The History Of The Canterbury Tales English Literature Essay

The History Of The Canterbury Tales face Literature EssaySocial environ handst Chaucer, a pilgrim on the style to Canterbury, counterbalances the journey with 31 other pilgrims. The ordering is s manger actually much feudal as shown by the way he describes his fellow pilgrims.Atmosphere As Chaucer describes his counterparts, the atmosphere in general seems lighthearted, counterbalance though he satires and in turn expresses disgust for many of the fellow pilgrims.Significance The setting provides a backdrop and plot to the story as the pilgrims exploit their way to Canterbury.StructureThe Canterbury Tales is a array of short stories, t grey from Chaucers point of view. He does non offer much of his insight and opinion, except for during the prologue, where he introduces and describes the characters. In apiece short story, a different pilgrim tells a tale.PlotIn The Canterbury Tales, the story begins in The Prologue, in The Tabard Inn, where Chaucer meets some nine and tw enty people who are preparing to go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury the next morning. He tbiddy proceeds to introduce and describe each of his fellow pilgrims in a sometimes praising, sometimes satirical manner. After this, the Host serves the pilgrims food, and suggests a way for them to pass time on their trip to each tell a story on the way there and one on the way back. He tells them that he will decide the best one and that the winner receives a free dinner pay by the other pilgrims. After this, the next morning, the pilgrims depart for Canterbury.In The Pardoners Tale, the Pardoner tells a story of greed. Three rum men blame Death for the finish of their friend. As they find an old man who complains that Death will not take him, and he tells them that they can find Death behind an oak tree, the trine stumble upon a pile of gold. They then draw straws and send one of the three to fetch food and wine. As the man retire froms, the both remaining men plot to kill the third ma n and keep the money to themselves. The third, as he fetches food, plots to kill the other two with poison. As the third man comes back, the two men that stayed stab him and take the food he brought, but they unknowingly drink the poison that he brought. And so Death takes all in all three of the drunk men.The wife of Baths Tale tells a story of a knight under King Arthur who is sentenced to death for raping a maiden. However the queen intervenes and states that he will be reprieved if he comes back in one year and one day and tells her what the thing is that women want most. The knight leaves and spends his time roaming, asking women what they want most, but they all give varying answers. Dejected, the knight sadly prepares to return to court. In the woods, he suddenly sees a group of dancing women. As he approaches them, they all disappear, and an old woman remains. The woman says she will tell him what women want most in return for payment and the knight accepts. As the knight tells the queen that women want reign over her husband and is released, the woman appears and says that she told the knight the answer and requests marriage. The knight unwillingly accepts. However he neglects her after they are married and this leads her to confront him. She asks him whether he would maintain an old and ugly but loyal, true, and humble wife, or to have an unfaithful, pretty wife. The knight leaves the decision to the old woman. Having won her sovereignty, she tells the knight to kiss him, and as he does, she turns into a beautiful young lady.In The Nuns Priests Tale, a cock, named Chanticleer, has a dream about his death at the hands of a fox. He tells his favorite wife, the hen Pertelote, about this vision he has had, and his fear. She scolds him for macrocosm scared. Upon this he recounts examples of other dreams that have come true. However, after this he is comforted and time passes. Later, as he is pass with his wives, a fox takes advantage of Chanticleers ego and tells him to crow for him. As Chanticleer closes his eyes to crow, he is snatched up by the fox. However then the fox is outwitted by Chanticleer, as the cock persuades the fox to talk and taunt the pursuers. As the fox opens his mouth, Chanticleer escapes and flies into a tree, refusing to be tricked once more.CharactersKnight a distinguished man who draws Chaucers praise. He has fought in many wars and represents truth, honor, courtesy, modesty and is wise.Squire the knights son. He is musically talented but sleeps very little as he spends much of his time trying to displace women.Yeoman tan with a head like a nut. He is also an excellent woodsman and archer who is very loyal.Nun/Prioress not really a nun, very concerned with appearance and love. Has a brooch that says Amor Vincit Omnia (Love Conquers All), as opposed to the religious devotion and chastity a nun should have. skirt Eglantyne.Another Nun with the Prioress.Priest 1 with the Prioress.Priest 2 with th e Prioress.Priest 3 with the Prioress. monastic not really a monk. He is fat and brazen-faced but is very worldly and not very devoted to religion. Buys nice clothes and likes hunting.Friar corrupt, and very good at begging. Wanton, merry, knew all the taverns and inns. He draws Chaucers scorn.Name Hubert.merchant good at his job but is in debt and is good at hiding it. Has a forking beard.Oxford Cleric only likes learning, very skinny and obsessed, would quite a spend money on books than other stuff.Sergeant at the Law seems to be good at his job. Chaucer doubts this. Sergeant has memorized a bunch of cases.Franklin has a gabardine beard, but lives for pleasure. Parties, has lots of