English society of Chaucer's time
Most people in the English society of Chaucer's time, about 600 years ago, viewed the world in a similar way and accepted the same beliefs. People then believed that behind the chaos and frustration of the day-to-day world there was a divine providence that gave a reason to everything, even though that reason wasn't always obvious. When you've got faith in an overall system like that, it's easier to accept and understand the world around you. People in Chaucer's society could feel, at least much of the time, a sense of security about the world, knowing that it was following a divine plan. They trusted the system they believed in; it was true, and they felt no need to question it. So behind all of Chaucer's satire and social put-downs in the Canterbury Tales is an unshaken belief in a divine order. It's easier to make fun of something when, underneath, you know you take it seriously. Also, as Chaucer knew, it's easier to write for a group of people who at least roughly share the same set of values, whether they be a cook, a parson, or an upper-class prioress. Those values were represented in the medieval world by two structures: the class system and the church. People believed both setups were established by God, and each went unchallenged. A peasant, like Chaucer's Plowman, wasn't "upwardly mobile" as in our society, and didn't aspire to become a knight. He may want to buy
According to what principles, and for what purposes, do Twentieth Century women-writers revise and rewrite fairy tales? You should illustrate your answer from at least three stories.
According to what principles, and for what purposes, do Twentieth Century women-writers revise and rewrite fairy tales? You should illustrate your answer from at least three stories. Fairy tales of the Sixteenth to Eighteenth Century were created as traditional narratives advocating gender roles and employed as a means of preserving the established patriarchal order. Traditionally, termed as 'old wives' tales' the stories became female, oral narratives. However, the male rewrites of Perrault and the brothers Grimm led to a prevalent masculine orientated message. Such campaigning for the male agenda begged a feminist response in the Twentieth Century. Through her collection of fairy tales, The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter, Recovered a female tradition of story telling obscured by the popularity of such male adaptations as Charles Perrault, the brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.'1 Carter embraces the subversive potential of the fairy tale and undermines the fixing of gender roles and natural laws through focusing upon the intermediate grey areas between the masculine and the feminine, childhood and adulthood, animal and human. The impact of the feminist perspective has served to revolutionise a genre that only appears to be impartial and uncomplicated through its categorising as a mode of story telling aimed at children. The feminist perspective has
Chaucer's Models of Authorship and his Anxiety of Influence in the Prologue to the 'Legend of Good Women.
Chaucer's Models of Authorship and his Anxiety of Influence in the Prologue to the 'Legend of Good Women. There is no doubt that Sir Geoffrey Chaucer placed immense value upon the integrity and accuracy of his work. This is clearly evident in the poem, 'Chaucers Wordes Unto Adam, his Owne Scriveyn', where he reprimands his scribe Adam for his negligence and over zealousness in copying texts he has given him. 'But after my makyng thow wryte more trewe, So ofte adaye I mot thy werk renewe, It to correct and eke to rubbe and scrape, And al is thorugh thy negligence and rape.' (Chaucer, 'Adam' 4-7) It is a short, yet passionate poem as it succinctly illustrates the intense ferocity Chaucer felt toward Adam for altering his creations; as demonstrated when he calls down a plague upon poor Adam's head! Chaucer's preoccupation with the transmission of texts that are of quality and 'trewe' spills over into another of his works, prologue to Legend of Good Women [G Text], in which he examines the whole concept of his responsibility as an author in a more holistic fashion. This essay seeks to discuss how Chaucer felt about his accountability as an author, translator and mediator of texts and the influences that fashioned his subjectivity as a writer. It also seeks to explore the anxiety that Chaucer displays in the prologue as to his justification as an author and his
Select two or three portraits from the General Prologue and discuss Chaucer's use of variety of detail in comparing and contrasting characters.
