Chaucers The Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer is famous for having written The Canterbury Tales. The tales touch on various topics such as corruption and marriage, and they also unveil the immoral nature of the clergy in the modern Catholic churches.

Chaucer writes his work in different ways. Sometimes he explains his thoughts and ideas in the tales, and at other times, he just uses a theme to explain what he meant. Sometimes, his characters put across the message. Chaucer had the intention that pilgrims would tell two tales each as they went to Canterbury from England, and as they came back from Canterbury.

However, he only managed to get the tales on the way to Canterbury only. Critics praise the tales for unfolding some of the evils existing among people in the society. This paper illustrates the character of two pilgrims; Wife of Bath and the Summoner as portrayed by Chaucer. This will provide an insight of how the characters influence and impact on contemporary societies.

The Wife of Bath is one of the pilgrims. The term Bath refers to a town along the Avon River in England. It is not her husbands name as many people would presume. The woman is deaf on one ear, and she is proud of a gap on her upper jaw, between her two front teeth.

It is worth noting that such a gap was of high regard during the era of this pilgrimage, and also a symbol of beauty among women (Pearsall 66). She has no professional career but has a talent as a seamstress. She is a professional wife in the society. She has been on several pilgrimages in the world; thus, this pilgrimage to Canterbury is not the first one. It is imperative to note that she has been into the institution of marriage five times and when she was young, she had numerous premarital affairs.

She has a lot of experience in marriage, love and sex. She adorns herself in expensive clothes. She likes talking and arguing (Bisson 18). Moreover, she is intelligent. This comes out clearly through the denial of sexual pleasure to men until they give her whatever she asks for.

Another pilgrim is the Summoner. Chaucer portrays him as one of the most corrupt people in the pilgrimage. He belongs to the lower class of the society and Chaucer places him under the immoral people. He is filthy with acute signs of leprosy on his face (Bisson 37). He is a drunkard who frequents the drinking dens, and he irritates people from time to time, especially when he is drunk.

He utters some words in Latin just to show that he is a learned man. He is an unscrupulous person who lives by taking bribes (Pearsall 89). Supposedly, he should be a religious man who acts as a link between Christians and the secular world, but his worldly desires prevent him from doing so. This is evident where he exchanges a cooking pan from an old woman for twelve pence.

His position in the society is to take people who go against the law of the church to court. The irony here is that he takes law breakers to court, yet he is a law breaker. Bribery is unethical in the society, just like going against the law of the church. Therefore, he does not deserve his role in society.

In essence, Chaucers tales illustrate the situation in the contemporary society. There are several women engrossed with passion, money and sex just like the Woman of Bath. Similarly, there are numerous church leaders who see the mistakes of others, but never acknowledge their own mistakes. Thus, Chaucers tales enlighten the world on past experiences, which are also, evident in the modern societies. I would recommend the tales to all literature students and all lovers of knowledge.

Tale as Old as Time: In Search for Womens Sovereignty

Taking a glance back into the time when women were fully dependent on men, one cannot help wondering how much has been accomplished in such little time. However, the idea of womens liberation is not new to any existing field, and literature is no exception.

In the prologue to his The Wife of Baths Tale, Chaucer makes a clear statement about the necessity to free women from mens domination. Analyzing an extract which starts with Sir old fool, what help is it if you spy? (Chaucer 307) and ends with Dear sir shrew, Jesus shorten your life! (Chaucer 307), one can possibly get a better understanding of Chaucers work.

To start with, the given work belongs to the genre of poetry. The answer seems quite obvious, since the extract contains obvious rhymes, such as bestblessed, earthfourth, etc. (Chaucer 307).

Speaking of the style, one must take a closer look at several text elements. For instance, since the first sentence starts with addressing the Sir old fool, it can be considered that the author chose dramatic monologue as the text style.

However, there can be traced certain elements of narrative in the text: Hed not guard me till I let him (Chaucer 307). The above-mentioned example can be classified as the means to turn the text into a story, which allows to refer the latter to the narrative style. Hence, the extract is a blend of the two.

Like any other piece of poetry, the given extract possesses specific prosodic characteristics. As for the meter, one has to admit that the given extract is written in an iambic pentameter. To prove the above-mentioned, it will suffice to offer the following evidence: the line Though you prayed Argus with his hundred eyes ((Chaucer 307) has ten syllables, with the emphasis on every second one.

However, there are also obvious prose elements, for instance, the first-person narrator: Ill be blessed (Chaucer 307). In addition, the poem extract is packed with all sorts of metaphors.

For example, the Knight never really prayed Argus (Chaucer 307)  this is the metaphor for constantly keeping an eye on someone, a woman in the given case, for Argus is the mythological giant guardian.

It is necessary to add that the major theme of the given extract is the idea of womens freedom. The entire piece is shot through with the desire to break free from the bonds created by men for women: what help is it if you spy? (Chaucer 307).

The narrator must be the young maiden who was abused by the Knight. Obviously, the woman addresses her speech to the Knight, explaining why his behavior is outrageous.

However, the womans tone is neither harsh nor angry; it is rather bitter and reproachful: Sir old fool (Chaucer 307), yet somewhat sarcastic and triumphant: Id hoodwink him as I am prospering! (Chaucer 307).It can be considered that the theme is allegorical, for it not only describes a story of an unhappy woman, but also conveys the idea that women and men have to be equal.

Speaking to the Knight, yet presumably conveying a cautious message of womens right for freedom to all men in entire world, the woman  or, more specifically, Chaucer, with the help of the woman character  makes it clear that freedom, even though it may come at a price, is what women are longing for and, more importantly, what they have the right for just as men do.

With the help of a specific tone, which can be described as rather sarcastic and demanding, Chaucer gets his message across in a very efficient way: Hed not guard me till I let him (Chaucer 307).

