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middle english canterbury tales prolouge
poetic devices in the Canterbury tales the general prologue the friar
the canterbury tales analysis
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In “The Prologue” to The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses satire to make a statement about the nature of humanity. “The Prologue” shows the importance of a historical meaning as it describes the social classes of the 1300’s. However, most modern readers can relate to the hypocrisy being displayed by the first three major characters.
Chaucer begins his examination early with three religious characters-first being the monk. Monks were supposed to live their lives in poverty, chastity, and obedience-something that this particular monk failed to do. He took pleasure in owning many horses and dressing nicely which defiled his purpose of poverty. If he wasn’t living by this characteristic, then of course, he wasn’t being very obedient.
Immediately following the monk, the nun is described as a very counterfeit person. She loved to put on a show in front of others and act cheerful, mannerly, and religious; this was not her true self. She knew very little about her religion, which made her a very hypocritical person. If she wanted to have the role of a nun, she was supposed to represent it properly, but she did not.
Chaucer concludes his list of consecutive hypocritical characters with the friar. In the 1300’s, friars were supposed to live by strict codes such as representing a Christ-like image and not taking anything unless given. This friar, however, preferred not to be around the poor and sick which is not representing the life of Christ because those were the people he was usually around. He also desired to dress as richly as the pope, which wasn’t very Christ-like. He also never did a favor for anybody unless he was rewarded for it; this contradicted his humbleness.
The hypocrisy in “The Prologue” is made very clear when Chaucer balances the evil with goodness represented by the parson and plowman.
Personalities come in all shapes and sizes, however, they often contrast with ones occupation or societal ranking. Geoffrey Chaucer shows readers this through The Canterbury Tales as he describes the lives and his views of each character. The Prioress, the Monk, and the Friar, all get on the narrators bad side as they try to portray themselves as someone they were not destined to be. An important aspect of medieval societal values is being true to ones ranking among others and these characters are the complete opposite of whom they truly are. Through these characters, Chaucer shows how these flaws can damage the way others perceive someone.
In “The Pardoner’s Tale,” Geoffrey Chaucer masterfully frames an informal homily. Through the use of verbal and situational irony, Chaucer is able to accentuate the moral characteristics of the Pardoner. The essence of the story is exemplified by the blatant discrepancy between the character of the storyteller and the message of his story. By analyzing this contrast, the reader can place himself in the mind of the Pardoner in order to account for his psychology.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769, to a well-off Corsican family . Legend says that, in a rush to enter the world and fulfill his destiny, Napoleon was delivered abruptly in the Bonaparte household on a threadbare rug that depicted heroic scenes from The Iliad. This story has been dismissed, explaining that the Bonapartes were not wealthy enough to have luxuries such as rugs in their home, and even so, any rugs would have been put away during a hot summer in Corsica . Nonetheless, the legend illustrates that, from birth, Napoleon possessed the drive and ener...
“Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live” (Proverbs 15:27). The Bible condemns the value of greed and Chaucer is able to incorporate this value into his work through the ironic uses of holy men. Chaucer’s “The Shipman’s Tale” and “The Summoner’s Tale” suggests that the monk and the friar have an overactive id which overpowers their superego- evident from the character’s selfish motives and their rejection of their holy vows.
Napoleon was born in Corsica and went to military school where at that time France was at war with Britain, Austria and Russia. Being in the military he led the French army and achieved victory from the Austrians in 1797 who also negotiated with other nations such as Britain (MORAN 6-22). He established a new Napoleon code which had traditional laws resembling the new revolution in France. He later crowned himself emperor of France and combined social rehabilitation with his own arbitrary power. He also worked a covenant with the Catholic Church where there was a purification of Napoleon and Empress Josephine, who was from a wealthy family. His rise created a new empire which covered much of Europe apart from Britain (MORAN 6-22). He used his family, relatives and friends to power the European countries, hence to why his pride and aspiration led Europe to unite against him. His fall was brought by the detested of French rule all over
Light-hearted yet bitingly satirical, Chaucer’s “General Prologue” to his Canterbury Tales is a commentary on the corruptions of the Church at the time. Chaucer, being of noble estate, retains his witticism in his narrator. The narrator devotes many a line to the vivid portrayals of the Prioress and the Frere. Through the actions of these two members of the clergy, it is seen that the lust for material goods, the need for flaunting one’s estate, and the development of hypocrisy all contribute to the shaking of the Church’s foundations.
Chaucer aptly creates a picture that exposes how materialistic the clergy is. They all should be concerned with spiritual matters, yet they focus their attention on acquiring more mundane goods. The Monk makes no pretense of being poor and without luxuries. "I saw his sleeves were garnished at the hand with fine gray fur, the finest in the land, and on his hood, to fasten it at his chin he had a wrought-gold, cunningly fashioned pin. . ." (197-200, 110). Not only is this monk fat, and thus quite well fed, he has the money to afford details such as fur on his cloak. He is looking for attention by having such fine things. His station as a monk, however, requires him not only to work with the poor, but to be poor himself. Obviously, he is not following this requirement, much like the Prioress. Madam Eglantyne, appears at first glance to be proper for her station in life. However, a closer examination reveals "she wore a coral trinket on her arm, a set of beads, the gaudies tricked in green, whence hung a golden brooch of brightest sheen" (162-64, 109). A golden brooch serves no other purpose than being decorative. The Prioress has no...
