RELATIONSHIPS IN TALES

Canterbury Tales Relationships
Relationships in The Canterbury Tales The Church during the Middle Ages was responsible for
generating a great deal of the anti–feminist theology, which perpetuated the subjugation of women.
The Medieval Church taught that women were inferior to men and that they should be compliant
and obedient to their fathers and husbands. The Canterbury Tales give insight into the society of the
time including social structure, relationships among different genders and classes, and the cultural
rules and limits. By depicting the disproportionate relationship between men and women during the
fourteenth century, Chaucer confirms his beliefs of misogyny and the portrayal of women as passive
objects.
In The Man of Law's Tale, Constance, a celibate Christian is to marry Sultan, who ... Show more
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Walter's subjects cannot dare to disobey their master and Griselda, being one of them, never
questions Walter's authority. On his proposal, Griselda doesn't object in the slightest stating "I swear
I'll never willfully disobey you in thought or deed, even if it costs my life" (Chaucer, 219). Walter,
unsure of Griselda's loyalty decides to put her love and devotion through treacherous tests of loyalty.
He pretends to have her children murdered and to consider their marriage cancelled and replaced in
favour of a new bride. In response, Griselda keeping her promise to obey her master states, "You are
our master; therefore, with your own do as you please; ask no advice of me." (Chaucer, 227).This
trial is hard for any woman in the Middle Ages to embark on, as her role is primarily that of a wife
and mother.Once the truth becomes apparent, Griselda doesn't "care if here and now I die; since I
am loved by you and have your heart." (Chaucer, 240.) Griselda never openly takes a stance
opposing her husband for the cruel tests he put her through. By doing so, she is submissive to his
power and becomes his
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Discuss The Use Of Irony In The Pardoner's Tale
Grant Sauber Mr. Jason Robinson English 12 Honors 19 October 2014 Canterbury Tales Essay The
use of irony has had a profound effect on the world of literature as it is seen in The Canterbury
Tales. Irony can help shape the reader's perception on the theme of the novel as a whole. Throughout
the tales, Chaucer subtly uses irony to criticize different aspects of his society. This irony is namely
used in "The General Prologue", "The Pardoner's Tale", and "The Miller's Tale". Therefore, by
looking at these various tales in the novel, one can see how Chaucer uses irony to critique society.
One way that Chaucer uses this irony is in "The General Prologue" when he describes all the
different characters. This allows him to interject various facts ... Show more content on
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In short, the Pardoner's tale was a lesson. Chaucer uses The Pardoner's Tale to reveal the hypocrisy
of the Pardoner himself in multiple cases. Mostly in all of these cases, the Pardoner does not
practice the same things that he preaches against. He also has an unusual pride, rather than remorse,
in his corrupt behavior. For example, we know from "The General Prologue" to "The Pardoner's
Tale" that the Pardoner strongly believes that all evil comes from greed or the desire for wealth.
However, the Pardoner later states, "I will have money, wool, and cheese, and wheat, though it be
given by the poorest page, or by the poorest widow in the village, and though her children perish of
famine." This statement expresses how the Pardoner is revealing his own hypocrisy. He preaches
that all evil comes from greed, but then he goes right out and talks about how he will have money
for things he wants such as wool and cheese even if it requires him to take money from the very
poor. The Pardoner's Tale itself also talks about how greed can lead to evil, since the three men all
plotted to kill others just for the sole purpose of wealth. This makes it unusual that the Pardoner
would tell this tale since he didn't demonstrate not being greedy for money himself. This is the irony
that Chaucer was looking for in this tale, which helps to further enhance his viewpoint on the
church. However, this is not the only aspect of

Examples Of Free Will In The Knight's Tale
Lucas Shelton
Mr. Small
English 12
18 November 2014
The Canterbury Tales Literary Analysis:
Fate vs. Free Will One of the most controversial questions within the philosophical spectrum is
whether a situations' outcome is based on fate or free will. Geoffrey Chaucer examines both sides of
the argument in "The Knight's Tale", which is only a small portion of The Canterbury Tales. The tale
centered itself around two men, Arcite and Palamon, who fell madly in love with the same woman,
Emily. They were both forced to overcome major obstacles in their paths just to be near her. Yet, in
the end, they faced the greatest challenge. Arcite and Palamon, once the best of friends, became the
most bitter of enemies, as they fought to determine who would ... Show more content on
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As referenced in the previous paragraph, Arcite even fell victim to the "lover's sickness of Eros."
(Chaucer 5) The author takes the extra step to describe its symptoms to the readers, in such detail
that Arcite could almost be seen in his weakened state. Those included an unhealthy, gaunt
appearance, sunken eyes, and extreme paleness. Another example can be seen in the layout of the
amphitheater, which was created by King Theseus to make a spectacle out of the last battle. It is
interesting to note that a man would go to such great lengths to create the most out of a seemingly
meaningless series of events. Regardless, the amphitheater was very extravagant. Near the gate,
stood three temples devoted to the gods, each of which were finely decorated with high–quality
materials. First there was Venus, the goddess of love, then there was Mars, the god of war, and lastly
there was Diana, the goddess of chastity. The third and final example of imagery that can be seen
within the tale is the emphasis on Arcite and Palamon, specifically their individual styles of fighting.
Both men were compared to animals in this sense. According to the text "you might judge that
Palamon in his fighting were a mad lion and Arcite a cruel tiger." (Chaucer 7) Later on, King

Comparing Chaucer's Life And Accomplishments
Geoffrey Chaucer was born circa 1340 in London, England. Geoffrey was born at his parents' house
on Thames Street. Geoffrey became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster, he was paid
little. But it was enough for him to buy himself food and clothing, in 1359 Geoffrey went to fight in
the hundred year war in France. Later at the rethel Geoffrey was captured at rethel, and Because
Geoffrey had royal connections the King Edward III helped pay his ransom. After being released
Geoffrey joined the royal service, he traveled throughout France, Spain, and Italy. After that King
Edward III gave him 20 pension marks. In 1366, Chaucer married Philippa Roet, the daughter of Sir
Payne Roet, and the marriage conveniently helped further Chaucer's career in the ... Show more
In 1387 Philippia passed away, so Geoffrey stopped sharing his royal annuities and he was having
financial hardships. Then Geoffrey had to keep working to support himself in his living and pay off
his growing debt. Then Geoffrey started writing, but the exact dates cannot be said, Chaucer's body
of best–known works includes the Parliament of Fouls, otherwise known as the Parlement of Foules.
From 1389 to 1391, after Richard II had ascended to the throne, Chaucer held a draining and
dangerous position as Clerk of the Works. Geoffrey was robbed twice by highway men, in 1399
Richard II was deposed and his cousin and successor took over. Then Henry VI took pity on
Geoffrey and gave him his pension, and Geoffrey was able to lease an apartment in St Mary's
garden. That is where Geoffrey lived the rest of his life, he died in 1400 Geoffrey was buried in
Westminster Abbey. His gravestone became the center of what was to be called Poet's Corner, a spot
where such famous British writers as Robert Browning and Charles Dickens were later honored and

The Pardoner In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
Throughout the Canterbury Tales the pardoner shows that he is the vilest character through his tale
and his interactions with others while they make their journey to Canterbury. Not only is it ironic
that the Pardoner seems to be carefree of his sins and absolve himself of every crime without
hesitation, but the lengths he goes to back up his lies are by far extremely questionable. To begin
with, although the Pardoner does his job and gives his indulgences to those who seek forgiveness
from him, he does it in an unjust way. In order for common folks to have their sins pardoned, they
are to give him money. Although generally most would eventually figure out he was lying, he
manages to continue to get them to pay him money by displaying his "relics". These holy tokens are
said to have come from only the most exquisite, valuable places. In this bag full of relics he has
"Our Lady's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He mentions how he mentions how he makes a "haughty speech" (line 330) and then continues by
making rounds through the church, collecting money and ringing a bell making the illusion that this
money will be a donation to the church rather than the Pardoner. He even shows his relics in church
as well, pulling out glasses with "rags and bones" (line 348) and telling them he will let them see
these relics if they pay. His intelligence and dedication can be in a way admirable, but not under
these circumstances. "And then I show to them like precious stones / My long glass cases crammed
with rags and bones, / For these are relics (so they think). And set / In metal I've a shoulderbone I let
/Them see, from the sheep of a holy Jew (lines 347–351). The steps he is willing to take in order to
get money not only makes him extremely vile but it also contradicts what he is supposed to do in
church. One of the seven deadly sins is greed and he is displaying this greed for money multiple
times throughout the