In relation to the rest of the text, the given lines are rather strong and, therefore, deserve a special attention They set the mood for the rest of the poem, making the woman in the text a character which the reader sympathizes with and relates to, at the same time outlining the key theme of the poem and making it clear who the villain is going to be.

However, as for the last point, the poem can be considered as deceiving. While in the text, the bodyguard is referred to as the one to blame, these are the stereotypes and the prejudices that need to be destroyed, not men. A translation of a poem by Chaucer, the given excerpt helps to understand the Medieval times better and, surprisingly enough, echoes with the feminist ideas of the XX century.

Thus, the story from Middle Ages magically works its way into the present-day world realities, with the feminist issues and the problem of gender inequality.

Offering a witty and unique answer to the notorious issue of womens sovereignty, Chaucer makes his point in an efficient way. One of the earliest statements concerning womens freedom, The Wife of Baths Tale is a witty answer to the old problem and a truly exciting legend to read.

Works Cited

Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Wife of Baths Tale. Selected Canterbury Tales. Ed. Stanley Applebaum. Trans. Sheila Fisher. Mineola, NY: Dover Publication, 1994. Print.

Choose Two of the Following Female Characters: The Wife of Bath and Tamora in Titus Andronicus

For the sake of analysis in this essay, two characters namely; the Wife of Bath and Tamora are selected. The Wife of Bath features in a Middle English Canterbury tales (Chaucer 106). The tale is an interrogation of the role of late Middle Ages Woman.

The author of the tale has developed the woman character in the entire tale. The tale recounts the transformation of an old hag into a beautiful and admirable maid (Chaucer 108). The rhetorical argument articulated in the tale about women is that women desire to have authority over their husbands.

Material wealth has remained part of the huge medieval weapon of anti-feminism (Scala 50). Despite marriage and virginity being valued in the tale, widowed Allison marries several men in her life time. This proves how antifeminist traditions still have deep roots in the community. This can be evidenced from the observation of Allison that For hadde God commanded maydenhede.

Thanne hadde he dampened wedding with the dede (Chaucer 110111). Allison disapproved Jeromes view on marriage and virginity. According to Jerome, Gods command on marriage automatically outdoes virginity. Thus, God would have doomed marriage to maintain virginity (Scala 52). Jerome craftily adopts bible teachings to defend her promiscuous behavior.

Despite her using the bible as a source of her argument, she interprets some scriptures to fit her situation. For instance, Pauls scriptures on marriage are misinterpreted (Chaucer 108111). Allison approves and disapproves antifeminist beliefs in the tale at the same time.

Allisons repetitive acts of remarrying are a good example of how she mocked the clerical teachings on the outcomes of widows remarriages (Scala 55). Allison has demonstrated how rich widows were equated or more valued more than the property of virginity.

For instance, Allison married four times in her lifetime. In addition, she managed to seduce her son-mate Jankyn (Scala 53). These evidences illustrate the above point. Therefore, although Allison epitomizes antifeminist beliefs, she at the same time attacks these beliefs by forcing readers to see men as the founders of the beliefs.

The Wife of Bath commences the tale by highlighting King Arthurs golden age, which endangered and favored women at the same time (Scala 56). For instance, women were not allowed to travel without being accompanied by men according to the Wife of Baths.

She argues that women who traveled alone were exposing themselves to dangers of bumping into incubus (Scala 56). This depicts the extent to which the society was matriarchal. For instance, after Knights rape action, he is handed to Arthurs queen by the king.

He is sent on a study mission by the queen. While there, women are the people who end up educating him. Finally, the queen challenges him into a situation where womens inability to keep secrets, considered as a weakness by traditions, becomes the only way to save him (Scala 54).

Rebellion is created in the case of King Midas where the wife is digressed. Instead of the author adjourning the story, he has directed the reader to Ovid (Scala 55).

Ovid tells how Mida shares secrets with his barber and not his wife. For instance, his barber is aware of his ear issue, but his wife is not. This point shows how men are gossipers more than women. Gossiping is attributed to women in the society, but this point is disapproving this long held belief.

Titus Andronicus portrays Tamora as a wicked character (Andronicus 34). One major reason for this conclusion is because Tamora is opponent to the protagonist. This relationship inheres in her wickedness and not any of her values are admirable.

Tamora also associates herself with Aaron who is mad and because of her sour relationship with innocent Lavinia; she becomes much wicked (Andronicus 46). However, her first speech in the play portrays her motherly caring character, which later turns out to be barbaric, savagery, and lascivious.

She depicts unkindness by telling her two sons to rape Lavinia. Tamora confesses that she does not know what pity means (Andronicus 78).

Tamora is used in the play to present the polarized image of a woman; determined by the plays patriarchal mood. The character embodies the anxiety men have towards women (Brucher 71). Tamora is a strong and a willful female character unlike the female-dependent male characters in the play. Racism has been centralized in the play.

For instance, Tamora and Aaron are put at opposite ends of the racial crew in the play (Brucher 73-77). Tamora is defined at an extreme racial line. This depicts the moral barbarism and evils used to define women in the Roman norm.

The cruel character portrayed by Tamora later in the play can be attributed to the barbaric treatment subjected to the women in the Roman society. This could be the reason why Tamora is a kind character at the beginning of the play, but gets cruel and crueler as the play continues.

Works Cited

Andronicus, Titus. The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Ed. Alan Hughes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Print.

Brucher, Richard. Tragedy Laugh On: Comic Violence in Titus Andronicus. Renaissance Drama 10 (1979): 7192. Print.

Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Wife of Baths Prologue: the Riverside Chaucer. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Print.

Scala, Elizabeth. The Women in Chaucers Marriage Group. Medieval Feminist Forum 45.1 (2009): 5056. Print.

