The Nun's Priest's Tale

This essay hasn't yet been marked by one of our teachers

You can view all our essays on Miscellaneous that have been Marked by Teachers

The first 200 words of this essay...

"Even within the predictable fable structure, Chaucer is still able to entertain an audience and create comic tension." To what extent would you agree with this judgement in relation to The Nun's Priest's Tale? Your discussion should include close reference to Chaucer's narrative methods.

As The Nun's Priest's tale is a predictable fable structure, Chaucer needs to use comedy to entertain his audience. Comedy combined with tension helps create an entertaining tale with a moral meaning.

There is a moment of comic tension near the end of the tale, when we see the scene between Chauntecleer and the Fox. As an audience, we know Chauntecleer's fate because of the dreams etc, as does obviously the Fox. We are waiting for Chauntecleer to be snatched by the Fox and therefore the conversation between the naïve cock and the sly fox makes us tense. Chauntecleer, being his typical, naïve, pompous self is bound to fall for the false flattery which the fox is giving him: " For trewely, ye have as myrie a stevene as any aungel hath that is in hevene." Chauntecleer then sings: 'and strecche forth his nekke long and small', giving the Fox the perfect opportunity