The Wife Of Bath's Tale Courtly Love
The Canterbury Tales was written by Geoffrey Chaucer. He was known as the "Father of English
literature" and one of the greatest English poets. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London between
1340–1440 to John Chaucer and Agnes Copton (Academy of American Poets 1). The Canterbury
Tales plays a huge role in courtly love and sexual desire. Courtly love is a highly conventionalized
medieval tradition of love between a knight and a married noblewoman. Courtly love is satirized in
many of the tales that does not take place among the nobility. Sexual Desire is a motivational state
or interest in "sexual objects or activities, or as a wish, need, or drive to seek out sexual objects or to
engage in sexual activities". The Wife of Bath's Tale is very frank ... Show more content on
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It is mainly about a carpenter who loves his beautiful wife Alisoun very much and a lot of people
show a liking towards her which started a long love triangle between Allison, the carpenter, and
Nicholas. The tale tells that guys get jealous over beautiful women and never understand that they
are married so stop trying and they keep trying to show Allison sexual contact but she doesn't want
to get caught with them because of her overprotective husband. The quote that showed that was "she
should be his, for this was his desire and hers also. (Chaucer 3418) the quote portrayed that they
shared a desire with each other. Another quote that portrayed sexual rivalry is "She sprang back like
a colt in the halter, and wriggled away with her head. I will not kiss you, in faith, she said why let
me by, let me be Nicholas, or, I will cry out. Alas! Help!" Take away your hands, by your courtesy!"
(Chaucer 3287) The quote explains how she was telling Nicholas in a courteous way to take his
hands off of her because her husband was around and she didn't want to get caught with him. And it
showed sexual rivalry because he was trying to kiss her in a sexual way. Sexual rivalry played a
huge role in the Millers Tale. Courtly love played a big role in The Millers Tale. The quote that
portrayed courtly love is "This carpenter had newly wedded a wife, eighteen years of age, whom he
loved more than his own soul".(Chaucer 3226) The quote shows how the carpenter said he loved his
newly wedded wife more than he loves himself. And that's courtly love because it showed how
much love he had for her. Another quote that displayed courtly love is "And he held her hard by the
thighs and said, "Sweetheart, love me now, or I will die, may God save me!"(Chaucer 3281) The
quote displayed an example of love the carpenter was saying that he would die for her because of all
the love he has for her. And it showed how much

William Shakespeare 's ' The Crucible '
of them can attain being imprisoned and even when they do battle to determine who wins Emily's
hand that is ultimately left to fate as the gods intervene when Arcite initially wins the bout. They
make no attempt, as romantic heroes, to romance the object of their affection. Furthermore, despite
the Knight's tale being a romance, its center is more on the competition between the two men as
opposed to the relationship Emily would have with one of them. Chaucer devotes two pages to their
argument on who deserves Emily more, Arcite who loves towards her is a "love as to a creature" or
Palamon whose love Arcite mocks as an "affeccioun of hoolynesse ". It is this lack of agency and
the different affections that Chaucer subverts in the Miller's ... Show more content on
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His serenades disturb Emily's sleep, his gifts are often unwanted, when he finally resorts to words
he uses lines like "I moorne as dooth a lamb after the tete, " which bypass any romantic feelings.
Nicholas on the other hand knows how to use his words, when he courts Alison "This nicholas gan
mercy for to crye, And spak so faire, and profred him so faste,
That she hir love hym graunted atte laste,"
The word "faire" implies that he is using the language of romances to his advantage. The reader is
told the Nicholas is a scholar and a well–read one at that. It wouldn't be stretch to say that he then
would use his knowledge of romantic tradition to successfully seduce. The odd parallel mentioned
before has to do with how we map the characters. At face value we can say that Nicholas is Arcite's
counterpart and that Absolon is Palamon's but that doesn't match story wise as Nicholas is the one
who wins Alison's favor while Alcite dies and Palamon is the one who marries Emily but Absolon is
farted on. Could this an attempt by Chaucer to comment on ineffectiveness of genuine romantic
sensibilities? That only a simulacrum of romance referenced from texts is more applicable and
successful.
Next is a look of motifs that Chaucer made both tales share or manipulated to further prove a point.
As I mentioned just earlier it is how both tales end that messes up character mapping and while I
proposed that this was possibly meant as some

Satire And Corruption In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer uses satirization in the descriptions of the characters in the General Prologue of The
Canterbury Tales to reveal the corruption in the Church that was widespread in society during the
14th century. Manny members of the church used their positions for the personal gain of
themselves. This can be seen in the Prologue when he describes these characters.
Chaucer shows us through the satirization of several characters, the corruptness of the church of
England and the lust/sexual corruption through the common people. Chaucer satirized several
characters to show the reader that they aren't what they appear and to develop the characters through
complex character development. By using satire, Chaucer depicts certain characters in a much ...
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In the Prologue and her tale we get to see the Wife of Baths views and we get to see how she is as a
person. She has plenty of experience in the art of virginity, marriage and love because she's been
married five times and knows that her experience is better than the knowledge from books. She isn't
a traditional woman of that time, she's not ashamed of her actions or the fact she's been married
more than the usual. She takes her experience with all of the men she's been with more serious than
the things people say that are inexperienced in love. Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the Wife of Bath as
a promiscuous whore, crude, and hypocritical. On the other hand she is comical, fearless, and
radical. She is proud of everything she's done in her life and the fact that she has had five husbands
does not embarrass her or shame her in any way. She believes in her way of living and thoroughly
supports it with verses from the bible. That is satirical because she is mocking women's repression
with a piece of literature that has been used by men for centuries to justify women's oppression. She
questions the fact that the bible talks about women, staying a virgin and only marrying once but
realizes, that many men in the bible had multiple wives and marriages. "...Lamech and his bigamye?
I woot wel Abroaham was an holy man, And Jacob eek, as fer as evere I can, And eech of hadde
wives mo than two, And many another holy man also." (118) Chaucer uses irony and satire to
questions the church's maltreatment of women by giving the Wife of Bath the opportunity to speak
freely about marriage, sex and the desires of women. Chaucer uses complex character development
to describe the Wife of Bath as a gap–toothed, promiscuous, witty, voluptuous woman who boasts
about the fact she lies, cheats, and deceives her husbands, she shows no remorse for the men she
treats this way. Yet, she is a strong woman

The Pardoner's Prologue And Tale Analysis
The Pardoner's Prologue and tale was written by Geoffrey Chaucer, they were part of his stories
"The Canterbury Tale". The tales are a collection of 24 stories told by the pilgrims on their way to
Canterbury. While we have only read two "The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale", and the "Wife of
Bath Prologue and Tale" we were able to see what type of stories he was writing. In the Pardoner's
stories Chaucer was showing us many things through his eyes as he sees them. He wanted to show
that the Catholic Church had some issues and he wanted changes within the church.
The pardoner is a story of a long blonde hair, smooth faced person who we could say was either a
man or women. Due to the sexuality on the pardoner Chaucer created some doubt in the reader's ...
A way to pass the time while traveling, but also it shows us the insight of how people can make
anything believable, and prays on the fears of others. Sin is the biggest fair that I see as I read the
stories. Yes, we much repent but when there is someone praying on those fears it make people want
to do the right thing no matter what they have to do. The pardons that he was sales were not a sure
way of asking for forgiveness from God but instead he was acting like they were going to save
them.
The reading of the tales we see how Chaucer uses satire to bring to life the social life of a woman
who back then was out for herself, with the husband. There was probably talk from everyone, but in
today's world there would not be that much talk. It was not something that women done back then,
more commonly in today.
Greed can and does affect people the same no matter what the times, social environments, it is the
rut of all evil. Over the centuries it is handled differently. Chaucer knew that it was going to be
perceived by others as such. If he was in today's society he would see that there is no difference. We
have grown up in a society what anything goes. It is common for a woman to have been married
more than once, and it is not that big of deal. Years ago it was a big deal for women to marry that
may times, because it was just not how they were brought up. They were married at a young