Interpreting Dreams That Never Occurred: The Dream Sequence in The Wife of Baths Prologue and Its Implied Concepts

As history records show, feminism and Middle Ages are not quite compatible; despite the fact that the idea of womens liberation was started way back in the Ancient Greece (DuBois, 2007), the Dark Ages set the evolution of a feminist movement back to the era of chauvinism and male dominance.

Despite men being predominantly satisfied with the given state of affairs at that time, humanist ideas were spawned by Chaucer s The Canterbury tales in the era when women had little to no authority in the society, therefore, posing a number of marriage and relationship related ethical questions to the male part of the audience and encouraging women to pursue their independence in marriage, which The Clerks tale and the dream of the fifth wife in The wife of Baths prologue show in the most graphic way.

The fact that the fifth wife was willingly inclining the man that would later on become her fifth husband to murder her fourth one, whom she accused of beating her and having her will completely trodden under his feet, can also be interpreted as not only the demand for women to be free in their marriage, as well as free to choose their future husband, but also the need for a woman to be equal to her husband.

On the one hand, such interpretation seems impossible in the light of the oppression that women were under in the Middle Ages. Indeed, with the chauvinist ideas setting the course for social tendencies, as well as the principles for relationships between a man and a woman, the mere mentioning of equality would be absurd.

Nevertheless, the plea  or, perhaps, even a demand  for being treated fair can be easily read into every single phrase uttered by the fifth wife, not to mention the dream story that she crafted: You say that just as worms destroy a tree, / Just so a wife destroys her own husband; / Men know this who are bound in marriage band (Chaucer, n. d., lines 382384).

In this regard, Clerks tale by Chaucer should also be mentioned. Also dealing with the subject of a womans role in marriage, it might be seen as a major retreat in Chaucers feminist endeavors, since the main storyline revolves around a woman being so devoted to her husband that she sacrifices her children and her happiness to serve him: O Lord, I am willing / To do your will (Chaucer, n. d.).

However, Chaucer still manages to state his opinion regarding equality in marriage: But bow your neck beneath that blessed yoke / Of sovereignty and not of hard service, / The which men call espousal or wedlock (Chaucer, n. d.).

Griselda, therefore, is a symbol of a wife, who admits her husband to be her master. While being aligned with the contemporary Christian principles of marriage, from a humanist perspective, the given concept is absurd, since in marriage, both a wife and a husband must be provided with equal rights; any other type of relationships can be classified as not marriage, but slavery.

In spite of the chauvinist tendencies of the Medieval society, as well as the lack of equality in relationship between a man and a woman in the Middle Ages, Chaucer managed to make a statement concerning the need to provide women with freedoms in their personal life.

While not stating the fact that women are equal to men directly, Chaucer conveys the given principle in his Canterbury tales in a very clear manner, making an especially explicit statement in describing the dream of the fifth wife and The Clerks tale. The tales that could easily be interpreted as a joke by Chaucers contemporaries, they planted the seeds for feminist principles to evolve from.

Reference List

Chaucer, G. (n. d.). The clerks tale. Web.

Chaucer, G. (n. d.) The wife of Baths prologue. Web.

DuBois, E. C. (2007) Plato as a proto-feminist. Web.

The Knight: Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales

The Knight is the narrator of the first tale in Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales. The Knights character is the complete opposite of the knight in the Wife of Baths Tale who rapes a girl. During the groups pilgrim to Canterbury the Host suggests a story telling competition. The Knight draws the shortest stick and tells his tale first (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013). Getting to tell his tale first is a sign of his social standing in medieval England.

His tale is about a love triangle involving two knights and a woman. The two young knights, Arcite and Palamon, are prisoners of Theseus, Duke of Athens. While locked up in a tower they see Emelye in a nearby garden and fall in love with her. Later Arcite is set free but on condition that he never sets foot in Athens again.

The Knight presents us with the cruelty played by fate. Arcite is a free man but cannot access Emelye while Palamon can see Emelye but is in captivity. Arcite manages to make his way back to Athens in disguise. Palamon eventually escapes and bumps into Arcite singing about love and fortune.

A duel between the two is thwarted by the appearance of Theseus. The Duke organizes a proper duel between the two where the victor gets Emelyes hand in marriage. Arcite prays to Mars for victory and Palamon prays to Venus to make Emelye his bride. Arcite defeats Palamon but falls off his horse before he can claim Emelye. Before dying he urges Emelye to marry Palamon. The gods had managed to grant both men their prayers (Finlayson, 1992).

Through his tale, the Knight depicts the knightly aspect of courtly love which was common in medieval Europe. Signs of courtly love in the tale include the two knights falling in love with Emelye at first sight and Arcite risking his life by coming back to Athens. Other displays of courtly love include the mass duel to win Emelyes love. In courtly love easy attainment of love was of little value (Lords and Ladies, 2013).

The Knight is the ideal medieval crusader. He is brave, a man of honor and morally upright. The tale the Knight tells is full of knightly noble ideals. Chaucer describes him as one who has never spoken a harsh word to anyone (Finlayson, 1992). The Knight is also an idealist, demonstrating an aversion to conflict and gloominess.

In the Pardoners tale the Knight makes peace between the Host and the Pardoner. He comes across as the voice of reason in the group (Aers, 1980). He takes offence when the Pardoner tries to sell fake relics to the pilgrims. This further illustrates his morally upright character (A Knights Tale, 2002).

Despite being a well travelled and wealthy warrior, the Knight is not vain. Like one dedicated to the Christian cause he projects a humble and prudent image. His upright character is a strong contrast with other narrators such as the Miller and the Reeve. Unlike the Knight, the Miller is rude and contemptuous while the Reeve has a temper (Chaucer: The Knights Tale, 2013).

