The Canterbury Tales Essay - 972 Words

The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales, a masterpiece of English Literature, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a collection, with frequent dramatic links, of 24 tales told to pass the time during a spring pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. The General Prologue introduces the pilgrims, 29 sondry folk gathered at the Tabard Inn in Southwark (outside of London). Chaucer decides to join them, taking some time to describe each pilgrim. According to the Norton Anthology, the composition of none of the tales can be accurately dated; most of them were written during the last fourteen years of Chaucers life, although a few were probably written earlier and inserted into The Canterbury Tales (Norton, 80).†¦show more content†¦The Prioress, Madame Eglantine, is a character full of denial. Though she is a nun whose duties should be pledged to God, she certainly considers herself a lady first. She speaks bad French, ate and dressed very carefully, and wears a brooch that says love conquers all. She also cares deeply for animals, bringing several along with her on the pilgrimage. Her lady-like behavior seems to stand in direct contrast to the ways of a good Nun. This is Chaucers first criticism of religion, a theme he returns to throughout the poem. Like the Prioress, the Monk is also an ironic characterization. The Monk loved to ride horses and hunt. He also eats well and dresses in nice clothes. He even goes so far as to say that he prefers the outdoor life, hardly a statement one would expect from one whose profession entails sitting inside and copying books. The Friar is a bad guy. He is licensed to hear confessions and uses his position to beg for money, operating under the assumption that penance works better through payment than prayers. He also has the reputation of getting girls into trouble, then helping to marry them to others GRAPH The Merchant knows a good bargain when he sees it. His very smooth behavior helps hide the fact that he is really in debt. The Clerk is soft-spoken student of the thetoric arts. When he speaks, it is with such expression that people readily listen. He is one of the most admiredShow MoreRelatedThe Canterbury Tales832 Words   |  4 PagesThe 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 the Miller’s Tale, theRead MoreChaucers Canterbury Tales741 Words   |  3 Pagesreference to one of The Canterbury Tales discuss, what means Chaucer uses to create the highly individualized (and often comic) characters and how successful is his creation. The Friar from The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer was a master at creating highly individualized characters who are often comic and realistic at the same time and always have good traits as well as bad ones. The aim of this essay is to demonstrate this ability on the example of the Friar from The Canterbury Tales who is one of theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Canterbury Tales 1189 Words   |  5 Pagessuch examples following this concept is The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1478, and Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley 1818. Three characters in The Canterbury Tales (The Wife of Bath, The Pardoner, and The Knight) and The Monster in Frankenstein have developed a talent for successful storytelling, proven by their abilities to engage the audience with their pathos and passion. While storytelling is used differently in The Canterbury Tales (as a method of entertainment) than in FrankensteinRead More Chaucers Canterbury Tales2103 Words   |  9 Pagesforever immortalized as Geoffrey Chaucer the writer , and the Satirist. The true goal of any Satire is to point out the flaws in certain aspect of society, while also inspiring reform to that very same aspect in one way or another. In Chaucer’s Canterbury tales, Chaucer satirizes the corruption Catholic Church and those associated. Chaucer saw that hypocrisy polluted the pureness of the church and expressed his disillusionment through the use of satire. Fearless of discommunication Geoffrey ChaucerRead MoreMoral In The Canterbury Tales1221 Words   |  5 PagesThe Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales have an ultimate lesson at the end, just as every other literary work does. In some of them, he simply states what it is, or some may have to be inferred. During the time, many social and historical events were taking place, and in some instances, Chaucer chose to base the moral around it. While reading The Canterbury Tales, the audience gets entertainment and a basic knowledge of what life what like through the lessons he presents. All of the tales moralsRead MoreThe Guildsmen In The Canterbury Tales882 Words   |  4 PagesThe Guildsmen of The Canterbury Tales Step 1 Prewriting: The Guildsmen were a group of men a part of a labor union. The carpenter, the weaver, the haberdasher, the dyer, and the carpet maker all traveled together due to their similar trades. They did this so they could increase the prices of their good. These men were all very successful in their respective trades. The men dressed in very fancy attire. The Guildsmen were also very proud of how well they treated their wives. Step 2 Prewriting: ThereRead MoreChaucers The Canterbury Tales1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales serves as a moral manual in the Middle Ages. In the tales, Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the problems of the society. For instance, Chaucer uses the monk and the friar in comparison to the parson to show what the ecclesiastical class are doing versus what they are supposed to be doing. In other words, it is to make people be aware of these problems. It can be inferred that the author’s main goal is for this literary work to serve as a message to the people along with changing theRead MoreCanterbury Tales Analysis1934 Words   |  8 PagesUnderstanding the Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer is considered by many scholars to by the father of early English poetry literature. Prized for his literary talent and philosophic disposition, some of his best works include The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde (Encyclopedia of World Biography). The Canterbury Tales, in particular, shows a remarkable depiction of society during the Middle Ages. Through this piece of literary work, Chaucer provides powerful commentary the church, socialRead MoreEssay on The Canterbury Tales538 Words   |  3 PagesThe Canterbury Tales â€Å"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 strawRead More Canterbury Tales Essay646 Words   |  3 Pages Corruption in the Church nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Chaucer lived in a time dictated by religion and religious ideas in which he uses The Canterbury Tales to show some of his views. Religion played a significant role in fourteenth-century England and also in Chauceramp;#8217;s writing. His ideas of the Church are first seen in amp;#8220;The Prologue,; and he uses seven religious persons to show the influence of the religion in his writing. Although many of his characters appear to portray