How effectively does Chaucer depict human nature and human folly in
the Merchant's tale?
"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today"
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January our main character of this tale shows a resemblance to this
quotation, particularly in how it effects his behavior. What the late
James Dean is trying to tell us simply is that try and make each day
count, and never waste a minute because you could drop down dead. Now
for most this appears to be a little dramatic lets say, but for
January who has already outlived his peers and now sits at a grand age
then it all becomes relevant. With this is mind we can look at how
Chaucer has let January become the character he is partially down to
the fact of his age. We know January is highly sexually driven there
is no argument. Yet Chaucer leaves us believing this is down to his
personality and character, his age is not used as a justifiable tool
to any extent; so what if the man is 60 he still wants to have sex
right, yet our author plays this fact more on the person he is than
his age.
We are told that January does have a sexual appetite and does
regularly feed it mostly with a selection of middle aged women, so
when he requires himself a young and "untouched" girl for a wife we
are taken aback. Now Chaucer throws age into the mix and we begin to
see just how January thinks and more precisely what he desires.
Justinus and placebo's scene with January for me is more like him
talking to himself and there being an angel on one shoulder and a
devil on the other. Placebo is the "devil" and the free thinking no
conscience side of |January whilst Justinus is the angel who shows
conscience and justice. Chaucer has used this scene well to show us
exactly the knight's thoughts. As the characters tell him what they
think, inversely it is really what he thinks; by the way he chooses to
ignore Justinus we know that he throws the proper thinking aside, and
by listening to Placebo he listens to what he wants.and desires.
The folly for January is his great lack of realism. Not only is it
portrayed by the way he expects to have a young wife at the age of 60,
but by the way he thinks that he "still has it" and that his age has
not effected his status with women. This is one of the seven sins that
Chaucer uses in all of the Canterbury tales; VANITY.
. ." (lines 5-7). In this, he tries to begin to explain that in order to truly live the fullest life possible, one must live simply; literally "driv[ing] life into a corner, and reduc[ing] it to its lowest terms" is the only way to achieve fullness. Later, he also states: "Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito’s wing that falls on the rails. Let us rise early and fast, or break fast, gently and without [disturbance]; let company come and let company go, let the bells ring and the children cry. . ." (lines 13-16). In this, he expresses that one should not let the daily disturbances of life affect oneself. Life should be lived with litle disturbance, and even such disturbances should not be taken as seriously. In choosing to give examples, he shows just how many things go on that one can be pestered with, and that one should choose to ignore them and let them pass by. He also states: "Let us settle ourselves, and work and wedge our feet downward through the mud
A relationship is usually seen between the teller of a tale and the tale that he or she decides to share. Chaucer’s pilgrim, the Merchant, uses his feelings on marriage to teach a lesson in his tale. The Wife of Bathe also relies on her life experience to tell her tale. The two relationships in the tales can then be compared.
The aspect of greed shows itself as the heart of the many immoral acts committed by fictional characters and real people. From Adam and Eve’s betrayal to Macbeth’s collapse portrays what greed can produce as a result: destruction. Whether it destroys one’s health, it inherently portrays as a force to the path of corruption. The Pardoner, from The Canterbury Tales, defines greed’s purpose. This includes how greed pulls them to degeneration. No matter how subtle the fall, it still brings to distasteful events for the characters from The Importance of Being Earnest. Although the characters differ, their obsessions with their immoral acts decline their personalities. Thus, the authors portray the characters’ greed, as a pernicious force that drives
The Merchant's Tale tells the story of an old man searching for a wife and finding one, who is ultimately unfaithful to him. Chaucer uses a variety of elements in the poem to show his knowledge of contemporary interests and his story telling capacity through another figure. Irony flows through the poem, laced with allusions to the Bible. Chaucer's use of his astronomical knowledge not only allows modern day scholars to date events, but also adds another dimension of interest for the contemporary audience and of course, the pilgrims.
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.
The Virtue of Men and Women in The Canterbury Tales People never change. In every town you will always be able to find the "rich guy," the "smart guy," the "thief," and the "chief." It has been that way since the first man was swindled out of his lunch. Throughout his life, Geoffrey Chaucer encountered every kind of person and brought them to life for us in "The Canterbury Tales," a collection of short stories written in the 1300's. There are tales of saints, tales of promiscuity, tales of fraud, and tales of love.
In Susan Pharr's "The Common Elements of Oppression", she defines "the other" as the outcast of society, the ones who stand up for what they believe in, no matter how `against the grain' it may be, the ones who try the hardest to earn acceptance, yet never receive it. In Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice", Shylock, the `villain' is portrayed as the other simply because of his faith, because he is Jewish in a predominantly Christian society.
Living every day like it is your last is good way to live. He wanted to know what his life was worth. So he decided to make something of it. He went to Stanford dropped out, best decision of his life, then started up his own company. He realized that one day you can be the richest man on earth then th...
say, “If I can catch once upon the hip I will feed fat the ancient
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, (written c. 1387), is a richly varied compilation of fictional stories as told by a group of twenty-nine persons involved in a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury, England during the fourteenth century. This journey is to take those travelers who desire religious catharsis to the shrine of the holy martyr St. Thomas a Becket of Canterbury. The device of a springtime pilgrimage provided Chaucer with a diverse range of characters and experiences, with him being both a narrator and an observer. Written in Middle English, each tale depicts parables from each traveler.
The double standard of aging is, as women get older they are seen as less useful, less attractive, you could even say “washed up”. Whereas, men are seen as mentally and financially stable, wise and powerful. Society see’s women as this “young spring chicken” who can do anything, take care of others, create life; typically young women are seen as sexier, more fun and livelier. As women age, they are portrayed as mean, boring, not as sexy, or even useless. On the other hand, society sees men as they age as strong, powerful, sexier, and even wiser; typically younger men are seen as immature, broke, and useful for great sex as “they are in their prime”. This is what the double standard of aging looks like. This is also how the unwritten rule of
Risk is the exposure to danger. Taking risks are necessary because risk reveals experience to an individual. Hazard has both malevolent and benevolent outcomes, which can affect the overall atmosphere in a play. The content of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice includes many scenarios of risk-taking among the relationships between characters. The Merchant of Venice consists of four different plots: the bond plot, casket plot, love plot, and ring plot; in which characters are exposed to danger. Risk serves a major responsibility as it divulges many elements of dramatic significance throughout the play. Shakespeare manifests hazard through rival arguments, lovers’ commitments, and father and child agreements.
William Shakespeare attained literary immortality through his exposition of the many qualities of human nature in his works. One such work, The Merchant of Venice, revolves around the very human trait of deception. Fakes and frauds have been persistent throughout history, even to this day. Evidence of deception is all around us, whether it is in the products we purchase or the sales clerks' false smile as one debates the purchase of the illusory merchandise. We are engulfed by phonies, pretenders, and cheaters. Although most often associated with a heart of malice, imposture varies in its motives as much as it's practitioners, demonstrated in The Merchant of Venice by the obdurate characters of Shylock and Portia.
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.
Medical events may occur that may make sexuality harder for some, but will not slow them down. The human evolutionary trait that demands sex for personal enjoyment, and entertainment versus just to reproduce does not stop at the age 50, but could potentially make someone over the age more active. Psychologically, intercourse for elders can be beneficial, along with physiologically to live healthier lifestyles. After 50, people are not ready for the release of death, but rather enjoy the time they have left.