The Knight introduces the concept of justice and judgment to his audience. After Arcite is freed he asks the audience to consider the two knights and ponder on who is better off. (The Knights Tale, 2013).

The Knight is keen on creating meaning and order in matters that are ruled by passion and chance (Aers, 1980). He stops the Monk from finishing his tale which he reckons is too sad and gloomy. He prefers a story where the fortunes of the characters make a turn for the better.

References

Aers, D. (1980). Chaucer, Langland, and the creative imagination. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Encyclopedia Britannica (2013). . Web.

Finlayson, J. (1992). The Knights Tale: The Dialogue of Romance, Epic, and Philosophy. The Chaucer Review, 27 (2), pp. 126149.

Lordsandladies.org (2013). Courtly Love. Web.

Pathguy.com (2013). Enjoying The Knights Tale, by Geoffrey Chaucer. Web.

Public.wsu.edu (2013). . Web.

Sites.fas.harvard.edu (2013). The Knights Tale (general note). Web.

The Knight: Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales

The Knight is the narrator of the first tale in Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales. The Knights character is the complete opposite of the knight in the Wife of Baths Tale who rapes a girl. During the groups pilgrim to Canterbury the Host suggests a story telling competition. The Knight draws the shortest stick and tells his tale first (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013). Getting to tell his tale first is a sign of his social standing in medieval England.

His tale is about a love triangle involving two knights and a woman. The two young knights, Arcite and Palamon, are prisoners of Theseus, Duke of Athens. While locked up in a tower they see Emelye in a nearby garden and fall in love with her. Later Arcite is set free but on condition that he never sets foot in Athens again.

The Knight presents us with the cruelty played by fate. Arcite is a free man but cannot access Emelye while Palamon can see Emelye but is in captivity. Arcite manages to make his way back to Athens in disguise. Palamon eventually escapes and bumps into Arcite singing about love and fortune.

A duel between the two is thwarted by the appearance of Theseus. The Duke organizes a proper duel between the two where the victor gets Emelyes hand in marriage. Arcite prays to Mars for victory and Palamon prays to Venus to make Emelye his bride. Arcite defeats Palamon but falls off his horse before he can claim Emelye. Before dying he urges Emelye to marry Palamon. The gods had managed to grant both men their prayers (Finlayson, 1992).

Through his tale, the Knight depicts the knightly aspect of courtly love which was common in medieval Europe. Signs of courtly love in the tale include the two knights falling in love with Emelye at first sight and Arcite risking his life by coming back to Athens. Other displays of courtly love include the mass duel to win Emelyes love. In courtly love easy attainment of love was of little value (Lords and Ladies, 2013).

The Knight is the ideal medieval crusader. He is brave, a man of honor and morally upright. The tale the Knight tells is full of knightly noble ideals. Chaucer describes him as one who has never spoken a harsh word to anyone (Finlayson, 1992). The Knight is also an idealist, demonstrating an aversion to conflict and gloominess.

In the Pardoners tale the Knight makes peace between the Host and the Pardoner. He comes across as the voice of reason in the group (Aers, 1980). He takes offence when the Pardoner tries to sell fake relics to the pilgrims. This further illustrates his morally upright character (A Knights Tale, 2002).

Despite being a well travelled and wealthy warrior, the Knight is not vain. Like one dedicated to the Christian cause he projects a humble and prudent image. His upright character is a strong contrast with other narrators such as the Miller and the Reeve. Unlike the Knight, the Miller is rude and contemptuous while the Reeve has a temper (Chaucer: The Knights Tale, 2013).

The Knight introduces the concept of justice and judgment to his audience. After Arcite is freed he asks the audience to consider the two knights and ponder on who is better off. (The Knights Tale, 2013).

The Knight is keen on creating meaning and order in matters that are ruled by passion and chance (Aers, 1980). He stops the Monk from finishing his tale which he reckons is too sad and gloomy. He prefers a story where the fortunes of the characters make a turn for the better.

References

Aers, D. (1980). Chaucer, Langland, and the creative imagination. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Encyclopedia Britannica (2013). . Web.

Finlayson, J. (1992). The Knights Tale: The Dialogue of Romance, Epic, and Philosophy. The Chaucer Review, 27 (2), pp. 126149.

Lordsandladies.org (2013). Courtly Love. Web.

Pathguy.com (2013). Enjoying The Knights Tale, by Geoffrey Chaucer. Web.

Public.wsu.edu (2013). . Web.

Sites.fas.harvard.edu (2013). The Knights Tale (general note). Web.

General Prologue to a Contemporary Version of The Canterbury Tales

Much is said and written about the unique, unprecedented, historical situation the world is in today. The so-called new type of warfare, terrorism, the economic and different environmental-related concerns are among the things that make this world situation seem unprecedented in history.

This story is about the voyage to the capital of a group of very different people to attend the Presidential Inauguration. They also will pay honorary visits to the Lincoln memorial and various historical sites in Washington, including the White House. They all come from different strata of our society with different incomes and different backgrounds. They all play different roles within our modern society. They all have different statuses on which this role is build.

But, if we look carefully, we would find that this situation much resembles the famous Canterbury Tales of the fifteenth century. At the time England resembled a ship that was sailing among turbulent waters. It was the time of the Great Schism and the rising controversies about the rule of the Catholic Church, which at the time was the only Christian presence in Western Europe. And poverty was the reigning among the masses of, what Chaucer recognizes as, those who work (the peasants, and so-called commoners). But it is not that the other strata of the English society that Chaucer recognizes in his work, those who pray (the clergy) and those who fight (the knights) are doing better. They seem to be very distant from the mainstream commoners and peasants, as if though they were from another world.

But the problems they were facing at that particular moment of history were basically the same.

