The Canterbury Tales: Two Character Exegesis Of The Canterbury Tales
analytical Essay
947 words
Canterbury Tales: Two Character Exegesis The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer are a collection of Middle English short stories written about a group of pilgrims telling tales as they journey to the shrine of St Thomas Becket. In this collection of tales, Chaucer introduces a slew of interesting characters representing all walks of life who present intriguing stories of their lives. The character of Chaucer serves as our guide throughout this story. Chaucer’s narration is unique in that we see him both as someone who could be there in the tavern with the group but at other times, Chaucer is a narrator who seems to know far more than he should. With this type of narration, we gain different perspectives on the pilgrims and …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the last line of the portrait shows that any indiscretions she might have had before marriage were nothing to be ashamed of.
- Analyzes how the portrait calls the summoner a liar and references the fact that his main goal is filling his purse. his chief means of making his money is to bribe individuals not to be delivered of summons that he may have laid the charges for.
- Analyzes chaucer's canterbury tales, a collection of middle english short stories about pilgrims telling tales as they journey to the shrine of st thomas becket.
- Analyzes how the woman's sexual prowess is mentioned, but not humiliation, in the portrait of the wife of bath.
- Analyzes how chaucer's wife of bath is a critique of society during his lifetime with subtle satire.
In this paper I will compare two of Chaucer’s characters using both the interpretation of the characters as written and how those same characters would be interpreted today. The two roles I will be discussing are the Wife of Bath and the Summoner. I will attempt to show that although the Wife of Bath was supported as a good woman in part because of her sexual prowess as the character was written, the same sort of character - were she to tell her tale today - would be shamed and looked down upon as promiscuous and unworthy. The Summoner, on the other hand, would not be reinterpreted very differently and would be as reviled today as he was at the time of writing. His corruption, lechery and drunkenness would still be condemned. In the Wife of Bath’s portrait she is described as heavy, bluff woman that is industrious, a talented weaver, her five husbands and her pilgrimages to Jerusalem. There is some reference to her potential promiscuity in youth but it is glossed over. Withouten oother compaignye in youthe, …show more content…
Again, we see a reference to her sexual prowess but nothing of humiliation to be found in the portrayal. Of the thirty one lines devoted to the portrait of the Wife of Bath only those four are committed to that portion of her character. By today’s standards that is an infinitesimal amount to be dedicated to the salacious parts of a character portrait. The mere fact that this woman had been married five times and that there was a possibility of a scandal in her youth would be enough to wipe out any discussion of her piousness, her travels and most especially her good work. In todays world it would be more likely that her possible promiscuity would be used specifically to undermine any skill she might have to promote herself. In the Portrait of the Summoner his physical appearance is described as red, scabby and covered in pustules. It refers to his drunkenness and mentions when he is inebriated he speaks only Latin but not as though he were educated in the language but only able to parrot two or three phrases. And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood; Thanne wolde he speke and crie as he were wood. And whan that he wel dronken hadde the
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- Character Analysis Of The Canterbury Talesanalytical essay"The Canterbury Tales," is the contrast of realistic and exaggerated qualities that is entitled to each of the characters in the story. When viewed more closely, we can determine whether each of the characters is convincing or questionable based on their personalities Chaucer has narrated. This essay will analyze the characteristics and personalities of The Wife of Bath, The Miller, The Monk, The Knight, and The Parson during the English fourteenth century from the most “sinful” to noble being.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes chaucer's canterbury tales' contrast of realistic and exaggerated qualities that is entitled to each of the characters in the story.
- Explains chaucer's "the canterbury tales" was written in the late fourteenth century by prince lionel son of king edward iii.
- Explains that the wife of bath is a deaf lady married to five men. she loves being married and is an expert on the "art of love."
- Analyzes how the wife of bath is considered sinful and greedy. she has power over her husband when it comes to sex.
- Describes the miller as an obnoxious character with a red beard and red hair, shameless, selfish, and bad temper. chaucer describes him as "trash talking giant".
- Analyzes how the monk is not an ordinary priest, but a mundane man who holds strong in means of his personal enjoyment.
- Opines that the knight is the total opposite of the wife of bath, the miller, and the monk. he displays traits of chivalry, a gentleman that rarely exists today.
- Explains that the parson was a poor man with religious spirit, who did honest work and showed others what is capable when you believe in the scriptures. he was willing to help others in need.
- Analyzes the motif of "not all that glitters is gold." even though the three characters had happiness and wealth, they were miserable. the last two were considered noble, trustworthy, and loving characters.