The Pilgrims In The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer
The poem The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a frame story about the journey of twenty
nine pilgrims as they are on their pilgrimage to Canterbury. Each of these pilgrims belong to one of
three basic Medieval English estates which are based on their profession: The Nobility, The
Religious Affiliate, and Peasantry. Of the Peasantry estate, there are three specific pilgrims that are
very colorful in terms of their personality and they ways that they present themselves. These
pilgrims are the Plowman, the Reeve, and the Miller. In many ways these three colorful characters
are similar to each other and, in turn , are also very different from each other in many ways.
However, the Plowman serves as the best representation of the Peasantry ... Show more content on
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Because of his story, The Miller's Tale, it can be concluded that he has a very lustful nature versus to
the Plowman who does not find any interest in even being affiliated with such desires. He is, "A
great stout fellow big in brawn and bone. [...] broad, knotty and short–shouldered [...]" (pg 17–18).
He also "[...] was a master hand at stealing grain." (pg. 18) and again the Plowman would never
decide to steal from the church because he is such a God loving man. The Miller falls into the
Medieval Stereotype of the Peasantry which is that they are very lustful and also indulge into illegal
activities such as theft. the Plowman's demure is the exact opposite of the Miller however there is
one character that resembles the Plowman the most and that is the Reeve. Similar to the Plowman,
the Reeve is a hard worker, though not as honest in the work he does, is acumen for his job was to
be feared further described as, "Feared like a plague he was, by those beneath" (pg 19). Still he is
dishonest in his work, contrasting the Plowman, he had "A better hand at bargains than his lord, [...]
(pg. 19). This simply means that the Reeve was a sly person and decided to steal from his lord and
return what he stole "to pleasure his lord with subtle loans or gifts of goods." (pg.

Pardoner's Personality
In The Canterbury Tales the author, Geoffrey Chaucer, introduces twenty–nine characters who are
taking a pilgrimage to Canterbury. He uses direct and indirect characterization in order to describe
the characters' personalities, as well as to portray the characters either critically or favorably.
Chaucer successfully demonstrates his criticism of the Miller and Pardoner's immoral, deceiving
personalities through descriptions of their physical characteristics and actions in "The General
Prologue"; he further displays their personalities in the individual prologues and tales. Chaucer
views the Pardoner critically, which is shown by Chaucer's numerous insults throughout "The
General Prologue". The Pardoner is described as an awkward looking man ... Show more content on
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"The Pardoner's Tale" brings the Pardoner's hypocritical personality to life. He admits himself, "I
preach for nothing but for greed of gain"(PP83), but "I make my living out of ¬–avarice" (PP86). In
his tale he preaches to the other pilgrims about the destruction that greed has on humankind. The
tale is about three men who are overcome by greed when they find gold under a tree. The greed
overpowers their moral judgment; as a result, they kill each other in hopes of getting a larger portion
of the findings. The moral of the tale is positive, but right after he proves his hypocrisy when he
tries to sell and "grant pardons" that are fraudulent (PT340). Chaucer uses "The Pardoner's Tale", as
well as "The Miller's Tale", to exemplify the character's immoral personalities. "The Miller's Tale"
reflects the Miller's uncivilized behavior. The Miller is intoxicated while telling his tale and states
that if he says anything offensive to "hold me free from blame"(MP88). His tale is replete with
immoral actions, including adultery and elaborate lies. In the tale Alison the wife of John the
carpenter, is having an affair with a man named Nicholas. They create an intricate lie that will allow
them to spend the night together without her husband knowing. Nicholas tells John that there will be
a flood "greater than Noah's flood"(MT97) and that he "will not lie"(MT97). John falls for the trick
allowing Nicholas and

How The Monk In The Canterbury Tales
he Monk's personal motivations are materialisticness, greed, and rebellion against the traditions of
the Catholic Church.
The Monk The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Source: Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. 8. New York: Stephen Greenblatt, 2006. Print.
Internal/ External Characterization: Qualities of the Monk
Selfish: In the prologue the Monk displays selfish behavior. The monk clearly brings his own
desires ahead of the needs of others.
Materialistic: The Monk valued worldly things and materials more than moral values
Rebellious: The Monks actions illustrate that he prefers the world's ways rather than the church's
way of life.
Evidence
Selfish:
"He was prelate fit for exhibition,
He was not Pale like a tormented soul. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The fact that his sources of motivation were secular goals such as wealth and power rather that his
religious duties reveals his lack of spiritual depth and selfish nature. Unlike ordinary monks who
pray, study, and service their community through manual labor, he entertained himself by hunting.
the Monk in Canterbury Tales spends his time participating in leisure activities such as hunting.
Materialistic "I saw that his sleeves were garnished at hand With fine grey fur, the finest in the land,
And on his hood, to fasten it at its chin He had a wrought–gold cunningly fashioned pin; Into a
lover's knot it seemed to pass." "He liked a fat swan best, roasted as a whole"
According to the rules of the church, monks were supposed to let go of worldly things to serve a
higher purpose, however the Monk is motivated by materialistic luxuries such as expensive clothing
and secular jewelry. The expensively embellished clothing the Monk wears, along with his love for
meat prove that the monk does not live the traditional religious life of hard manual labour and
fasting. Rebellious "A Monk there was, one of the finest sort who rode the country; hunting was his
sport a manly man, to be an abot

Canterbury Tales: Wealth, Morality And Success
The Canterbury Tales: Wealth, Morality and Success In the prologue of The Canterbury Tales,
Geoffrey Chaucer, through his choice of style devices such as imagery and details for the merchant
and the five guildsmen, highlights materialism in the medieval middle class and challenges the oft
perceived notion that material wealth is an automatic determinant of personal success or morality.
Chaucer uses imagery and detail to paint a picture of a stereotypical merchant, later to reveal truths
contradictory to common expectations drawn from depictions of the merchant's wealth. He writes
that this particular merchant sports a "forking beard,"and is clad in "motley dress," with a pair of
"daintily buckled boots" upon his feet. Chaucer describes the ... Show more content on
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He describes the guildsmen's garb as "trim and fresh," with their gear, their belts, and pockets richly
"tricked out" with silver. The word "trim" denotes a neat and smart appearance, but also applies to
decorative embellishment, and the word "fresh," in this context, denotes new. This use of imagery
suggests a certain degree of affluence, helping the readers to, once again, visualize members of the
skilled urban middle class of the Middle Ages. Their "trim" and ornate silver clothing conveys fine
craftsmanship on the guildsmen's part, and Chaucer praises them for jobs well done. However,
because the five guildsmen are dressed in such an openly lavish manner, they demonstrate that they
are not hesitant or ashamed to showcase their wealth. Not only are the guildsmen deeply prideful of
their financial standing, they are also proud of their membership in the various guilds to which they
belong. Their wealth does not determine moral quality; rather, the guildsmen's actual usage of their
wealth is what speaks volumes about their character instead. Chaucer observes that "[e]ach man of
them appeared a proper burgess / To sit in guildhall on a high dais". The word "burgess" denotes a
citizen with particular legal privileges. In their own minds at least, each guildsman feels worthy to
sit upon a high chair at one