This is very similar to our own characters in this story. Our narrative talks about Mike, and his wife Dana, semi-skilled workers working for one of the major manufacturing companies of the region. They have had only basic education and recently bought a home in mortgage payments with a local bank. They were also beginning to think about saving some money for their childrens education.

Andy, one of the main characters, is head manager of a big company that deals principally with financial consultancy for their clients. Their principal service is to advice people on where to invest, what to invest, and what to expect. They have also dealt a lot lately on advising people about mortgages.

Michel is a highly educated freelance professional. She is educated in arts and design. She has worked as a freelancer for many years now. She takes individual contracts and helps people who want to design, or redesign, the internal of their homes. She has also worked for several years as internal designer for constructing companies.

John is the other character of this story. He is a brave young person that has served in Iraq and is now pursuing a career within the army. He is close to becoming lieutenant. He has also passed several months in a military hospital because of some serious wounds that he took during a mission in the Iraq war.

The other two characters are Wendy and Mike. They are a young couple of students who are in their final year of studies. They are graduating from public administration. Both of them have a strong desire to work on governmental agencies, being those on the federal, state or local level, and help bring a new mode of spending governmental budgets.

They both agree that an administration should be more focused on the day-to-day problems of ordinary people, especially those in more need, and not focus on certain categories of society.

But what could be the cause of bringing these different people all together to a trip to the capital? Why did they choose the moment of Presidential Inauguration and not some other moment? The answer to all these questions would be hope.

Hope for a better future and the rejection of the present situation where they find themselves. Because in times like these they all find it difficult to continue their way of life as they expected.

Mike and his wife Dana seem the most affected by these difficult times. They have both lost their jobs due to the consequences of the financial crisis in the real economy. Their factory was forced to slow production rates due to loss of credit from banks. So, they began to cut off jobs and one day the name of Mike and Dana came up. Suddenly they found themselves without monthly income and they could not pay their mortgage anymore. They were struggling to survive now since they had no savings due to the payment of mortgage rates and education for their children. Their dream to save something to give their kids an education they could not have was also over. It seemed that their children could not be more than semi-skilled workers too and that would have nothing more than what their parents had.

Andy is certainly from a different social position. His income exceeds $150,000 per year and he has bought his home long time ago paying in cash. But things do not seem good for him either. He has invested almost all of his income back into the companys stock. Now with the financial crisis less and fewer companies and people are willing to use the services that Andys company offers. Their confidence in financial consulting has dropped dramatically due to the late events. Companys own stocks have gone down almost ¾ of their original value.

Andy is about to lose everything and his company is shouting bail-out to the governmental officials.

Michel also is suffering the consequences of a crisis she thinks has nothing to do with. In difficult times people tend to cut their luxury expenses and internal design is one of them. She is struggling to get as many contracts as she can but they have become fewer and fewer.

John has not this kind of problem. He is going to have monthly revenue from the military job he got but he fears for his health. Even though he was cured in one of the best hospitals in the country he stills sometimes feels ill from the wounds he took in the mission in Iraq. With the military-industrial section building bigger and having strong political influence, he fears that another call for a new war could come to him.

Finally, Wendy and Mike have no working experience compared to the previous characters. They are both in their final year of study but they are becoming every day more pessimistic about their future. Fewer job openings are being advertised and they fear they will get out of college and became unemployed.

These are our characters, and this is where our story begins.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Introduction

The Canterbury Tales is perhaps one of the most popular collections of tales from the 14th century. It is a collection of stories told by Geoffrey Chaucer who remains one of the significant contributors to literature in the 14th century. In this collection, Chaucer who doubles up as the narrator tells the stories of a group of pilgrims who are travelling to Canterbury (Johnston 23). The pilgrims are on their way to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket (Johnston 23). This is shrine is to be found in the Canterburys Cathedral. The journey from Southwark (where the pilgrims are coming from) to Canterbury is quite long. To keep each other company and to avert boredom and fatigue, the pilgrims engage in a story-telling contest. The winner of the contest is to be rewarded with a free meal at the Tabard Inn at Southwark which will be paid for by the other pilgrims (Kolve & Olson 34).

In this essay, I am going to analyse a section of The Canterbury Tales that has been assigned to me. After reading the assigned portion of the tales, I am going to address several raised.

The Character in the Passage

The character in this passage is the Host. It is the host who is talking in this particular passage. He is addressing the other pilgrims who are assembled at the Tabard Inn. Though the narrator does not mention Tabard Inn in this passage, this fact is made obvious if one reads the rest of the tales.

The host is perhaps one of the most important characters in this collection. This is given the fact that he is the one who came up with the notion of story- telling. I believe that if it were not for the host, perhaps The Canterbury Tales will not have existed. This is given the fact that the collection revolves around those stories told by the pilgrims at the behest of the host.

How Does Chaucer Create the Host?

One way that Chaucer creates his characters is by letting them express themselves. As the narrator, he stands out from the tales and lets them unfurl themselves as they are being told by the various pilgrims. All he does is to let the reader know who is telling which story. This is perhaps one of the reasons why he opted for the voice of the 3rd person narrative. He does not tell the stories from a first person narrative. For example in the first line of the passage I was reading, Chaucer writes lords said he (the host)&& (Kolve & Olson 23) and continues to quote this character. He lets us see the character through his (the characters) words.

To further prove this point, it is noted that the whole passage I was reading is a quotation of what the host was telling the others. The voice of the narrator remains in the background. The host is not interrupted throughout the passage. This is another strategy that Chaucer uses to tell us about him.

From this passage, the reader can see what the narrator is telling us about the host. Some characteristics of the host are made evident through this passage.