658 wordsRead More - The Wife Of Bath In Chaucer's The Canterbury Talesanalytical essayThe Wife of Bath is one of the most famous characters within Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. In her prologue, it is quickly made clear that she has had a lot of husbands and by a lot I mean five. Since she has all this experience with men, The Wife of Bath dedicates her prologue to describing how each of her marriages went. In her five marriages she has been accused of lusting too much, to being too controlling, and being abused. While some good husbands were good and some were bad, The Wife of Bath depicts a solid image of her feelings toward men. In her relationships, she must always have the upper hand. She is the type of woman who gets what she wants when she wants it. While describing one of her marriages, The Wife of Bath explains how
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the wife of bath depicts a solid image of her feelings toward men, including power, femininity, and the importance of appearance.
- Analyzes how the knight holds power over the woman in which he raped and presents himself in front of a court full of powerful women. the queen and her ladies decide to give him one year to find the answer to her question.
- Narrates how the knight decides to ask the ugly hag for help after almost a year of searching for an answer to his wife's request of payment.
- Analyzes how the knight gives up his power to solve the queen's riddle, the hag, and the ugly hag for the rest of his life. the story must end in a happy way to please the audience
- Analyzes how the wife of bath does a great job of bringing the role of femininity into play without her interjections.
- Analyzes how the role of appearance is a big theme in both the wife of bath's prologue and tale.
- Analyzes how the knight doesn't want to marry the hag for her age and appearance, but she wants to be loved and respected. the wife of bath uses this theme wisely.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath packs a great deal of information into her prologue and tale. the themes of appearance and femininity follow under the main section of power.
1765 wordsRead More - The One and Only Wife of Bathanalytical essayIn The Canterbury tales, Chaucer uses The Wife of Bath as a representation of what it was like for Women in the Middle Ages to be striped of equality and bow to the otherwise male dominated society. For the representation of women Chaucer uses the Tales of “The Scholar”, “The Second Nun “The Reeve’s”, and “The Franklin” and many others in a very dry, pretentious manner to steer readers into the view of how a women of the Middle Ages should be as a so called “virtuous” wife or woman. The concept of marriage plays a major part in manifesting the idea of the issues of inferiority of women. The perception rendered as women having to be obedient and inferior figure to their husbands or male counter parts. Chaucer gives give the audience much to think about in terms of The Wife of Baths being she is the total opposite to women of her time. The wife of Baths can be seen maternal figure that possess as a threat of breaking in the societal system by empowering the status of women.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how chaucer uses the wife of bath as a representation of what it was like for women in the middle ages to be striped of equality and bow to the otherwise male dominated society.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath's prologue captures a prime image of who she truly is and the society women are dealing with.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath expands on what was said about women and negative connotations that are placed upon them.
- Analyzes how the symbolism of bread stands out in the wife of bath's prologue. she uses different types of flours to project the imagery of aging.
- Analyzes how chaucer uses the wife of bath to take a stab at the condition of knights and order of "chivalry".
- Analyzes how the queen's role in the story is similar to that of the wife of bath.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath kicks dirt on the cliché idea of women as an obedient figure to man.
- Analyzes how chaucer allows the tale to project the courage of women as well as in a biblical sense.
- Analyzes how griselda in "the scholar's tale" is not as defiant as the wife of bath. chaucer sends a subliminal message by stating for the wives to take control for themselves and their marriages.
- Analyzes how chaucer's "the reeves tale" depicts a society where men saw women as personal property and replaced them as objects.
- Analyzes how the remedy of the seven deadly sins is introduced at the very end of all the pilgrims' tales.
- Analyzes how chaucer's "marriage groups" (kittredge) illustrates the unfairness of society towards women in marriage.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath compliments chaucer's modernistic way of thinking in terms of women and their roles. it shows the disconnection between women, society and christianity.
2763 wordsRead More - Wife of Bath in Chaecer's Canterbury Talesanalytical essayChaucer details of society in that day in age, as well as, his detailed information of the Wife of Bath encompassed values in which women still admire today. Women still seek to have a more powerful role in society, even though still today there is a struggle to reach the top. Still today, the perfection you bring to your personal appearance gets your farther in life. Finally, when the reliance in the Bible and how still to this day church and state combine ideas, having a knowledge of the stories in the Bible shows a woman that is full of morals, values, and a good standard of living. Because of all of this, the Wife of Bath showed many sides of herself that may be hard to believe but yet still the backbone of all of it, is what most women try to do with their lives: be stable, powerful, happy, beautiful, and good morals.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how chaucer's canterbury tales tells about men and women going on pilgrimages, among them the wife of bath in search of her 6th husband, who goes on a journey to pay respect to sir thomas á becket.