Select two or three portraits from the General Prologue and discuss Chaucer's use of variety of detail in comparing and contrasting characters. It is obvious that what links the friar, prioress and the monk is that they are all members of the religious community and hence should be governed by strict rules of conduct according to their religion. But in all three characters we see their failing to do so. Hence in the General Prologue, they are presented as quite an unworthy trio, all of whom are not what they should be. Love is a key theme when comparing the trio, as love of themselves, material things and lovers are all hinted at throughout their descriptions. The Prioress's name is Elgentine, it means 'wild rose', and in Chaucer's period it was a fashionable name taken from courtly romance rather than from a saint. Therefore the name suggests sensual love already suggesting that she is not naïve but well aware of sexual passions. By not taking a saint's name she is neglecting the ideal of a Prioress and demonstrates that her mind is not totally devoted to her faith. As the name is fashionable, it reinforces the idea that she is yearning to be admired by others. It seems clear that she has a penchant for the more materialistic view because she should have asked herself 'what's in a name' and it seems that the reply she would have given would have been 'quite a lot'. Her
The pardoners prologue and Tale show human nature to lack any redeeming virtues people are greedy, weak and hypocritical Discuss Chaucers poetic methods and concerns in the Pardoners prologue and tale in ligh
(a) 'The pardoner's prologue and Tale show human nature to lack any redeeming virtues - people are greedy, weak and hypocritical' Discuss Chaucer's poetic methods and concerns in the Pardoner's prologue and tale in light of this comment. PLAN Pardoner - greedy, weak, hypocritical. * Pardoner's greed is emphasised throughout the whole prologue and tale --> his sermons revolve around the latin biblical phrase 'radix malorum est cupiditas' (greed is the root of all evil) yet openly admits to preaching for 'nothyng but for coveityse' - portrays him as a hypocritical character as he is not putting what he preaches into practice. * During medieval times, religion was a way of life - life after death/salvation was more important than life on earth and therefore repenting sins was a way to ensure you went to heaven - pardoner is playing on his audience's weakness/fear for his benefit - shows him as immoral and weak. --> openly admits that he 'rekke nevere/than whan they have been beryed, though that hir soules goon-a-blackberyed!' - negative imagery proves his lack of compassion * Openly admits he is guilty of avarice (which was one of the 7 deadly sins - ironic and hypocritical seeing as he's a preacher and preaches ABOUT gluttony?) ''I preche of no thyng but for coveityse'' (x2) ''myn entente is nat but for to wynn and /no thyng for the correcicioun of synne' * General
Chaucer creates humour by satirising values in religious and courtly love. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Chaucer creates humour by satirising values in religious and courtly love. To what extent do you agree with this statement? "The Merchant's Tale is only rarely seen as humorous; most often it is noted for its darkness, its "unrelieved acidity"; it is said to offer a "perversion" of the courtly code."1 I disagree with this statement made by J. S. P. Tatlock. Chaucer was successful at creating humour within his narratives, which is partly why his works were, and still are, so popular. Humour can be achieved through a variety of elements including plot, characterisation, language, timing and circumstance. Chaucer used of all these, but largely drew upon the satirical portrayals of both the courtly love genre and religion within The Merchant's Tale. The tale opens with The Merchant who is envious and astringent of all people that are of a higher class than he; therefore, in his narrative, he targets and satirizes the traditions of the knightly class, including the romantic conventions of courtly love often attributed to the upper classes. Another of Chaucer's tales is The Knight's Tale which is about two knights and close friends, Arcite and Palamon, who are imprisoned by Theseus, duke of Athens. Whilst in prison they fall in love with the beautiful sister of Hippolyta, Emily (Emelye). The sense of competition brought about by this love causes them to hate each other. They
Analysis of lines 125 - 300 of The Merchant's Tale
The Merchant's Tale // In Depth Analysis [Lines 125 - 300] The themes explored in the extract, lines 125 - 300, are that of love, deception and honour; both in general, and involving friends and women, religion in order to support and undermine marriage, and the overall purpose of marriage. The extract shows the fabliau nature of 'The Merchant's Tale' and the positive images of love contradict everything the Merchant has written about until this point. The fact that he commends the conveniences of marriage from another man's point of view, Januarie, initially displays a change in heart from the Merchant about the whole idea of marriage. It is really the start of a heavily ironic piece of poetry. A comical picture of the complete obedience of women in lines 130 to 134 'She kepeth his good ... She seith nat ones 'nay'' recaptures the fact that Patient Grisilde's story mentioned a few lines previously in the poem, 'Bitwix Grisildis grete pacience', is likely to be very unrealistic. The Merchant seems to dramatise the section and a sense of ridicule is felt by the way he is describing the level of obedience shown by women. We know the Merchant does not trust women and so the few lines are clearly sarcastic. The Merchant's ability to write about women in a positive light in lines 145 - 149 and the implication that men should follow their 'wyves reed', their wives advise as they
How appropriate is it that the character of the Pardoner tells the tale?