Chaucer's Corrupt Church
Life since the fourteenth century has changed tremendously in almost every aspect; perhaps one of
the best changes took place in the Church. In Geoffrey Chaucer's day, the Church was extremely
corrupt. Most clergy members were not as holy and sinless as they should have been or let on to be.
Although Chaucer did not blatantly state his feelings about the corrupt Church, which was too
powerful at the time to criticize directly, one can clearly see his position by reading the "General
Prologue" of one of his now famous books, The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer's disgust with the
corrupt clergy, which happened to be most of them, is especially evident in the way he describes
three of his characters: the monk, the friar, and the pardoner.
Chaucer's monk, a supposed man of God, admits otherwise. In the code of monks written by St.
Benedict, hunting is considered the act of a sinful man because it was believed that while hunting, a
man could not have thoughts of divine things because he is consumed by the hunt. Even knowing
this, the monk in the "General Prologue" admits that he enjoys hunting and even goes as far as
saying he lives for it. Monks were supposed to do nothing but study and pray. The monk had a lust
for ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He carried a bag full of holy relics, which he charged people to see. Doing this, he made large
amounts of money which he did not donate to the Church as he should have, but kept it for himself.
One can understand the depth of his greed by reading Chaucer's statement, "He was the best at
singing the offertory song because he knew he had to sing loudly and happily if he wanted people to
donate their money." From this quote, the reader can infer that the pardoner did not have a single
concern for the well–being of the church, only for the well–being of his wallet. The pardoner was
corrupt in one of the worst

Who Is The Friar In The Canterbury Tales
One of England's most famous writers, Geoffrey Chaucer, was known for writing social
commentary and for his ironic descriptions. His most famous work The Canterbury Tales is no
exception. Beginning with the "General Prologue" Chaucer reveals his negative attitude towards the
clergy's corruption and greed. Three characters in particular represent the problems Chaucer solved
for the church. The Friar is supposedly a religious man of God, that would live among the poor.
Although people would not see how the Friar was, Chaucer knew the sneaky things he would do and
allows the character to see the true Friar. "A Friar there was, a wanton, and a merry, a limiter, a very
festive man." (208–209.) Unprofessionally, the Friar went from place to place collecting donations
for the "Church" when the money would go to him. He would basically use his position in the
church to get money. Friar's intentions were dishonest and would also make money by selling his
blessings. He should have been even more poor than the people he had "helped," but he was living
large and eating healthy. He would woo women with his sweet words and buy them gifts. ... Show
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Going hunting was something that the Monk enjoyed doing rather than to sit and study the bible like
he should have been doing. Chaucer's characterization of the monk was that he does not care for
work or prayer. Having jewelrey, dressing wealthy was something that The Monk liked having, but
having wealthy clothes and jewelrey did not match his humble corrupted self. All Monks must
commit to God and devote life and prayer, but unlike this Monk he was careless and disobeyed this
rule and spent most of his time eating, hunting and getting women. He had lust for food and women.
That explains why he is so big and disrespected the "old" traditions of the religious life in the

Summary: The Tale Of Melibee
Referencing the previous tale, the Tale of Melibee, the monk's prologue introduces the reader to a
brief commentary from the host, Harry Bailey, and sets the stage for a series of tragedies. The host
begins the prologue by stating that he wishes to have experienced Chaucer's tale of Melibee
personally. Harry Bailey describes his wife's patience, or lack thereof, compared to that of Prudence,
the wife of Melibee. By directly characterizing his wife, the host portrays an image of an abusing
slave owner and self victimizing accuser who has the ability to overpower her husband through
sheer will alone. After such a sobering description of his wife, Harry Bailey illustrates the Monk's
appearance as one of a master opposed to one of a poor monk. However, the host then addresses the
subject of the Monk's nonexistent sex life due to religious requirements. The host goes on stating
that manly men such as the Monk should be allowed to procreate for the purposes of being better at
sex than laymen and producing many strong and worthy offspring. ... Show more content on
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Lucifer's greed for God's power over all creation causes his downfall from Heaven. After falling
from Heaven, Lucifer becomes the devil, the one feared by many for being the most evil being to
have existed. In lines 2004–6, Chaucer states "O Lucifer, angel brightest of all, / Now you are Satan,
who may never win / From misery, to which has been your fall." Consequently, the tale of the first
man created by God is then examined. Adam is entrusted with God's earth as stated in lines 2010–1,
"He ruled all Paradise, except one tree. / No man on earth has held such high degree". To God's
dismay, Adam allows the temptation of power make him betray God and be driven from his
important duties. Although many details are not directly stated in the Monk's tale, Biblical
knowledge can fill the gaps left within these

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
Following the fall of the great Roman Empire a new age was born, the age of knights in shining
amour and the great kings in stone castles. Yet, it was also a chaotic time, War and plague was a
disease upon Europe. Countries fought for land, resources, and above all, the attention of God. The
world was young and so was the English Language. Few writers wrote in English, the language of
the commoners, as French and Latin was the Language of the powerful élite. Yet one writer dared to
speak against the feudal society of which he was born into. Geoffrey Chaucer served most of his life
in the employment of the crown, as both a soldier and a clerk. Yet through all of these titles,
Chaucer would be forever immortalized as Geoffrey Chaucer the ... Show more content on
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Chaucer simply says that if these crusades were in the name of God, why must the knights feel they
need their sins forgiven? The crusades were immoral and the greed of man, Chaucer believes that
the crusades were in no way the work of God, and wrong in every way. This is satire because
Chaucer doesn't come right out and say it; he goes around the direct approach and still gets his
message across. The Crusades are wrong and that the Christian rulers that control the armies are also
wrong. Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury tales contain numerous characters that in some way have a
direct connection to the flawed, yet almighty Catholic Church. One such figure is the Nun, or
Prioress. She represents some of the hypocrisy that polluted the church. Chaucer describes the nun
as having "...little dogs she would be feeding/ with roasted flesh, or milk, or fine white bread"
(Chaucer "The Canterbury tales: The Prologue" 131). This passage is important simply because the
medieval era was a time of great poverty. The commoners were crippled financially due to high
taxes to the knight, and a heavy tithe to the church. It seemed quite wrong for such rich and elegant
food to be wasted on dogs, while people paying for this food starved on the streets. One would
believe that the money from the tithe would be used by the church in a way of bettering the life of
its worshipers, and not feeding the dogs of the nun. Chaucer points this out because he feels

Canterbury Tales Analysis
In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, various people band together to go on a pilgrimage
from England to Canterbury. Their aim is to see a shrine of St Thomas Beckett, the revered
Archbishop of Canterbury who had reportedly healed others when they were ill. The pilgrims have a
variety of occupations and are divided fairly evenly amongst the three estates (clergy, nobility, and
commoners). The pilgrims who are members of the clergy are ironically depicted as the least moral,
compared to the nobility and the commoners, creating a negative view of those who are leaders in
the Church. The members of the clergy also spend their time wandering, metaphorically
demonstrating their purposelessness, while the pilgrimage itself is a direct ... Show more content on
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However, he works hard, both for God and for his community, and he lives happily. The Plowman is
also one of the most pious pilgrims. According to Chaucer, "God loved he best with al his hoole
herte" (GP 533). He also gives money to the church, demonstrating both his religiousness and his
charitability, which is especially notable given his own poverty. In addition to the Plowman's
religiousness, he lives a simple life, evidenced by his wearing of a tabard (a simple sleeveless shirt
worn by the lower class) and the fact that he rides on a mare. Similarly to the Knight and the Squire,
the Plowman is the ideal member of his estate, the peasantry.
The Friar, Prioress, Monk, and Pardonner are the members of the clergy (the first estate) on the
pilgrimage. The most corrupt of these is the Friar. He has the power to give confession, and he gives
it easily, because those who have repented are more likely to give him donations. The Friar wanders
around and becomes wealthy because of these donations. Chaucer also says that the Friar knows all
of the barmaids in town, implying that he likely goes out drinking frequently, a habit that is not
Christian–like. The Prioress also doesn't exemplify an ideal religious leader. While at first, the
Prioress might appear kindhearted and moral, Chaucer adds in little descriptions to give the reader
an odd impression of her. She's so concerned with attempting to be upper class, demonstrated by her
knowledge