- Analyzes how chaucer expresses the sexual, as well as, the controlling side of the wife of bath, which also shows the unrealistic expectations she brought forth.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath flaunted herself and was proud of what she had. chaucer protrayed her having elegance when she was young and full of wantonness.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath's story shows her pride in herself and her knowledge of christian beliefs and the bible.
901 wordsRead More - Gluttony, Avarice, Wrath, Lust, Pride, Envy, and Sloth are all commonly known as the “Seven Deadly Sins”. Each of these seven sins plays a major role in development of the different characters. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”, the Pardoner committed sins through gluttony and avarice; the Wife of Bath through Pride and Lust; and also the Monk through gluttony and wrath. However, omnipresent on all the characters are the different deadly sins that led to their development and morality.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that gluttony, avarice, wrath, lust, pride, envy and sloth are all commonly known as the "seven deadly sins". each of these seven sins plays a major role in development of the characters.
- Analyzes how pride and lust are closely associated with the wife of bath.
- Explains that the pardoner is a gluttonous man who obtains money by deceitful means. his craving for money and wealth can be demonstrated through his singing in an offertory.
597 wordsRead More - The Characters in The Canterbury Talesanalytical essayThe Purpose of the Characters in The Canterbury Tales The characters introduced in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales each represent a stereotype of a kind of person that Chaucer would have been familiar with in 14th Century England. Each character is unique, yet embodies many physical and behavioral traits that would have been common for someone in their profession. In preparing the reader for the tales, Chaucer first sets the mood by providing an overall idea of the type of character who is telling the tale, then allows that character to introduce themselves through a personal prologue and finally, the pilgrim tells their tale. Through providing the reader with insight about the physical and personal traits of the pilgrim and then allowing that person to come to life and tell an animated story, the reader is more prepared for the story as well as able to relate the physical description to the telling of the story.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how chaucer sets the mood by providing an overall idea of the type of character who is telling the tale, then allows that character to introduce themselves through a personal prologue and finally, the pilgrim tells their tale.
- Analyzes how the miller's physical descriptions were believed to denote a shameless, talkative, lecherous, and quarrelsome character. his personality is also depicted as being very loud and disturbing.
- Analyzes how the narrator urges the reader to find another tale to read before they are offended and waste their time listening to the miller.
- Analyzes how the color of her stockings, in particular, is significant, since, like the miller, her face is also described as "reed of hewe"
- Analyzes how the wife of bath loses control of her fifth husband, jankyn, and uses it to manipulate him into giving her back her property.
- Analyzes how the altercation ends the difficulties that the wife of bath was having getting along with her husband.
- Analyzes how the merchant, like the miller, is described as a devilish man with "forked berd" in "the general prologue." he is distinguished by his views on marriage, which compliment his business sense.
- Compares "the merchants tale" to "wife of bath" because the main character, januarie, is blind to many aspects of what the merchant feels are problems with women.
- Analyzes how chaucer describes the miller as having a "thombe of gold" in "the general prologue." the miller's appearance after the more solemn knight creates contrast in mood.
- Analyzes how the color red in the miller's face and hair can be interpreted in two different ways. it creates a comical mood around him that is carried by the reader into his tale.
- Analyzes how chaucer's advice to turn away from the story is enticing the reader and piquing their curiosity about the tale that the miller is eager to share.
- Analyzes how beidler asserts that the word large can be interpreted as an adverb rather than an adjective.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath has adapted herself to the role of a wife and uses her feminine powers to gain an advantage over him. the knight shows little respect for women in the beginning of the story.
- Analyzes how the merchant, like the wife of bath, uses his tale and prologue to offer his opinion of love and marriage.
- Analyzes how chaucer uses the pilgrims as instruments to illustrate a network of interlocking stories within the larger work.
- Describes chaucer's canterbury tales, including his 'foot-mantel', and irma taavitsainen.
4004 wordsRead More - Aspects of Our Existence in The Canterbury Talesanalytical essayAspects of Our Existence in The Canterbury Tales Through out the history of our own existence men and women alike have pondered and questioned whether there truly exists a force that controls all aspects of our existence. In order to answer these questions men have gone on spiritual quest for not only knowledge of god, but to shed light on our own lives. Men like Geoffrey Chaucer take us on a quest to dig deep within our souls to answer our own question. In Chaucer’s collection of tales entitled, The Canterbury Tales The tales deal with a group of pilgrims of all social classes in search for forgiveness to the shrine of Thomas a Becket. The pilgrims all seek knowledge they cannot have but still try and find that knowledge within each other by telling their tales of morality.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how geoffrey chaucer takes us on a quest to dig deep within our souls to answer our own question.
