Discuss Chaucer's use of irony in the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales.

The second technique used by Chaucer to satirise the pilgrims occurs when the Chaucer echoes the words of the pilgrim's most notably revealing statements. For example, with the Monk, lines 174-189 practically report a conversation in which the Monk gives himself away by complaining about the strictness of the old Rule of St Benedict. Yet as a monk he should have bound himself to keep these Rules by a religious vow. The pilgrim Chaucer draws further attention to the Monk's corruption by mentioning that he doesn't take part in daily study and manual labour, two of the monastic obligations. While many monks stood by their vows, many like Chaucer's monk wanted to have freedom and take part in society. By accepting the Monk's role, Chaucer reveals the Monks stupidity at thinking Chaucer believes what he is being told is good.

These two techniques, praising the subject's most inappropriate vices and quoting his idiocies with approval are part of Chaucer's satirical method and are used frequently throughout the Prologue. For example in the portrait of the Friar, there are various examples of vices being praised:

"In alle the ordres foure is noon that can

So muche of daliaunce and fair langage."

And

"He was an esy man to yeve penaunce

Ther as he wiste to han a good pitaunce;"

In the above quotes the Friar is first praised as being the most skilful seducer in all the four supposedly celibate orders, and then congratulated for giving an easy penance in return for a good bribe. Lines 225-30 show the second method of echoing the Friar's transparent excuses and again in lines 243-8:

"For unto swich a worthy man as he

Accorded nat, as by his facultee,

To have wit seke lazars aqueyntaunce.

It is nat honest, it may nat avaunce

For to delen with no swich poraille,

But al with riche and sellers of vitaille."

In the portrait of the Summoner, Chaucer again uses irony, although the humour is at some stages bordering on sarcasm. The lecherous, corrupt villain is described thus in lines 647-651:

"He was a gentil harlot and a kinde;

A bettre felawe sholde men noght finde.

He wolde suffre, for a quart of wyn

A good felawe to [liven as a swyn]

A twelf-month, and excuse him atte fulle:

Ful prively a finch eek coude he pulle."

Likewise, the Pardoner's portrait does not escape from Chaucer's irony, the dishonest and grotesque man is described as:

"But of his craft, fro Berwick into Ware,

Ne was ther swich another pardoner."

However, later in this portrait Chaucer again commends the Pardoner, but this time he is sincere in his praise:

Wel coude he rede a lessoun or a storie".

This shows us that sometimes it is difficult to know when Chaucer really means what he says or whether he is being ironic. Although most of the time it is fairly obvious that the characters qualities are not as they should be.

Irony is a word or phrase that has one surface meaning but another possibly opposite meaning is implied. Chaucer uses to irony to add humour to the portraits of the characters. The characters become caricatures. The characters are portrayed with an over emphasis on their flaws and foibles. This displays irony because it has an opposite meaning intended to that of the one written.

Linked with the humour is the irony as mockery, the mocking of the characters can be found humorous. The Prioress' name is Madame Eglentine. Eglentine was not a saint's name and nuns were supposed to take names of saints. The Prioress cared more about animals than people, Chaucer tells us this by describing how well she treats her dog when she mentions nothing of helping people. The Monk who was supposed to stay within his order was a man who enjoyed riding and recreation and wore fine clothes. Chaucer described him as 'a manly man fit to be an abbot.' This is ironic because monks and abbots weren't supposed to be manly and Chaucer is mocking the monk because he thinks the monk would make an awful Abbot. The Friar is a victim of Chaucer's mocking irony because the things the Friar thinks are good about himself are the things Chaucer tells the reader. Chaucer however doesn't believe them.

Chaucer uses irony to keep the readers interest. The characters are not fitting to the medieval expectations of their role. Chaucer is ironic to be controversial because the medieval society is shocked at the state of the supposedly important people's attitudes.

Chaucer's irony brings the General Prologue to life as it makes a mockery and is humorous about the medieval way of life and talks about how members of medieval society should not behave.

Felicity Giles