Analyse the encomium on marriage showing how Chaucer reveals attitudes to marriage. How might a modern reader respond?
Hannah Skehill Timed: 1hr Analyse the encomium on marriage showing how Chaucer reveals attitudes to marriage. How might a modern reader respond? An encomium is a formal expression of praise, a tribute. Chaucer makes use of this literary convention in his epic poem, 'The Merchant's Tale.' Through this encomium, which has been described by some critics to be 'one of the most amazing instances of sustained irony in all literature,' Chaucer reveals various attitudes towards marriage, through his use of language, style and irony. The fact that Chaucer has chosen an encomium in which to reveal to the audience different attitudes towards marriage, in itself conveys the attitude revealed. The sermon style immediately calls into question whether or not the digression is to be taken literally or if it is in fact used by Chaucer to ironically reveal to the reader the Merchant's true attitude towards marriage. The exaggerated language of praise supports this theory, as it can be seen as almost sardonic. The first issue concerned with, what critics know as the 'marriage encomium,' does not involve the meaning of the sermon, but rather who it is speaking. It could be the Merchant who narrates the tale, or it could be the thoughts of the main character of the tale, Januarie, the elderly knight. However, one must recognise within the encomium, a complete disquisition of marriage,
The Repression of Women in Victorian Society as Shown in 19th Century Literature
The Repression of Women in Victorian Society as Shown in 19th Century Literature. 19th century literature reflects to a certain extent, several ways in which women were repressed in Victorian society. They were considered inferior to men, and given a stereotypical image, showing them as gentle, loyal and angelic. They were rejected of any personal opinions or independence, for these were only a man's privilege. Class and status also affected women of the era. Evidence for these and further repressions can be found in the short stories of 19th century writers. Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper', which relates partially to her own personal experiences as a woman under her husbands overwhelming influence. Charles Dickens' story 'The Black Veil' also displays a view on women, as does 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs, which can be portrayed as a male-dominated narrative. Comparisons and contrasts can be made between these two novels, and 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. 'The Yellow Wallpaper' shows examples of men's attitudes towards women, as well as women's responses to these attitudes. The story is based on occurrences during Charlotte Perkins Gilman's own first marriage. The fact that the narrative is semi-autobiographical slightly highlights this, as she describes her relationship to 'the yellow wallpaper', as she falls deeper into what we know as post-natal
Different roles of women in the middle ages
Zayar Phyo 2th September 2004 World History (A) Different roles of women in the middle ages The middle age which is also known as medieval times was a period in history that lasted from the fifth to fifteenth century. The economy in this time depended on the manorial system which was based on farming. During this period of time, women played many important roles. There were mainly two different types and classes of women and one of them was peasant or serf and the other one was noble women. And also there was one more type of women which was nun. Apparently of course there were more serf women than noble women. This essay will mainly illustrate the roles of women in middle ages and marriages in this period. All classes of women in middle ages had to go through hard life. Obviously serf women would have a harder life time than noble women and nuns. Serf women worked hard on the manor. They spent most of their work time in the farm of their lords and also in their own field given by them. They had to do every farm works except heavy plowing. They did harvesting, planting, shepherding. Beside that they also had to do house works, taking care of home and raising their large families. Some serf women even worked the works which were considered as men's works such as blacksmiths, carpenters, etc. As they became serfs they could not run away from their lords' lands. They had to
The BIG day...
What comes to your head when you think of a wedding? A woman in a white dress walking down an aisle with a bouquet of flowers and a man in a suit with a smart suit... Or is it a girl in a red sari with lots of gold and jewellery... A big party...maybe.... with loud music and dancers on the dance floor? Each and every culture around the globe has its own way to celebrate a wedding. Since many Muslims come from different parts of the world then there are many differences or comparisons can be made between two weddings in two different countries. Still though there are still some certain things that are basic to every Islamic wedding, no matter where it takes place. The important people are: Imam- (or a person who will perform the ceremony) the bride, the bride's father, the bridegroom, and two witnesses. Other people such as friends and family are most welcome. The wedding ceremony itself can be held at a mosque, in the comfort of your own home or even in a rented out hall. The hall/ home/ mosque can be decorated, but it can be left simple. The imam is a religious man who is familiar with the rules of an Islamic wedding. He begins by first finding personal information about them, such as their full names, parent's names, and dates of birth. This information is usually writes it down it a marriage contract. He then begins the ceremony be reading passages of the Quran
Feminism or Anti-Feminism: Images of Women in Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath".
Feminism or Anti-Feminism: Images of Women in Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath". Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" is a medieval legend that paints a portrait of strong women finding love and themselves in the direst of situations. It is presented to the modern day reader as an early tale of feminism showcasing the ways a female character gains power within a repressive, patriarchal society. Underneath the simplistic plot of female empowerment lies an underbelly of anti-feminism. Sometimes this is presented blatantly to the reader, such as the case of Janekin's reading aloud from "The Book of Wikked Wives" (The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale 691). However, there are many other instances of anti-feminism that may not scream so loudly to the reader. This is shown in the disappearance of the rape victim and the happy ending for the Knight. While the overall story is one of supposed feminism shown through women's empowerment, there are many aspects of "The Wife of Bath" that are anti-feminist in nature. The main character, Alison, or the wife of Bath, is representative of most of the feminist ideals in the work. She is strong, independent, and to be respected as a woman of great courage. Alison has suffered a great deal in her lifetime, indicative of life for women at this time. She has survived five husbands; some of whom beat her, others were unfaithful. She was
Discuss how at least three authors during the mid to late Nineteenth Century explore conflict within the family. What are the family conflicts caused by? What are the results of the conflict?
