'Merchant's Tale - Marriage'
To what extent do you agree that The Merchant's Prologue and Tale is merely a cynical attack on marriage? Geoffrey Chaucer's presentation of marriage throughout The Canterbury Tales is, indeed, varied, abstract and supplemented by dispute over the sincerity of specific works. This literary inconsistency is strongly evident in The Merchant's Tale, making it essential to address the disparity of its message on the topic of marriage. It could initially be assumed that the poem is not solely a cynical attack on marriage; Chaucer offers a somewhat objective overview of the issue, purveyed by the obvious difference in opinion of its characters, for example; the merchant in the prologue - 'we wedded men live in sorwe and care'1 - and Januarie's opinion - 'in this world it [marriage] is a paradis'2 - or the differing judgements of both Justinus - 'it is no childes pley'3 - and Placebo - 'Dooth now in this matiere right as yow leste'4 - after Januarie's consultation with them. By addressing the fact that the message fluctuates it could be argued that Chaucer offers multiple compatible interpretations. Should we interpret the opinion of Placebo in the same way as we should Justinus, or do the subsequent events of the Tale prove to us that we should primarily concern ourselves with the view of the more reasoned, objective character - the name 'Justinus' implies a judicial figure?
With reference to lines 91-112 and 163-290, how are the rivals Nicholas and Absalon presented to us by Chaucer in this section? Focus on Chaucer(TM)s use of language and detail to present this contrast?
With reference to lines 91-112 and 163-290, how are the rivals Nicholas and Absalon presented to us by Chaucer in this section? Focus on Chaucer's use of language and detail to present this contrast? Nicholas and Absalon become rivals in the Millers parody of the Knights tale, fighting for the love of the wife of the carpenter, Alison. The contrast between Absalon's vivacious character and appearance with Nicholas' cunning and quick- wittedness create two opposing characters to represent the aspects of courtly love, yet adapt it to create a comical parody. Chaucer makes clever use of language and diction through the presentation of his characters' actions and behaviour. He also uses the aid of his own opinion of his characters laid subtlety behind the Miller's views of the two rivals in his tale. The initial detail the reader receives about Absalon is his appearance, whereas in Nicholas' case it is the details of his room portraying his lifestyle, which revolves around the seduction of women. The only information we are given about Nicholas' appearance is 'lyk a maiden meek for to see' suggesting his girlish attractive looks, freshness and youth. In contrast, Absalon's looks and clothes are described in great detail to portray his vanity and flamboyancy. His 'Poules window corven on his shoes' draws focus to the intricate details of his appearance so that the reader is
Dear Arch Bishop of Canterbury, (letter on Geoffry Chaucer's 'The General Prologue').
39 Mortham Street Stratford London E15 3LS 26th January 2004 To Arch Bishop of Canterbury Canterbury Kent B5 7QP Dear Arch Bishop of Canterbury, I have recently finished studying an anthology of poetry by Geoffry Chaucer called "The General Prologue", having done so I am completely enraged and horrified to discover the appauling and disgusting behaviour of the religious people in the 14th century. Three out of four religious characters were corrupt, and it was shocking that the disgraceful behaviour was not stopped. I am writing to you to share my knowledge of this corruption in the church at this time. The first and maybe the most important point I would like to bring to your attention, is the fact that many of these characters did not perform their religious duties. The monk was expected to spend his whole life in prayer but instead, he spent most of his time outside the monastery, "An outridere." Chaucer uses the word "outridere" and this implies to us that the monk spends most of his time on horseback, this is truly disgraceful because he should be in the church performing his religious duties. This shows he is not a honourable monk that does not want to worship god. The monk is very greedy and self-absorbed he is there just for the money; he does not care about serving the world "Let Austyn have his swynk to hym reserved". The monk is extremely self indulgent
Explore your relationship with the wife of bath
Explore your relationship with the Wife of Bath "Gilbert and Gubar see the wife of bath as a independent character who stands for female supremacy in a misogynistic time." " Hanson reminds the audience that the wife is a fictive creation of Chaucer, a man with little empathetic knowledge of women." This essay is going to explore my relationship with the Wife of Bath, bearing both critical viewpoints in mind. Chaucer exploits the notion of the female stereotype in his creation of the Wife of Bath. The misogynist's idea of women as a source of all trouble and evil is an important one. This idea came from the Old Testament, where Eve ate the apple and succeeded in getting herself, Adam and all their descendants expelled from paradise. This story remained influential throughout the middle ages, where women were seen as weak and unintelligent, fond of causing trouble and bound to make any man miserable who was foolish enough to marry them. During this time period, women had little status within society. However, the wife achieves her "authority" through marriage, by manipulating men to get what she wants, namely money and sex. Wives were thought to be nagging, vicious, and yet in complete subordination to their husbands. The wife knows that women are supposed to be irrational, stubborn and emotional whilst men are supposed to be calm, rational and reasonable. For example, she
In what ways is The Merchant's Tale a response to The Clerk's Tale?