The Miller's Tale Essay
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer consists of several characters from various social
classes. Together, these characters go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury and along the journey they all
tell different tales. In order to write this book, Chaucer decided to go on his own pilgrimage and to
also observe people in his everyday life in order to make the characters and the book itself realistic.
Many authors like Chaucer will take real life experiences and incorporate them into their novels. In
The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses the characters in order to reveal his inner–most opinions of his
past. Chaucer's solicitous portrayal of contrary women in "The Miller's Tale" can be traced back to
his tolerance of the affair between his wife and his best friend. For example, Alison from "The
Miller's Tale" is having an affair with Nicholas and warns him that "My husband is so full of
jealousy, unless you watch your step and hold your breath I know for certain it will be my death"
(Chaucer 91). This evidence suggests that Alison was aware of her wrong doing and knew she ...
This having been his second and possibly third time visiting Italy, the Italian influence became more
apparent in his work after this visit. ""The Knight's Tale" represents Chaucer's second attempt to
adapt the material of the Teseida" written by Italian poet, Giovanni Boccaccio (Rossignal). The tale
is about two prisoner knights who are fighting for the love of one woman. This tale contains the
exact characters and plot of Boccaccio's Teseida. In other words, Chaucer's visit to Italy and his
enlightenment on Italian poets drew him to incorporate an Italian poet's work into his very own, The
Canterbury Tales, but more specifically "The Knight's Tale". Not only did Chaucer use Teseida but
the Decameron provided direct parallels for "The Reeve's Tale," "The Clerk's Tale," "The
Merchant's Tale," "The Franklin's Tale," and "The Shipman's

Allusions In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
In the middle ages, society assumed that friars were always "impeccable." Most friars expressed that
they served Christ with their preaching, blessing, and begging for gifts. Chaucer mocks the
assumption about religious figures by labeling religious figures in The Canterbury Tales as
hypocrites. In "The Summoner's Tale" of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses allusion, imagery, and
the archetypal theme of good vs. evil in order to depict the friar as a hypocritical religious dignitary.
Chaucer uses allusions to numerous Biblical figures, such as Satan and Christ Jesus. The friar, while
presenting his lecture, references countless individuals and stories from the Bible. He does so in
order to tell Thomas, the ill man, that his anger and spite have been the reasons he is so frail. "You
lie here full of anger, full of ire, / With which the devil you're your heart afire, / And chide this
humble innocent your wife, / Who's been so meek and patient in her strife" (1981–1985). In the
quote, the friar describes Thomas' soul as being possessed by the devil, being the ... Show more
Chaucer uses a quote on line 2122 that says: "He would like to see the friar on fire." That quote is
significant because Thomas' irritation by the friar has been increasing. Another important
significance of the quote shows how the friar has the potential to be more devil–like, full of ire. The
friar's potential becomes a reality when Thomas farted in the friar's hand. As ridiculous as it sounds,
the friar felt like the fart was the devil possessing him. "He went forth on his way consumed with
ire" (2158). Ire epitomized evil and the devil. The friar had become evil, representing malevolence.
"The anger in him raging like a fire" (2166). The anger continues, showing how the friar's anger
continued building up within. Chaucer was able to use archetypal theme to ridicule the friar, and
other religious figures of the time

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
THE CANTERBURY TALES – "The Prologue"
1. What is the most popular time of year for pilgrimages? The popular time of the year is april.
2. Where do most pilgrims in England choose to go on pilgrimages? Canterbury
3. Where does Chaucer, the narrator, meet the pilgrims? He meets them at an Inn in tabard.
4. Why is Chaucer there? He is traveling to canterbury
5. How many people does he meet? He meets 29 people.
6. What shall Chaucer discuss before the journey begins? He wants to tell them about the pilgrims
KNIGHT wore a fustian which is cloth and linen
Questions
What qualities does the knight possess? the knight possess honesty, honor, generousness and
bravery.
In what places has he fought? Prussia, Lithuania, Russia, Granada, North ... Show more content on
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The head of priory, or nunnery; a group of nuns.
What are the qualities/images we usually associate with a nun? Cares for other people, very
religious, dressed plainly like a nun.
Authors often use names to help develop a character. Chaucer calls the nun "Madam Eglantyne."
What quality does the name suggest? The name should be said to a women of elegance and romantic
but nuns are not supposed to fall in love.
What is the demeanor of the nun? Strives to be proper and elegant.
What does the nun "counterfeit" or pretend she has? Knowing French and pretending to have proper
manors.
How does she feel about animals? She loves animals.
Describe her physical appearance? Standout nose,and blue eyes.
What does her pin say? Why does this seem unusual for a nun? It's a gold pin and nouns do not wear
gold, she is most likely taking bribes.
Does Chaucer like her or not? Explain. I think he likes her because he never says anything negative
about her only positive.
Who travels with her? Another nun and 3 priest also a

Hyperbole And Symbolism In Geoffrey Chaucer's The...
By simple definition, a miller is someone who keeps a mill whether it is corn or small grains. In The
Canterbury Tales, Chaucer defines a miller as a member of the degraded lower class, with
questionable morals and low manner who is a dealer in grain. Chaucer takes the literal definition of
a character and expands it using stereotypical inferences from the medieval time period. In The
Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer utilizes various literary techniques including symbolism,
hyperbole, and juxtaposition to help characterize pilgrims such as the Miller. The application of
these devices helps to develop the collection as a whole by defining and contradicting stereotypes
within society. Chaucer uses symbolism to expose something about the pilgrims on this journey.
When characterizing the Miller, Chaucer applies many symbols to define him. For example, the
Miller's prologue frequently compares his attributes to a sow. Such as in lines 570 to 572, "And, at
its very tip, his nose displayed/ A wart on which their stood a tuft of hair./ Red as the bristles in an
old sow's ear." The comparison made between the Miller and the sow indicate how slovenly and
disdainful he was. Swine are often associated with filth and disgrace, which characterizes the Miller.
Another use of symbolism is found when the Miller is compared to a fox in Line 568. "His beard,
like any sow or fox, was red." This connection can be made because of the way the Miller conducts
his work. He is cunning, like a

Chaucer: The Preacher, The Nun, And The Night
Chaucer is one of the most well known and most influential writers of all time. Considered the King
of the English Language, Chaucer had some wild stories that will make a person think. The first to
really introduce a story within a story, Chaucer's writings had a wide verity of structure. The
Canterbury tails, are an excellent example of strong structure. You will be able to notice the
structure of a story within a story and extreme irony, within the three characters, the Preacher, the
Nun, and the Night. The preacher is supposed to be a man of Piety, or a man of abstinence. As a
preacher of the church, he was not allowed to sleep with anyone or have any sort of relationship. To
the public, he seemed to be a man of what he preached.

How The Corrupt Church In The Canterbury Tales
In The Canterbury Tales, the characters are on a pilgrimage to Sir Thomas Beckett's grave; although
many of these pilgrims are seemingly pious members of the church, many of these men and women
are creating a new religion which is corrupt from the beginning due to lying, cheating, and leaders
who do not practice the religion which they teach. These corrupt religious leaders who are
mentioned in The Canterbury Tales include; the Monk, the Friar, the Prioress, and the Pardoner.
Although, there are many corrupt church members, Chaucer does include some good church
members such as the Parson and his brother, the Plowman. Unlike the other church members, these
pilgrims care for the sick and the poor, and they are not involved in the fake ornateness of the
Catholic church. Many of the corrupt members of the church are only religious leaders due to the
money, and the fact that members of the church are considered part of the upper class. Due to all of
this corruption that Chaucer mentions, it is likely that he believed that corruption was the rule, rather
than it being the exception to the rule.
Chaucer uses The ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Some people that are honest members of the church include the Parson, and the Plowman. The
Parson was a poor man, but he was rich in the thoughts of Christ. Rather than condeming his
parshioners, if they were unable to pay their tithes; the Parson would give them some of his money
to help them. Furthermore, he never neglected his parshioners, in either rain or horrid weather he
would go and preach to his parshioners. Whatever his message was he preached it and then he
practiced it. This Parson believed that it is impossible to lead parshioners if the parson is full of sins.
Besides the Parson, the other uncorrupt pilgrim was the Plowman. He devoted his entire life to God,
and helped his neighbors as God had