Discuss how at least three authors during the mid to late Nineteenth Century explore conflict within the family. What are the family conflicts caused by? What are the results of the conflict? Conflict is made up of opposing forces, it may be natural or man-made, intentional or unintentional. Complications usually arise when the writer introduces the main point in a story, these complications are usually the results of conflicts. After conflict arises, this is when the moment of crisis occurs or perhaps better known as the climax of the story. The three short stories; "To Please his Wife," "The Parvenue," and "The Half-brothers all deal with a similar theme of conflict and jealousy between the characters. The main differences are the storyline, settings and characters which distinguish the stories. In these three stories, it seems as though money was the main root of these conflicts, as money brings power, status and wealth. In "To Please his Wife," Hardy tells the story of two good friends who both meet a sailor, Shadrach who had returned from a long journey. Joanna is more confident and starts meeting Shadrach. However, it is soon clear that Shadrach and Emily are truly in love. Joanna is just about to tell Shadrach that he can be with Emily but she overhears their conversation about how he is going to break up with her. Joanna gets really jealous, "Green envy
Is the “Miller’s Tale” suited to its teller?
Is the "Miller's Tale" suited to its teller? I think that the Miller is well suited to the tale that he tells. The tale is bawdy, and so is the Miller's character. We learn from the Miller's portrait that "his mouth as great as a greet forneys" and he tells "synne and noriotries". We know from this that the Miller will be telling a crude story and using crude language, not a romance. We also know that the Miller is lower class and has more brawn than brains. This shows he will be telling an obscene story of how he perceives reality, which is likely to be about lust and adultery, as in all fabliaus. In the beginning of the prologue the Miller has already insulted the host by disrupting the social harmony. He has also offended the Reeve, whose job is a carpenter. Traditionally there was a rivalry between Millers and carpenters. This makes the tale more suited to the Miller as he sets out to offend the Reeve. The Millers offensive character shows through in this offensive tale. We see from the prologue that the Miller has a "thumb of gold" meaning that he steels some of the flour that he grindes for the local people. This shows how dishonest and devious the Miller is. This makes him well suited to tell the tale as it is all about dishonesty and lack of trust and loyalty. The tale is about adultery and the miller believes that all women are adulterous and tells the Reeve that
Merchant; Franklin; Sergeant of the Law. For each of these characters analyse how Chaucer presents them as representatives of the new bourgeoisie. To what extent are they presented simply as representatives of their class, rather than individual?
Merchant; Franklin; Sergeant of the Law. For each of these characters analyse how Chaucer presents them as representatives of the new bourgeoisie. To what extent are they presented simply as representatives of their class, rather than individual? The Merchant is the first representative of the third estate - those who worked. His description is opened with four lines on his appearance; it is doubtful that attributes such as "a forked beard" were particularly considered traits of the new middle class, which implies the Merchant exists as an individual. The opposing argument, however, starts in the same place; his "faire and fetisly" buckled boots are a sign of the relative prosperity which the new class enjoyed, whilst his most distinguishing aesthetic feature could be said to be the "Flaudnryssh bever hat" - a direct product of his occupation, and his business links with Holland. This would indicate that he is less of a person (with a personality) and more of a representative of his class. Concentrating now on his speech, of which the next four lines are concerned, everything he discusses is to do with his work. This can be interpreted in one of at least two ways; either that he is a particularly work-obsessed individual, or that in creating an archetype, there is nothing else to this character for him to discuss; he is two dimensional. The second seems more likely, given
Raymond Carver's "Cathedral".
Candie Garrett ENG101 R53 Final Essay 4 03/19/2004 Cathedral Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" is a story of a husband who underwent a change in opinion of a blind man who had a lasting friendship with his wife. As the story began, the protagonist seemed to be a man who rejected that which he did not understand. He did not understand blindness, and he did not understand the relationship between his wife and the blind man, Robert. As a result, he was judgmental and close-minded: "I wasn't enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me. [...]A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to" (20). His judgments were just a reaction to his lack of understanding. The mention of Robert's visit created the husband's outward animosity. Not only was he slightly resentful but he was also very uncomfortable. In his explanation of how his wife and the blind man met, he recalled a personal moment between the two in which the blind man asked if he could touch her face and neck and, upon doing so, left her enthralled by the experience. His jealousy protruded when he attempted to make his wife feel inferior for having a blind friend. His wife explained to him that any friend of his that came to visit would feel at home, to which he responded, "I don't have any blind friends" (22). His lack of sensitivity was merely a display of
Equal Partner?!
Mary Chen Eng 10-5 April 17, 2003 Ms Sarah Daly Equal Partner?! Imagine waking up in a cold dark morning just to get ready to set up all things in good order within their house. Imagine a lady's small soft palms starting to get thicker each day in uncontrollable speed. "I know I have the body of a weak and feeble women." (Ashby 58) these are supposed to be the words of Elizabeth I. She was Queen of England and more powerful than any man. But her views on women were clear. Many people in England agreed with her: women were not equal to any men. Well, although Elizabeth England is from 16th century to 17th century (1558~1603), which is about 400 years ago, women are treated very differently. Women during Elizabethan England time were treated unequally due to three major statements. They were not getting enough education to be professionals, women in marriage have heavier workloads than men, and they have many unreasonable limits in their lives. In our society, everyone knew education is one of the major elements to build up our knowledge, so people offer their professional skills in order for them to earn money. Women can only receive education until the level below university. Firstly, Queen Elizabeth I made law that women were not allow to go to university, but can be tutored. The reason that Queen banned women from university premises was because she felt that they were