"How appropriate is it that the character of the Pardoner tells the tale?" The Pardoner is a sinner preaching about sin. He takes on the role of the priest in order to take money for himself. His relics and documents are all fake, which suggests that he is exploiting God. As a result, God has make him physically and sexually ambiguous, "This Pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex, But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex." This portrayal of the Pardoner adds irony to the tale, which is why it is appropriate for him to be telling the tale. On the other hand, the Pardoner is immoral and should not preach what he does not do himself, "Is al my preeching, for to make hem free To yeven hir pens, and namely unto me." He constantly pretends to be something he is not, "I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet". He also compares himself to a serpant, "Thus spitte I out my venym under hewe", which is a paradox as he has just compared himself to a dove. Therefore, his immorality can suggest that he is inappropriate to tell this tale. The pilgrims are blinded by his immorality and listen to his moral stories. He is attempting to show off his power of rhetoric to make himself appear to be above the pilgrims, "And in Latin I speke a wordes fewe, To saffron with my predicacioun, And for to stire hem to devocioun." He could be trying to convince the pilgrims that he is a priest as
Quotes from the Miller's Tale
Quotes from the Miller's Tale CHARACTERS John "A riche gnof"p33 A new emerging class bringing conflict to hierarchy emphaised trough word gnof lots of different words Chaucer uses analogue "deemed himself been lik a cokewold" p34 Prolepsis foreshadows tale builds tension takes away sympathy for John "he knew nat Cauton" p34 Shows he is not intelligent or educated due to allusion "Myn housbande is so ful of jalousie"p36 One of John's flaws emphasised through simile "The carpenter was goon till Osenay"p39 Associates him with religion and lack of knowledge as large abbey there "I am adrad, by Seint Thomas, It stondeth nat aright with Nicholas. God shilde that he deid sodeeinly"p40 Black death cliché Men shoulde nat knowe of Goddes privitee."p41 Proleptic warning John did not want vernacular bible as reduced Catholic churches power to tell people what to do "Jhesu Crist and Seinte Benedight, Blesse this hous from every wikked wight, For nightes verye, the whire pater-noster! Where wentestow Seinte Petres soster?"p42 This is part of the night spell part rubbish it is a satirical comment by Chaucher on John embracing his ignorance "I shal it nevere telle To child ne wyf" p43 Irony as does tell "As dooth the white doke after hire drake"p45 Emphasises john's childlike nature as there is a childlike expression and simile employed for him "to his wyf he tolde
The franklins tale raises issues about what it really means to be "noble" Consider how this tale forms an examination of the values that held medieval society together and how this is subtly questioned by Chaucer.
January 31st 2006 Joshua Gray - The Franklins tale essay The franklins tale raises issues about what it really means to be "noble" Consider how this tale forms an examination of the values that held medieval society together and how this is subtly questioned by Chaucer. INTRODUCTION Chaucer raised many questions through the Canterbury Tales dealing with events of the time including marriage, a woman's place in the world and changing attitudes. In the Franklins tale the most prominent issue he raises is to deal with what it means to be noble. Chaucer is questioning the social class system throughout England in Medieval society and raises many questions for the reader about it. To be a noble in Chaucer's time you had to be born into nobility. To be a noble meant you were able to bear arms and were responsible for the protection of the whole community. They generally lived in castle, owned land and were supported in peace and war by inferiors. However, a knight might own a scrubby patch of land and have a small house in the country, but if he could trace his family back to nobility he was still declared a 'noble'. Gentillesse was a code of behavior associated with the noble class. This included a number of qualities. Generosity, chivalrous or gentlemanly deeds, bravery, social graces, delicacy of feelings, integrity and many others. A man could appear to be