Corruption Of The Clergy In The Canterbury Tales By...
Geoffrey Chaucer is often referred to as the father of English literature. Chaucer's work, The
Canterbury Tales, was the first major literary work done in the English. Chaucer expresses his
feelings on the corruption of the church clergy in the "General Prologue" through the characters
such as the Pardoner, the Prioress, and the Friar. These characters express many of the different
misgivings of the clergy in that period. The Pardoner is described to be quite the physically
unattractive man, but that is just the start. He is even uglier on the inside than he is on the outside.
The Pardoner scams hard–working people out of their money by selling false relics. He advertises
pig's bones as the remains of saints, he uses a pillowcase as the veil of Mary and a sheet as the sail
of Peter. The Pardoner tells the pilgrims that he is only preaching to make money, not for the love of
god. Chaucer's Pardoner character is supposed to represent the greed and dishonesty within the
clergy. The Pardoner is a man of greed like much of the clergy in Chaucer's time. Chaucer feels like
the clergy has money on their mind more than they have God and the flock on their mind. ... Show
The Prioress attempts to present herself as something she is not, thus exposing her extreme vanity.
Her attempts to seem dainty and well–bred fall quite flat in the story. She is more concerned with
her vanity than with people she is supposed to help. She tries too hard to be delicate, "She was so
charitably solicitous she used to weep if she but saw a mouse caught in a trap, if it were dead or
bleeding.''(Chaucer 147–149). The Prioress cares more for her little dog than for the people she is
supposed to be preaching to. Chaucer uses the Prioress's character to represent the vanity present in
most clergy, they were more concerned with their

Essay on Chaucer: Satire And Humor
Chaucer: Satire And Humor
Until Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales, he was primarily know for being the writer of
love poems, such as The Parliament of
Fowls, narratives of doomed passion, and stories of women wronged by their lovers. These works
are nothing short of being breath taking, but they do not posses the raw power that the Canterbury
Tales do.
This unfinished poem, which is about 17,000 lines, is one of the most brilliant works in all of
literature. The poem introduces a group of pilgrims journeying from London to the shrine of St.
Thomas a Becket at Canterbury. Together, the pilgrims represent a large section of
14th–century English life. To help pass the time of the journey, the pilgrims decide to tell ... Show
The Prologue begins with the Knight. In Chaucer's description of the
Knight, he describes him as being the perfect being. He's tall, handsome, brave, and he has won
many battles. He has traveled to many places because Chaucer tells us that he has fought in Prussia,
Lithuania, Russia, Spain, North Africa, and Turkey (Chaucer 3).
However, even though Chaucer describes the Knight as being the perfect being, he begins to poke
fun at him. He insists that the Knight was "a very gentle knight." This is very strange because
Chaucer thinks the
Knight to be the ideal warrior, yet he believes him to be gentle
(Brown 6). This is a very humorous contrast, and it adds a little mystery to the Knight's description.
The next character in the story is the Squire. The Squire is the son of the Knight, and he is described
as being very young and handsome.
Many people read the Squire's description and think him to be a "to die for" young man. However,
when you analyze the text closely,
Chaucer adds some feminine and childlike traits to the Squire's description. It is said that the Squire
has long curly hair, is full of flowers, and he wears a very short gown. He likes to sit around and just
stare at the sky, and he also likes to sit and play the flute
(Chaucer 4). I believe that Chaucer is trying to portray the Squire as being very confused, and even
though he may have a lot to offer the world, he still has to

Essay about Relationships in Geoffrey Chaucer's The...
Throughout literature, deep relationships can often be discovered between a story and the author
who writes it. Relationships can also be found in stories about a husband and wife. In Geoffrey
Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales many of the characters make this idea apparent with the stories they
tell. In "The Pardoner's Tale", a distinct relationship can be made between the character of the
Pardoner and his tale of three friends. Also, the Wife in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" boldly declares
her relationship towards her husband.
Throughout "The Pardoner's Tale", the main character teaches about greed, gambling, desecration,
and drinking, but in the beginning he admits to committing these sins himself. One of the portrayals
of hypocrisy, in the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The irony of the Pardoner is based on his hypocritical actions. The fact that he does not care about
the souls of those he has tricked, says a lot about his character. Near the end of his tale, the friends
begin to reveal their true personality. All three of them turn on each other trying to steal the treasure
for themselves. All of the trust, which they had promised, was a lie and no loyalty remained. The
supposed faithful "friends" display their true cruelty and expose their hypocrisy in relation to the
Pardoner's character.
One main theme in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" is female dominance and equality. In the tale, the wife
portrays her dominance through her own experience. For example, the image of the whip sets her
role as master, and she tells everyone that she is the head of her household. Despite her claim that
experience is her sole power, the Wife of Bath evidently feels the need to create her authority in a
more scholarly manner. She mimics the habits of the scholars and churchmen by supporting her
claims with quotations from antique works and scripture.
The Wife of Bath apparently attempts to emphasize female dominance over men. She contradicts
many of the harsh customs and declares her own haughty assessment of women's function in society
and in relationships. In the story, Chaucer explains that what women want is sovereignty over their
husbands. According to the tale, women desire to be treated as masters over their love. The story
also suggests that

What Is Chaucer's Use Of Satire In The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a story in which Geoffrey Chaucer began writing in 1836 and never
finished. The author was very sneaky as he mentioned ways to mock the Church. He wasn't fond of
how corrupt the Church and religion in general was becoming in his day an age. All that mattered
was money, not the people. Chaucer utilizes his satirical comments and remarks against the Prioress,
the Monk and the Friar to show that the Church has become detrimental, in lieu of being a place of
hope and charity. The Prioress, who took the vow of poverty and charity seemed to care about her
appearance and valued animals over people. This is what Chaucer found satirical about her role as a
head nun. "Right decorous her pleated wimple was/Her nose was fine; ... Show more content on
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He's materialistic when he's not supposed to be, he flirts with rich women and targets them for their
money, and he knows every single tavern and bar. He certainly knows the community well, but he
doesn't collect donations or money for a charitable reason, but more so for himself. "For to a
begging friar, money given/Is sign that any man as been well shriven/For if he gave (he dared to
boast of this)/He took the man's repentance not amiss/For many a man there is so hard of heart/He
cannot weep however pains may smart." (Pg. 8) In this narration of the Friar, it states that he takes
money as repentance for those who believe they've sinned. He boasts about it too, and doesn't cry
for those who donate. Chaucer displays this to show that the Friar is giving an excuse to take the
money, and the satire shows in the way he is described, as if this is truly what a friar is all about.
"His tippet was stuck always full of knives/And pins, to give to young and pleasing wives/ . . .In
towns he knew the taverns, everyone/And every good host and each barmaid too/Better than
begging lepers for acquaintances." Chaucer uses this description to show that the Friar was
materialistic and a flirt. He isn't supposed to keep items with him, nor is he supposed to be giving
pins to wives of husbands. There's also how he knows every tavern in town, and that it's better
knowing the barmaids and hosts rather than being acquainted with a sick person who is in

Aristotelian Criticism : The Monk 's Tale
Aristotelian Criticism: The Monk's Tale
Abstract: Aristotle's theory of Greek Tragedy was originally intended for Greek plays, but it can be
extended to other non–Greek pieces such as novels, short stories, and poetry. The formula contains
four key components recommended for tragic tales. The elements of this theory (koros, hubris, ate,
and catharsis) can be noted in every tale told by the Monk within The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey
Chaucer. This relationship will be the main focus of the succeeding composition. Tragic stories can
be evaluated in many forms using different methods. One of these approaches, Aristotle's theory of
Greek Tragedy, has become a common formula for examining the value of tragic works. All of the
components included in this theory are a reflection of what Aristotle felt made a good tragedy. The
elements of this theory (koros, hubris, ate, and catharsis) can be noted in every tale told by the
Monk within The Canterbury Tales. One work frequently linked to Aristotle's theory is the tragic
Greek play Oedipus the King, by Sophocles. Perhaps this universal comparison is used due to
Aristotle's high opinion of the work as a perfect tragedy. Although Chaucer's poem isn't a Greek
play, it would still be prudent to apply the components of Aristotle's theory to the Monk's short,
tragic tales comprised in "The Monk's Tale," of The Canterbury Tales. In doing so, it will be
apparent that Aristotle's influence reached many future writers, whether they were