For example, the host comes out as a merry making person who cannot stand boredom. Likewise, he cannot stand to see other people around him getting bored. This is the reason why he comes up with the idea of story- telling. Tale-telling is his idea of &..shortening our way on this trip (Johnston 43). He also appears as a man who is able to rally or organise people around a cause. In other words, he is an efficient organiser. He is able to sell the idea of storytelling to the other pilgrims. He also appears to be firm in dealing with his subjects. He seems like a man who does not entertain discontent from his subjects. This is perhaps one of the reasons why he tells the pilgrims that whoever goes against his judgement will be punished by meeting the expenses incurred by the rest of the pilgrims. The host also appears to be a condescending fellow. He makes it known to the others that he is the one responsible for their happiness along the way when he says and to make you all the merrier (Kolve & Olson 9).

The Interesting Word

I find the word case as used in the two versions very interesting. In the Middle English version, Chaucer writes that is to seyn, that telleth in this cas (Johnston 4). This is translated as that is to say, whoever tells in this case (Johnston 4). The reason why I found this interesting is the fact that I later came to learn that the final e in a word is a very significant aspect of this narrators morphology (Kolve & Olson 29). Chaucers works are distinguished by the fact that he did not pronounce the final es in his writing. I was very amused when I found this aspect in the passage I was reading.

Conclusion: Humour and Irony in the Passage

I can detect some instances of irony in this passage. For example, I find it ironical that pilgrims who are on their way to a shrine do not shy away from betting. It is noted that betting or gambling is not encouraged by the church. By agreeing to reward the winner of the story-telling contest by a meal, it appears to me that the pilgrims are involved in gambling. I also find it ironical that a free meal is the reward that the pilgrims came up with. In my opinion, they should have made a bet based on something more substantial than a &supper at cost of the rest of us (Johnston 4).

Works Cited

Johnston, Ivans. Introduction to the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales. 2012. Web.

Kolve, Vincent & Olson, Glending. The Canterbury Tales: Fifteen Tales and the General Prologue. New York: Norton and Company, 2005. Print.

Social Life in Canterbury Tales vs. Pride & Prejudice: Compare & Contrast Essay

Introduction

Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen belong to two different remarkable periods in English Literature. Chaucer was born in 1334 and Austen in 1775. The birth of the English language and literature in the fourteenth century provided a proper atmosphere in England for the growth of new trends and tendencies in writing. Chaucers contribution in this is so great that he rightly earned the title of the Father of English literature. By the time Jane Austen came into the scene, much development had already taken place in literature, particularly in the use of English prose. The fact that Chaucer stands before Shakespeare and Jane Austen comes after he explain the difference between these writers in a better way. Jane is the first real-woman writer, the first woman novelist. This paper compares these two writers with a focus on their views of social life in their respective periods, particularly about the institution of marriage.

Chaucers age was an age of transition. Both the Middle English and the new Renaissance spirit find expression in the writings of this period. Poetry found itself getting liberated from the influence of religion, and more and more social and individual life became the subject matter. By the time Jane Austen stepped in, literature was divided into different areas like poetry, drama, and prose. The novel, the new branch of literature discovered a new reading public, making it the most accepted medium in literature. During Chaucers time verse was the only accepted medium, though the prose was slowly finding its way into the literature. However, Chaucer produced a few beautiful works in which all these branches could comfortably coexist. Apart from this, Chaucer also provided a style that remained the general tone of literature. Humor and irony were the easy tools with which Chaucer depicted the life of his characters. He takes materials from all possible sources, but, as Hudson puts it, whatever he borrows he makes entirely his own, and he remains one of the most delightful storytellers in verse (Hudson, 23-24).

Canterbury Tales

It should be in this light Chaucers Canterbury Tales should be read. This long narrative poem has drama in it and contains characters good enough for several novels. It is a collection of stories brought together with the pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket as the central theme. Here Chaucer gets a realistic subject in which a vast cross-section of people in his society come together and interacts. It is also a great occasion that can reveal the individual aspirations of the characters. About thirty pilgrims gather in an inn, including Chaucer, and the understanding is that each would tell two stories while going, and another two while returning. However, there are only twenty-four tales. Chaucers skill in character delineation found in Troilus and Criseyde and The Legende of Good Women now comes to its full power. These pilgrims coming from different walks of life find a purpose to converse and reveal themselves with greater freedom.

The readers in turn get a realistic picture of the life and manners of these people, the way these men and women lived in the fourteenth century. They can laugh with them and at times weep while listening to their miseries. People belonging to different professions and ideologies, with their contrasting lifestyles, add color to the poem. As beautiful stories are poured out from their mouths, English language and literature discover a new door to escape from the cloistered medieval English into the vast field, where later on Marlow and Shakespeare could discover their literary talents. Chaucers interest in human character enabled writers like Dickens to write wonderful novels. Human impulses and the complexities of behavior enrich the subject of writing.

Much has been written about Chaucers characters in his Canterbury Tales. Here, in this paper, a few of them are taken to discuss their views about marriage. It is the Wife of Bath who opens up this topic which provoked many others to join the debate. It is a serious subject, normally handled only by great scholars and philosophers. Her attitude to married life appears in the Prologue to Wife of Bath. She is instrumental in creating a group itself among the pilgrims, the marriage group. In an age when chastity was glorified by Church, the rejection of virginity by an ordinary woman cannot go unnoticed. She argues that a woman need not remain as a virgin for the simple reason God has given the body to be used. With her experience of living with five husbands, she has the knowledge to talk about marriage authoritatively: She was a worthy woman al hir lyve: Housbondes at church dor she hadde fyve, (461). She knows the delight of the flesh. Sprinkling humor and irony she says that, if possible, let the saints remain as chaste people, as the Church demands it. She is not against it if one can do it. However, she reminds us that even to maintain virginity sex and reproduction are essential. She also advocates marriage for the widows. In other words, she believes in the flesh, in animalism. Her words are very provocative. There are a great number of pilgrims who are ecclesiastical. Her attack is directly on the moral virtues practiced by Church. In those days womens roles were identified and marked. Now here is a woman who says that the wives should rule their husbands. She also admits that her words come from her actions and all her husbands were under her control.