In what ways is The Merchant's Tale a response to The Clerk's Tale? Chaucer's establishment of the Clerk in the General Prologue as a committed scholar who prioritises his academic studies over material wealth contrasts sharply with the description of the Merchant's 'bargaines' and his 'chevissaunce'. In placing The Clerk's Tale immediately before that of the Merchant and exploring similar themes within both, Chaucer introduces to his readership a likelihood of the second tale being a response to the first. The differing attitudes and outcomes of the tales, whilst having significant links in their subject matter, provoke comparison of the narrators in their personal discussions and the protagonists become the embodiment of their views towards marriage in the tales. Walter is presented by the Clerk as a largely stereotypical marquis, whose qualities of humility and understanding in his proposal to Griselda are linked to the distinct lack of irony in the introduction to his character. The Clerk narrates in praise of the protagonist, "Handsome and young and strong; in him were blent High honour and a gentle courtesy." It is then admitted that Walter did show certain faults ("He was indeed to blame...") although the fact that he is named so shortly after the beginning of the tale resounds importantly in the Merchant's prologue, where Chaucer admits to having forgotten the
A sinister exploration of the nature of evil Discuss Chaucers poetic methods in presenting evil in the pardoners prologue and tale in the light of this comment.
(a) 'A sinister exploration of the nature of evil' Discuss Chaucer's poetic methods in presenting evil in the pardoner's prologue and tale in the light of this comment. In Chaucer's time, the nature of evil related to any committing of the 7 deadly sins, consisting of greed, pride, blasphemy, sloth, avarice, wrath, lust and envy. The pardoner's prologue and tale is comprised of many of these sins, the pardoner himself demonstrating the majority. Other characters, such as the 3 rioters also embody many of these sins. This essay will explore these characters as well as their evil natures and formulate an opinion how Chaucer presents evil in the pardoner's prologue and tale. The pardoner's evil nature is initiated from his physical description in the general prologue. He is described as having hair as yelow as wex and hood we wered noon - a description immediately illustrating him as a rule breaker, as for most clergymen it was assumed they would cover their hair. In addition to this, he is described as having such glaryng eyen. In the medieval times, this amounted to the suggestion of evil; therefore, Chaucer has constructed the pardoner in such a way to ambiguously imply he may be somewhat evil. Critics, such as Spearing, have noted that the pardoner's repellent outer appearance reflects his inner corruption. The description of his fake relics, such as the sayle that saint
Chaucer's Irony - The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer's Irony Irony is a vitally important part of The Canterbury Tales, and Chaucer's ingenious use of this literary device does a lot to provide this book with the classic status it enjoys even today. Chaucer has mastered the techniques required to skilfully put his points across and subtle irony and satire is particularly effective in making a point. The Canterbury Tales are well-known as an attack on the Church and its rôle in fourteenth century society. With the ambiguity introduced by the naïve and ignorant "Chaucer the pilgrim", the writer is able to make ironic attacks on characters and what they represent from a whole new angle. The differences in opinion of Chaucer the pilgrim and Chaucer the writer are much more than nuances - the two personas are very often diametrically opposed so as to cause effectual irony. In the Friar's portrait, he is delineated and depicted by riddles of contradictory qualities. Chaucer expertly uses ironic naiveté to highlight the Friar's lack of moral guilt. When the reader is told that the Friar, "knew the taverns wel in every toun" (l. 240), we can take it to mean that he spends very much time drinking, flirting and socialising in pubs. The Friar is superseded to be a holy man, but we see that he knew the landlords and barmaids much better than the people he has meant to be consoling, praying for and helping out of the
How does Chaucers prologue prepare us for the millers tale?