- Analyzes how chaucer recognizes the respect and ranks all the characters by describing their flaws as well as what they contribute to society.
- Describes chaucer's millers tale as a tale of humor that involves four characters who all search for love in the wrong placer and learn from their mistakes.
- Analyzes how chaucer tells the story of chanticleer the cock and his favorite of six other hens, pertelot.
- Analyzes how chaucer uses chanticleer to symbolize power and beauty on the outside but he is nothing mere of an egotistical, self-indulgent character who places even his most precious love behind his own fear.
- Narrates chaucer's tale of an honorable man named virginous who lived his life by honor and chastity. he is a corrupt figure of power that is willing to do anything to get his trophy.
- Analyzes how chaucer's "the friars tale" deals with the injustices of a summoner who carries out the punishment of others such as witchcraft and lechery.
- Analyzes chaucer's attempt to talk about marriage as he did in "the miller’s tale." the characters reflect on the months of the year.
- Analyzes how "the franklin's tale" illustrates loyalty within one’s relationship. the brave knight aruigus leaves his wife dorigen who believes that the rocks at the shore would take her husbands life.
- Analyzes how chaucer tires to give us a picture of the ideal man who possessed everything any man would envy.
- Analyzes how chaucer's "the parson’s tale" illustrates seven deadly sins, including pride, envy, anger, avarice, gluttony and lechery.
- Opines that men look to the advice of great poets like geoffrey chaucer to unravel the mysteries of life and how we as human beings can obtain greatness and salvation under god’s standards of good and evil.
2159 wordsRead More - Lambdin, Laura C. and Robert T. Lambdin, ed. Chaucer's Pilgrims: An Historical Guide to the Pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales. London: Greenwood Press, 1996.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the character of bath's wife. her character is noted to be strong and bold and we learn from her.
- Opines that just as men use the bible to justify women's marriages, the bible is used as a justification.
- Analyzes how the woman is not dressed in a hat, shoes, or spurs.
- Opines that the woman doesn't need a financial support.
- Analyzes how the issue of sex comes up during the prologue, when she asks the purpose of the prologue.
- Opines that the wife of bath really wants dominance over him to bring men.
- Explains that the wife of bath is a woman who falls out in the normal way that women do.
- Explains plummer, john f., "the wife of bath's hat as a sexual metaphor." english language notes, 18 (1980-1981).
- Explains that herman, burke, and lambdin eds. signs and symbols in chaucer's poetry. university of alabama press, 1981.
1106 wordsRead More - Women In Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Talesanalytical essayGeoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” is a collection of stories written between 1387 and 1400 about a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England) and on their way, they tell stories to each other about their lives and experiences. The stories constitute a critique of English society at the time, and particularly of the Church, while women seem to be presented in a different way than they are in other contemporary works.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that chaucer offered a new perspective in medieval literature as far as women are concerned: he focused on the real and not the ideal. although societal rules did not leave much freedom to women, they still remained at the epicenter of attention.
- Analyzes geoffrey chaucer's "the canterbury tales" as a collection of stories written between 1387 and 1400 about pilgrims who tell stories about their lives and experiences.
- Explains that the medieval period was characterized by major social changes that were reflected both in everyday lives and in the literature produced during that period.
- Analyzes how the women in chaucer's work reflect the state in medieval society. they are not ideal impersonations of women, but he approaches them in a realistic but also controversial manner.
- Describes chaucer's canterbury tales, trans. and ed. chris lauer. hulbert, j.r., and martin, priscilla.
1276 wordsRead More - The Wife of Bathanalytical essayThe Wife of Bath is a complex character-she is different from the way she represents herself. Maybe not even what she herself thinks she is. On the surface, it seems as though she is a feminist, defending the rights and power of women over men. She also describes how she dominates her husband, playing on a fear that was common to men. From a point of view of a man during that time period, she seemed to illustrate all of the wrongs that men found in women. Such as a weak parody of what men, then saw as feminists. The Wife of Bath constantly emphasizes the negative implications of women throughout the ages. She describes women as greedy, controlling, and dishonest.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the wife of bath is a complex character, defending the rights and power of women over men, and illustrating the wrongs that men found in women.
- Argues that the wife of bath is a strong-willed and dominant woman who gets what she wants by manipulating her husbands into feeling bad for things they didn't do.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath's fifth husband abuses her, something that would not be tolerated by a "good" feminist.
- Analyzes how the wife of bath emphasizes negative connotations of women, such as greed, controlling, and being dishonest, to show how they rank next to men.
- Concludes that the wife of bath could be considered a "failed feminist" in many cases because she twists the definition of feminist into something along the lines of being sexist.
541 wordsRead More