Being a part of a small noble family, Napoleon found he was able to attend a school in mainland France. He eventually found himself at Brienne, a school where his Corsican background and lack of French nobility caused him great hardship and stress from other students. This would plant the seeds of hatred for nobility inside Napoleon that would eventually lead him to destroying noble privilege based on birth in his empire....
The Canterbury Tales examines many important qualities of human nature. Chaucer purposely mocks the faults in his characters, and shows the hypocrisy and deceitfulness ...
The stories on The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer often undermine societal hierarchies at the time. The tales Chaucer tells highlight aspects of authority that would otherwise never be questioned. In “The Miller’s Tale”, the notion of a clear useful economic hierarchy is challenged. Chaucer critiques chivalry in “The Knight’s Tale,” testing the value of the authority it provides. In “The Friar’s Tale”, Chaucer questions the benevolence of the church and its position hierarchy. By giving archetypal characters the freedom to act in opposition to their hierarchical roles, Chaucer calls the nature of authority into question.
...gerated stories, so Chaucer the author, can use this parodies to satirize medieval society in an innocent but genius way “Be then advised, and hold me free from blame; / Men should not be too serious at a game.” (The Miller’s Tale Prologue). It is through of the eyes of Chaucer the pilgrim, and through his tendency to use propensity long words, double banked adjectives, long, complicated sentences and paragraphs, attractive mannerisms of expression that there parodist features can be identified and then exploit. Chaucer the poet, is therefore a man who takes it upon himself to correct censure and ridicule the follies and vices of society and thus to bring contempt and mockery upon aberrations from a desirable and civilized norm. Thus Chaucer parodies actually convey a protest, a sublimation and refinement of anger and indignation – a satire – of the medieval times.
The Friar, who lived off begging, appears to live a lowly existence, while Chaucer refers to the papacy in writing, “he had a special license from the Pope” (Chaucer 9.) Chaucer utilizes his opening statements of the Friar to present his character drawbacks, which can provide for a greater representation of the Church. In his description, it is shown that he will help the society “for a small fee” (Chaucer 10.) The Friar, being a religious person, uses his power to benefit for his own greed. ...
The extreme overstatements amplify the characters. One characters the Chaucer uses with this is the Summoner, a person who has the capability to excommunicate people from the Church. The Summoner was “as hot and lecherous as a sparrow/ . . .children were afraid of him . . ./ [he had] pimples sitting on his cheeks./ Garlic he loved. And onions too, and leeks/ and drinking strong red wine” (Chaucer 644-653). Chaucer really accentuates how gross and unpleasant the Summoner is. This gives the impression that he is a vile man and if one were to come upon him, he would not be someone who is involved with the church. This shows how society has the expectation for church members or leaders to have a certain appearance that brings comfort and happiness, which is the opposite of the Summoner who cannot change himself in that way. Another person that Chaucer overemphasizes is the Sergeant at the Law. The Sergeant is hard-working lawyer, “he knew every judgment, case, and crime/ ever recorded since King William’s time./ He could dictate defenses or draft deeds . . . / He knew every statute off by rote” (Chaucer 333-337). Chaucer calls attention to how dedicated and full of facts the Sergeant is; although he won several awards and money, the Sergeant was never as busy as he appeared to be because he likes to spend his time studying up on cases. The Sergeant
In the middle ages Friars, Monks and Prioresses had very specific roles in society. A Friar had to follow the mendicant order while living off of charity, preaching, educating, attending to the sick and absolving people from their sin. The Prioress was the head of a group of nuns. She would have had a low social standing as she belongs to the Theocracy. Her roles included growing vegetables and grain, producing wine and honey, providing medical care for the community and being in charge of the Priories. Lastly, the Monk’s role was to remain in his cloister and study religious texts; “And that a monk uncloistered is a mere/ Fish out of water, flapping on the pier…”(177-178). All of these people were supposed to model holiness; they were bound to the community and had no personal possessions. They are supposed to be selfless Christians dedicated to the Church.
It is a sad commentary on the clergy that, in the Middle Ages, this class that was responsible for morality was often the class most marked by corruption. Few works of the times satirically highlight this phenomenon as well as The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer’s "General Prologue" introduces us to a cast of clergy, or "Second Estate" folk, who range in nature from pious to corrupt. The Friar seems to be an excellent example of the corrupt nature of many low-level clergymen of the times- while his activities were not heretical or heinous, his behavior is certainly not in accord with the selfless moral teachings he is supposed to espouse. According to the Narrator’s account, he is a snob, corrupted by greed, and acts in very un-Christian ways. It is clear that he is a man of low moral standards.