'How does Chaucer's Prologue prepare us for 'The Miller's tale'?' Chaucer introduces us to the Miller in the prologue, who appears to personify his own story. By introducing the Miller as a crude ruthless man Chaucer prepares for what is to come in the tale, we see his personality and which becomes the basis for the themes which run through the Miller's tale. In the prologue we are introduced to the Miller's views of women, his frustration with the Reeve and his insult to the church and they are all then continued through the tale. The prologue is a conversation between The Miller and Harry Bailey, who as well as being the landlord is also the man who created the story telling contest and therefore would be seen as the authoritative figure in the novel. When the Miller interrupts to give his story we see him challenging the authority of Harry for it is not his turn to speak, this is an insight into his personality and that of the story which he is to tell. We see him challenging those whom have power during the tale by striking out against The Church. We see the preparation for this disregard of The Church's authority in the prologue for it is in front of the monk, a member of the group, that the Miller speaks. This is showing great disrespect for as a religious figure the monk would be seen as the Miler's superior. This can relate to how the only member of the clergy in the
Geoffrey Chaucer. Through the double narration it can be seen that the narrator of the Prologue is Chaucer but this pilgrim Chaucer is not the author Chaucer
In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, participants of a pilgrimage to Canterbury tell tales to entertain each other, revealing many aspects of medieval society. Through the double narration it can be seen that the narrator of the Prologue is Chaucer but this pilgrim Chaucer is not the author Chaucer. The pilgrim never describes his own career or social standing, but upon examination, he proves to be a corrupt individual of the upper class. The tales are not simply a story or a poem, it is an individual speaking about his observations- an oral performance. In the tales that follow, Chaucher (the pilgrim) will impersonate the others, "The wordes mote be cosin to the dede- (Line 742)" so his words must match the action he sees. It becomes a double narration, where Chaucer creates this pilgrim who tells the story of a great pilgrimage to Canterbury. There is no longer a creator of the poem, simply a speaker, a character who has his own characteristics and repeats what he sees. Despite its subtly, these traits expose the pilgrim Chaucer. Each of the stories in The Canterbury Tales are to be told with the utmost accuracy, suggesting Chaucer's literacy. "Whoso shal telle a tale after a man, He moot reherce as ny as evere he can Everish a word, if it be in his charge, Al speke he never so rudeliche and large; Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe, Or
Discuss how the concept of courtly love is represented in the Franklin's tale.
Discuss how the concept of courtly love is represented in the Franklin's tale. Courtly love is a common theme within the Franklin's Tale, and different characters seem to have different attitudes and approaches towards the concept. For example, Aurelius seems to see it as a somewhat more lustful pursuit than Averagus; he presumably went through the process of courtly love to marry Dorigen, but his vows suggest that he has genuine love for Dorigen. Throughout the Tale, Chaucer seems to poke fun at the idea of courtly love via the Franklin's comments. This could either be Chaucer representing the idea of courtly love as interpreted by Aurelius as foolish, or the traditional ideas behind it. Traditionally, courtly love was like a game, in which a noble young man, often a knight or squire, would attempt to woo a lady. Usually, it would be a lady of higher status, and it was not uncommon for her to be married as well. The lady would always be in control, and the young man would perform many foolhardy and dangerous deeds to get her attention. It was, in theory, a chaste pursuit, and not for sexual purposes; Aurelius clearly sees it differently. The brave and foolhardy deeds to the whim of the lady then continue until she shows some form of concern or pity toward the young man; then, there is supposed to be a secret, painful passion between the two, and they get married unless she