The Pardoner interrupts the Wife of Bath. The Clerk feels wounded. No one expected a wife to open up such a delicate and serious subject. Here is an open challenge and Chaucer is the most amused person. What is stirred up here is the man-woman relationship, the delicate relationship between a husband and wife. It is the root cause of peace and harmony in a family, in the society itself. It is also raking up the question of whether body or spirit is superior. The Clerk had been thinking that as a scholar, wisdom was his personal property and now an ordinary woman has provoked him.

Clerks tale, therefore, becomes curiously interesting. Every eye is on him to see how he reacts. He makes a calculated move. He does not abruptly open the topic of marriage, but gradually through the story of Griselda, he reveals his views. The Clerk had traveled to Italy and heard it from the lips of Patriarch. His interest in philosophy, particularly in Aristotle is well known: Twenty books, clad in black or reed, Of Aristotle and his philosophy, (296). As he tells his story, he gives great emphasis on the trials Griselda had to undergo in her relationship with her husband. One is forced to pity her and admire her power of endurance. Pointing at her submissiveness, the Clerk tells his listeners that he does not want any woman to imitate her. The Wife of Bath had railed at her husbands and badgered them and cajoled them: Griselda never lost her patience or her serenity, says Lyman. (Kittredge). The story is told only to inculcate a sense of fortitude among women, the need to practice fortitude in times of adversity. Griseldas extreme endurance is intended to be used as a parable for universal application.

The tales continue. The Merchant gives his views through his tale, and the story is that of an egoist. He too sustains irony throughout his narration. What is curious is that no one has anything to say about the role of love in married life. This sacred institution is seen only as a source for reproduction. Chaucer wanted to be realistic. Finally, he brings Franklin to speak about the ideal marriage. He tells a gentlemans story. He wants to love and gentilesse to be part of marriage. Chaucer speaks through him to remind that love can be consistent with mirage.

Jane Austen is a great novelist. She stands among the greatest of all times. She lived a sequestered life. She had no experience of the outside world. However, this limitation did not affect her writing. Her understanding of human nature and the intricacies of human relationships is superb. She learned to paint only on a little bit (two inches) of ivory, but that did not in any way diminish the quality of her art. To some extent, the contemporary writers did not influence her, like the gothic and sentimental writing. She is closer to Chaucer than the writers of her period. Jane Austen is realistic in portraying her characters and events. She takes events from her own experience; thereby her novels can be called autobiographical. As a woman, she had her limitations, as any woman living in those days. A woman was still a domesticated animal. By picturing all these realities truly her novels are sometimes called domestic novels. Her truthfulness to her petticoat experience gave her a place among the greatest writers. Ordinary life is the subject matter of Austens novels. Her pages are filled with small tea parties, ball dances, and a few family visits. No war, or political turmoil, or earthquakes take place in her novels. Despite this, her novels are masterpieces. They are filled with accepted or rejected marriage proposals.

Pride and Prejudice

The opening sentence in Pride and Prejudice speaks volumes about her attitude to marriage: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a large fortune must be in want of a wife (Prejudice, Ch. 1). This is the prevailing attitude in the period in which she lived. She could not find a Wife of Bath to refute this attitude in the eighteenth century. However, her characters slowly developed a small resistance to this approach to marriage as Austen moved to her final novels. Everyone is persuading someone in her novels either to marry or not to marry a particular person. As the sentence quoted above indicates, the whole attention of the readers turns to see the possibility of a young female character succeeding whenever a young man wealthy enough to marry comes on the stage. Mostly Austen gives the details of marriages arranged. Sometimes she tells of unhappy marriages too, like: It was an unsuitable connection, and did not produce much happiness (Emma, ch. 2). For the sake of better analysis of the novelists approach to marriage, this paper takes up ride and Prejudice as an example. Her first three novels, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park reflect a girls willingness to marry as an accomplishment in life. The last novels, Pride and Prejudice and Emma carry in them a few female characters who want to assert their will, and not simply go for material considerations before choosing their life partners.

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen brings together pairs of men and women eager to live together as husbands and wives. The story, however, is not that simple. All of them are not of the same mold. A good example is Mr. Collins. He is a dull and fat character. Marriage for him is like any other event in life, an arrangement for passing through the routine life. Though Miss. Bennet rejects his offer bluntly, there is a taker for him in the form of Miss. Collins. Austen thus shows different attitudes and tastes even among women. Elizabeth says: where nothing is in question but the desire of being well married, and if I were determined to get a rich husband, or any husband, I dare say I should adopt it (ch. 6). Collins makes his persuasion with equal force to both the girls. Elizabeth is a new girl with modern ideas about marriage. She wants her views to be considered in marriage. She has gained the courage to reject a man, a man of considerable wealth. She also made sure before accepting Darcy that he comes down from his glasshouse of pride and accepts her only as true love. Elizabeth started asserting her womanhood, the beginning of a healthy sign for women in general. Her submission is only to love, not to a man in the old sense. Words are very important in Austens novels as the relationship purely depends on the words exchanged. Hansen says: Austen is interested in identifying the kinds of relationships likely to make good marriages. In terms of this project is it simply not important to know what words the hero and heroine exchange when they agree to marry (Serena).