Marxist Lenss In The Canterbury Tales And The Reeve's Tale
The triumph of Rocky Balboa over Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, the defeat of the Soviet Union by the
United States in the 1980 Olympic Ice Hockey Semi–Final, and the Tortoise's victory in The
Tortoise and the Hare are a few of the many greatest underdog stories in history. Throughout history,
underdogs have proven time and time again that they should not be underestimated. Many people
like to view certain instances through the Marxist lens, which is when they see certain situations as
an underdog versus the favorite. These situations can either be viewed through a positive lens,
which means that the "underdog" bests the favorite, or in the negative lens, which means that the
"favorite" remains above the underdog. The Marxist lens can be applied ... Show more content on
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The Shipman's Tale exhibited a positive viewpoint through the Marxist lens, but it is not the only
instance of a positive viewpoint in The Canterbury Tales. In addition to The Shipman's Tale, The
Reeve's Tale, of The Canterbury Tales, through the Marxist lens displays a positive perspective
when the miller is defeated by the students. The favorite in this scenario is the miller, Simpkin the
Swagger, and the underdogs are the students, John and Alan, because the miller is attempting to
steal some of the student's flour as he does with all his clients. The Reeve, or the orator of the story,
describes the actions of Simpkin, "He was a thief as well of corn and meal, And sly at that; his habit
was to steal" (Chaucer, 2003, p. 109). The students were no exception to these immoral actions and
the students were not happy about that. The manner in which they eclipse the miller is by conspiring
to escape with all of their flour and hold retribution for the miller. The Reeve describes the
resolution, " And thus the bumptious miller was well beaten And done out of the supper they had
eaten, And done out of the money that was due For grinding Alan's corn, who beat him too"
(Chaucer, 2003, p. 118). Through the Marxist point of view this resolution is perceived in a positive
manner, because the miller is beaten up, stolen from, and reprimanded for his immoral actions by
John and Alan. The Reeve's Tale in The Canterbury Tales

Religion In The Pardoner's Tale
Throughout The Canterbury Tales religious figures are represented with character traits that are
completely different from what would be traditionally expected. One main cause behind this was
because Europe was ruled, mostly, by the Catholic Church which caused many people to suffer from
poverty and wealth while the church was building extravagant cathedrals. The overwhelming
difference between the suffering of the people and the wealth of the church caused Chaucer to show
many of his characters as deceitful and greedy. Multiple examples of this can be found throughout
The Canterbury Tales like; the Summoner from the "The Friar's Tale" and Death from the "The
Pardoner's Tale."
During Chaucer's life a summoner was a church official who would bring people that have been
accused of violating the laws set by the church to court, which was also set up by the church. In
"The Friar's Tale" there is a deceitful summoner who pressures people into giving bribing him, so
they won't have to go to court, by using his position in the church. In order to accomplish this the
summoner has a network of spies that will report to him in order for him to be able to issue the
summons for court and con the people out of there money. Unlike what most people thought the
summoner was representing,which was justice, he actually ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The Pardoner decides to personify death in this tale, and each character in the tale that seeks Death
is either to to die or kill another character when they are close to Death. When writing this tale
Chaucer is trying to convey, through the pardoner, that traits such as greed and corruption are going
to lead to death. Ironically the Pardoner also embodies all of these traits because towards the end of
the tale he tries to get people to buy his relics in order to make a quick buck, which shows that
another church official is just as corrupt and greedy as the Summoner from "The Friar's

Canterbury Tales Nun Prioress Essay
It is human nature to want things they cannot have or to not be satisfied with their life. In the story,
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, this human nature is most reverently displayed in the
character of Nun Prioress, because she wants to appear as a woman of higher class. Through the use
of literary elements, such as characterization, symbolism and satiric irony, Chaucer is able to
illustrate how the Nun Prioress reflects the most basic of human traits, which is the desire to want
something they cannot have. Chaucer's story clearly illustrates the idea of how people want to be
something they can't because they are not satisfied with their life. This is seen when the Nun
Prioress is first introduced in the story, as a woman who is supposed to be modest and pure but is
flirtatious and risqué, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"Her mouth full small and thereto soft and red." (Chaucer 153). The color red can be seen as a color
of passion and this symbolizes how the nun does not believe in chaste love. Chaucer has created a
satiric character, nun prioress, who is supposed to be a leader of the Roman Catholic Church but
behaves like a woman of higher class. Through the use a satiric irony, Chaucer illustrates the nature
of human beings which is to want things they cannot have. This is seen when the Nun Prioress she
acts as if she is from a higher class and not humble like a typical nun. "She was so charitable and
pitous" (143). The nun's personality traits are what add onto the satiric irony which include making
sure to eat properly "She let no morsel from her lips fall, nor wet her fingers in the sauce to deep"
(128–129), speaking in an educated manner such as attempting to speak French "And French she
spoke full fair and fetisly" (124) , appearing "dainty" to the other travelers " Wept if one of them
were dead" (148) , and also introducing herself as Madam Eglantine rather than nun

Who Is The Monk In The Canterbury Tales
The Monk In Chaucer's story "The Canterbury Tales" the Pilgrimage ventured by many consist of
multiple stories of morals and muse. In particular The Monk stood out as a major aspect since
Chaucer mimics the integrity of the Religious class was the main class targeted in his writing. To
leave no territory unexplored he talks of common people and Royals but with a light humor. When
referring to any class that involves religion Chaucer's uses a more harsh tone and that is the Monk
was a hands down candidate in the writing of this paper. Chaucer tells us that The Monk is a manly
man. The Monk's favorite past–time is hunting, and to an extent this take up most of his day. He
keeps gorgeous and expensive horses and greyhounds ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Before asking him to tell a tale, the Host praises the Monk's bulk and muscularity and grieves that
he is a religious figure because, if the Monk had not pledged to celibacy he would have most likely
impregnate lots of women! The Host tells the Monk that he thinks he would be an amazing bachelor
if given the chance to, but given The Monk's complete disregard of respect for the "old" traditions of
the religious life, we think it's likely that he probably already is one. Along with that we see another
piece of satire from the Monk's portrait and other religious figures who are supposed to live
sheltered lives of deprivation and hard work. They instead live a life of luxury and ease. Comparing
to the Prioress, the Monk is doing all kinds of things which if he were really religious, he would not.
The Monk, unlike the Prioress, is more self–aware about his subtraction from the old Religious life,
taking the defense of being a "modern" man, an excuse that if approached by fellow Monks would
not be easily

How Does Chaucer Use Satire In The Canterbury Tales
"Oh the Irony"
"Use of Satire in the Canterbury Tales"
Geoffrey Chaucer is known as the Father of English literature, and is considered the greatest English
poet of the Middle Ages. According to Biography.com, "The Canterbury Tales is by far Chaucer's
best known and most acclaimed work. "Out of the twenty–nine characters, I chose the Wife of Baths
Tale, and the Pardoners Prologue, plus Tale, along with the broad selection of the General Prologue.
The Canterbury Tales challenges the two institutes of the time, the Church, and the patriarchy using
satire. The General Prologue's use of Irony and satire to challenge institutes of the church are when
he uses characters like the Parson and the Friar. The Parson is described as a man who speaks the
gospel he preaches by being a holy and a virtuous man. He gives to the poor and lives a life of
poverty himself. The Parson is strict on his behavior, and must be a good example to the people
around him. The ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
But no one now sees fairies any more. For now the saintly charity and prayer of holy friars seem to
have purged the air..." –The Wife of Bath's Tale, pg. 139. This part of the story doesn't get any
clearer of what she is saying. In case you can't tell, she is bluntly pointing out that the evilness of the
church is what made such a great time period go extinct. This tale especially challenges the two
institutes of their time. Where she challenges the patriarchy is both in her prologue and tale. Back
then women ranked with donkeys and slaves. The wife of bath says no, no, no. Men think they have
all the power, but all in all, it's really us girls who have the power. You could see how this really
angered some people back then. She challenged their very basic rules of rank! Where the irony takes
place in her story is in the end where the knight gives the old women the choice to choose, therefore
he gave her the power of the

