him we claime oure gentilesse”. The wife emphasises this further in the tale by repetition of this idea of gentilesse “thy gentilesse cannot cometh fro God allone.” However like Alison herself the loathly lady also shows ambivalence in her opinion, first saying that gentilesse comes from Gods grace and then saying that it must come from good deeds. The wife finally arrives at the resolution that it must come from both, given by Gods grace the ability to carry out good deeds is what defines the source of