wine, food.Guildsmen (Haberdasher, Carpenter, Dyer, Weaver, Carpetmaker) look trim and fresh. Worked together to help each other out. Wives also pushed them.Cook good at cooking but has incompetent hygiene. Has an ulcer on his knee and can distinguish ale by flavor.Skipper steals a lot, al so navigates the sea, kind of a pirate. He is riding a stolen supply and has been through many naval challenges.Doctor knows much about medicine. He wears blood-red robes slashed with bluish-gray and is a miser. He loves money.Wife of Bath hard of hearing, dresses nicely, has had 5 husbands, traveled around the world and been to Jerusalem 3 times. She is a very good seamstress and friendly.Parson poor, but rich in thought. Also very reverent and religiously informed. Generous, charitable, virtuous, and hardworking.Plowman brother of the Parson, also hardworking, and honest, peaceful, and charitable. Very religious and poor, but still paid his tithes on time and in full.Miller sozzled and large, with a red beard, large nostrils, and a wart on his nose. He plays he bagpipes and is very knockout, but dishonest.Manciple is illiterate and shrewd but can trump out others in many legal cases.Reeve skinny, old, and choleric. He has a bad temper and not many like him, so he rides in the back. He is a carpenter and watches and predicts crops carefully.Summoner corrupt, drunk, and lecherous. Pimply with narrow eyes and a thin beard. He gets bribed and blackmails to get what he wants.Pardoner possibly a homosexual checkmate of the Summoner, has long yellow greasy hair, bulging eyes. Is greedy and sells fake relics to pardon people.Host nice, overweight with bright eyes. Suggests good ideas and good at persuading others and getting others to do things.Chaucer the narrator of the story, going on a pilgrimage with the other characters.AllusionsThe Bible Chaucer alludes to the Bible in his description of the Plowman, referencing the love thy neighbor as thyself tenet in Christianity. This helps contrast with the non-religiousness of the supposedly clergy characters such as the Prioress and the Monk.Epicurus When describing the Franklin, Chaucer draws a comparison, calling the Franklin the son of Epicurus. This allusion to Greek society demonstrates the Engli sh knowledge of the other European cultures and the strong parallels that cultures drew back then, in society.Aristotle Chaucer makes an allusion to Aristotle when he describes the books the Oxford Cleric has. This shows us more about society back then and how philosophy was linked to studiousness and also again shows us the parallels between the ancient Greek culture and the English.Devices of SatireLitotes Chaucer uses litotes, or the use of affirmation through negation, to emphasize certain aspects of people without being too direct or obvious. This usage is somewhat an understatement, making something seem less than it really is. An example of this is when he describes the Prioress as by no means undergrown, he is hinting at her curvy and well-developed body but at the same time making it seem less that it really is.rhetorical Questions Rhetorical questions are questions asked that, while not necessarily drawing an answer, make a point. Chaucers use of these can be seen when he is describing the Monks un-monk-ness. He asks Was he to study till his head went round poring over books in cloisters? Must he toil as Austin bade and till the very soil? Was he to leave the world upon the shelf? While in the way Chaucer asks these questions the answer to each would seem to be no, the answers should actually be yes, and these emphasize the point that, while the Monk should be doing these things, he isnt, and therefore, he is not a monk-like monk.Irony- the use of irony is prominent throughout The Canterbury Tales and helps draw the readers attention but emphasizing the oddness of the situation, devil great examples of this are of the Monk and Prioress, who both should be religiously devout and strict followers of rules, but arent. You can see as Chaucer even says The get hold of good St. Benet or St. Maur as old and strict he tended to ignore, about the Monk, this draws the readers attention because again, obviously, that is exactly the opposite of what a monk should do.GenreThe Canterbury Tales is a collection of short stories buy Geoffrey Chaucer, also called an anthology. Throughout the prologue, Chaucer uses much satire through devices such as sarcasm or litotes to interest the audience and make his characters seem more interesting. In his short stories, however, each story seems to teach a lesson or have a moral, where The Pardoners Tale teaches us about the downfalls of greed, The Wife of Baths Tale teaches us about respect to women, and The Nuns Priests Tale teaches us about keeping pride and ego down. His use of rhyming couplets make the story more interesting and easy to remember.Authors PurposeChaucer, through humor and morals, uses The Canterbury Tales to effectively convey his view on certain aspects of Middle English society.QuotationFirst I beg of you, in courtesy,Not to condemn me as unmannerlyIf I speak plainly and with no concealingsAnd give account of all their words and traffic (Chaucer 120).This quote shows how Chauce r knowingly addresses his audience and acknowledges the potential impact he will have on them. By asking them not to condemn him if he speaks without concealings, he is announcing that he may say some controversial things, but this all ties into the morals and satire he uses to introduce his opinion on aspects of Middle English society.DocumentationGlencoe Literature Texas Treasures British LiteratureThe Nuns Preists Tale, http//machias.edu/faculty/necastro/chaucer/translation/ct/21npt.html