Geoffrey Chauucer Research Paper
Did you know who influenced modern english? No? Well it is Geoffrey Chaucer, who also made
quite a few notable books. So we start the story of Geoffrey Chaucer who was born in London
somewhere in 1343. He was born in a middle class family who were financially secure or almost
elite (Money wise). Their parents were wine vendors.
At age 17, Chaucer was a public worker. He attended St.Paul's Cathedral School where he first met
influential writing. He was also a moneyer (someone who mints) and was a public service worker.
His public service time was very well documented, between his time being the noblewoman's page
to a diplomat. His work life also has over 500 documents testifying to his career. He was also a
courtier, civil servant, and even working for the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He was part of the british side of the Hundred Years war, and they were versing France. The
Hundred Years war started in 1314 and ended the british fighting but not the end of the war as a
whole. Later, he was captured by the French but after a short time, was freed for 16 pounds (20.11
US Dollars). In his later life, he once again joined the army for a shorter time though this time.
During this stage in his life he did not have as much troubles as he may or may not in his later life.
He still would (after his time in the army) go on to become the ''Father of Modern English'', but for
now he was just a soldier.
His first book was 'The Book of Duchess' but he most famous for 'The Canterbury Tales'. He has
multiple book including 'The Wife of Bath's Tale,' 'The House of Fame,' 'The Pardoner's Tale,' and
'The Knight's Tale' just to name a few of him many, many books.But before Geoffrey Chaucer
wrote, he was (for a VERY small time) a wine vendor. He was trying to continue the family's
business.The Family's business was very successful from time to time, even traveling across
countries for a small time. But after time he started getting back into

The Pardoner of The Canterbury Tales Essay
The Pardoner of The Canterbury Tales
How can a man exact vengeance on God if there is nothing a mortal can do to hurt Him? The
Pardoner was born sterile, which resulted in abnormal physical development. He blames God for his
deformities and attempts to attack God by attacking the link between God and mankind – the
Church.
In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer indirectly depicts the characters through the stories they tell. The
tale is a window upon the person that tells it. However, the Pardoner's tale seems to contradict this
situation. The Pardoner, an immoral man, tells a moral story because he believes that doing this will
further his ultimate objective – revenge upon God for his anomalous physical attributes. "He had the
same ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Pardoner's tale has an important theme, "Radix malorum est cupiditas," which translates to
"Greed is the root of all evil." However, the Pardoner does not practice what he preaches. His
vocation, which involves selling false pardons and relics for a profit, is a contradiction to his theme.
"And thus I preach against the very vice/ I make my living out of – avarice" (243). The Pardoner
continues with his tale and condemns gluttony, drinking, gambling, and swearing, but then declares
that he is guilty of each one. It is evident that the Pardoner is a hypocrite and that he has no intention
of changing.
In the tale, three young rioters discover that a good friend has died and they mistakenly believe he
was killed by a man named Death. They pledge that they will find Death and avenge their friend. As
they embark on their quest, they pass by an old man and criticize his age. They inquire about Death,
and the old man mentions that he left Death by a tree. The rioters proceed to the tree, but find a pile
of gold florins rather than Death. Ultimately, the three young men kill each other in a vain attempt to
increase their personal share of the gold. Thus, the young men set out to find Death and they
succeeded in their search. Their greed was the cause of their demise. The Pardoner is analogous to
the rioters because

How Does Chaucer Use Satire In The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales
In the medieval age there are norms that people in a society are supposed to abide by. In this time,
there was a lot of wars dividing the nations and changed how people lived. The black plague also
devastated the nation in many ways. During this time, if you weren't a noble or part of the church,
then you didn't really have any power or voice in your society. Chaucer uses elements of the other or
otherness to satire religion, social structure, and patriarchal institutions to show how corrupt these
groups are in hope to change people's mind about these groups and institutions.
During the medieval ages the church was supposed to be a person's main priority. Chaucer uses
satire to show the corruption of the church through the character, the" Friar". The Friar gets otherred
for scapegoating. The Friar was supposed to take donations from the church and give it to the poor.
Chaucer's Friar takes takes those donations from the church but doesn't give them to the poor, but in
fact he takes it for himself. The Friar was also there to help people with their marriages giving the
ladies "what he could afford her" (GP 217). The Friar had a ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Chaucer uses satire to point out the problems within the noble class through the character the
Knight. The Knight gets alienated by the society because of his actions. The Knight, who is sought
to be honorable and noble, is quite the opposite in this situation. The Knight is accused of rape and
is "sent a summons" (GP76) from the queen to decide his fate. Chaucer decides to have his
character, the Knight, act like this to demonstrate that not all noble people are good people. The
Knight is otherred by his society and queen unless he can tell the queen the "thing that women most
desire" (GP81) within a year. If the Knight can do that, the queen will not kill him. That's not the
only way that the Knight is otherred in the canterbury

Canterbury Tales Research Paper
According to the video The Study of English, Chaucer was the first writer to consciously use
English to write his poems, even though he knew Latin and French, which were considered superior
to English (Macneil, MacCrum, and Cran). He was an inspector in the London wool wharf, a busy
job that only allowed him to write at night (Strohm). Chaucer decided to exile himself after being
punished for letting corrupt collectors do as they pleased (Strohm). Chaucer's exile prompted him to
create what is The Canterbury Tales; the creation of an audience that replaced his "small [,]
responsive and [personally selected group]" back home (Strohm). Chaucer creates an audience of
various people of different social class and functions. Even though Chaucer describes different
Characters, which are important to understand the medieval world, I will mainly focus on the
Knight. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I would argue that Chaucer addresses or brings to our attention the cruel reality of the medieval
world. In The Canterbury Tales Prologue, Chaucer characterizes the Knight as a gentle, humble and
worthy man, who "loved chivalry, truth, honour, freedom and all courtesy" (1). This is the contrary
perception of knights in the medieval times. This implies that Chaucer was explicitly mocking the
knights. He was confronting their corrupt behavior by describing the code of conduct which they did
not keep or respect. In The Canterbury Tales Prologue, Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the social and
religious problems of his time in a very sardonic

Morality In The Middle Ages Essay
Moral tales in the middle ages were set up to teach a lesson about how to live life according to the
church. During Medieval times most tales were religious based. The end of the Middle Ages were
more corrupt coming from the Catholic Church and that was a serious problem and those moral
messages came from the bible. There still may be some explanation to bring into play image of
class, especially middle–class, well to Chaucer. The middle ages were a time of an era during which
social structures and theory were always changing. Chaucer knew, it's no trouble to write for a group
of people who slightly shared the same set of values, whether it was the parson, a cook, or an upper–
class prioress. Each character Chaucer addressed had their own set of values and those values and
definition of the moral tales were defined in the medieval world by two structures known as the
class system and the church. The Catholic Church was extremely corrupt in middle ages and the
Pardoner is one of the prime examples of that corruption in the church. Later on in the years of the
Middle Ages, some clergy took it upon themselves of this tradition and charged people to see holy
relics. The Pardoner actually sells pardons, wiping a clean ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
In the middle ages most tales were expressed that way. "For Gode's love, take all patience for it may
not be otherwise"(Chaucer 15). This is an important line because it helps bring about the concept of
love into the poem but also because it reminds us that middle ages true love was associated with
love of God and love from God. And that's what is revealed in the first reference of love. "But I was
hurt right now throughout mine eye Into mine heart, that will my bane be." (Chaucer 16). This
explains how important it is during this period to claim that lust entered through your heart and
eyes. The whole purpose of this tale is to show the Romance in the Middle

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