Darcy appears on the scene as the most sought-after man in the marriage market. The Bennet parents use all their skills in their storehouse to persuade Elizabeth to snatch the opportunity that arrived in the name of Darcy. Elizabeth prefers to wait, to study the man first. She does not want a tyrannical husband, a man who is full of pride. She wants someone who can provide a joyful life, a life filled with love. That she was prejudiced is a secondary matter here. In character portrayal, Jane Austen is next to Chaucer or Shakespeare. She is superb in handling satire too. She does no damage to any character. Even the most powerful weapon with which she cuts Collins or Bennets is irony. If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield, said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for (ch. 3). The villain, Wickham is forgiven. Mutual understanding and the creation of a benevolent atmosphere are what she craves. It is her sharp and witty exchange of dialogues in her novels that keep her novels highly readable. She keenly observes the different tendencies and temperaments in people and retains them only to reproduce them in her novels with remarkable skill. She is an expert in handling her small brush. The result is that the readers get a panoramic view of eighteenth-century family life from her novels. The road from Chaucer to Jane Austen is wider as one reaches Austens era, and life at the end of this road is made more spongy and sweet by her.

Conclusion

One thing seen common between these two writers is that their approach to the institution of marriage is based on mutual respect between man and woman with a sense of accommodation. Chaucer through his tales gives two extremes: very licentious as in the case of Wife of Bath and too rigid as is seen in Clerk. Jane Austen, on the other hand, gives several combinations, mostly all of them ending up in happy marriages. She gives a little picture of life after the marriage. The palm, therefore, goes to the Wife of Bath for speaking out about her personal life. She is at the forefront of the feminist movement, whereas not all feminist critics appreciate the way and the hurry with which Austens character accepts the proposals from men. No one can, but, forget that the age was the eighteenth century.

References

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Web.

Emma. Web.

Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Web.

Hansen, Serena. Rhetorical Dynamics in Jane Austens Treatment of Marriage Proposals. Persuasion On-line. V.21, NO.2 (Summer 2000).

Hudson, W.H. An Outline History of English Literature. Delhi: A.I.T.B.S Publishers, 2006.

Kittredge, George Lyman. Chaucers Discussion of Marriage. Modern Philology IX (1911-12).

The Images Of Oxford Cleric And The Doctor In The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales was written in 1387 until 1400, following the death of the author- Geoffrey Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales was written in Middle English, being one of the first few works to be written in English, and is considered to be a framed story and narrative poem. The story takes place during the Medieval time period, so the society consisted of: the peasants, the nobility, and the church officials and members. Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales as a means for targeting social issues and immoral behavior. The Tales describes the journey of a group of pilgrims seeking blessings at the shrine of Saint Thomas à Becket at Canterbury. The group gathers at an inn in Southwark, and due to a suggestion made by the innkeeper, the group starts a story-telling competition. Chaucer’s characters- the Oxford Cleric and the doctor- hold a stark contrast between the two of them. The cleric and the doctor hold the differentiation of wealth, motivation for learning, and occupation, making them seem like complete opposites of each other.

The Oxford Cleric is poor, has no way of income, and he values knowledge over worldly things. “But had a hollow look, a sober stare;/The thread upon his overcoat was bare” (299-300). The cleric had an unkempt appearance and seemed to not care for his clothing. The cleric does not care for his appearance, and therefore does not use his money for things such as clothing. “He preferred having twenty books in red/And black, of Aristotle’s philosophy,/Than costly clothes, fiddle or psaltery” (304-306). The cleric wants his books and a form of knowledge over materialistic things, such as fancy clothing. He prefers his knowledge and philosophy over physical objects, such as money or instruments.The Oxford Cleric is one who prefers learning and education over fancy things or money, unlike the physician who is the opposite.

The Physician is a skillful and wealthy physician, and is seen as the best of the best with no one being able to compare to him. “In blood-red garments, slashed with bluish grey/And lined with taffeta, he rode his way;” (449-450). The doctor is able to show off his wealth with his fancy clothing. He is able to afford clothes with silks due to the wealth he gained through his job. “Yet he was rather close as to expenses/And kept the gold he won in pestilences./Gold stimulates the heart, or so we’re told./He therefore had a special love of gold” (451-454). The doctor values the gold and wealth that he earns and keeps it to himself. He has an overwhelming love for a materialistic item- money. The Physician, unlike the Oxford Cleric, values his wealth over anything else.

The Cleric studies and reads continuously because of his pure love for knowledge and learning. “Whatever money from his friends he took/He spent on learning or another book” (309-310). The Cleric spends not only his money, but the amount his friends also gives him for more books. He prefers to use this money as a way to persevere through his journey of knowledge and education. “His only care was study, and indeed/… And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach” (313 and 318). His only care in the world is studying, showing his desire for wanting to know more. He loves to learn and would be glad to teach others about the knowledge he’s gained. The cleric has a pure love and desire for wanting to learn, unlike his opposite- the doctor.

The doctor has a desire to learn, but only for his own personal and financial gain. “Were ready with the drugs he would prescribe/And each made money from the other’s guile;” (436-437). The doctor gained his knowledge to diagnose patients with whatever they were suffering from, and then send the patients to the apothecaries. Both parties received payment from their agreement with each other. “No one alive could talk as well as he did/On points of medicine and of surgery,” (422-423). He studied for his medical proceedings, gaining recognition from people. The recognition he gained from people possibly created a sense of trustworthiness, seeing as he seemed to know what he was doing, and people went to him for their illnesses and medical issues. The doctor learned and uses his knowledge to benefit him and his love for money, while the cleric had a pure interest and desire for knowledge.

The cleric’s job revolves around him being a student, preparing for his priesthood and studying philosophy. “He had found no preferment in the church/And he was too unworldly to make search/For his secular employment” (301-303). The cleric receives no promotion, and is stuck with his “job” as a student. He was too preoccupied with his studies to go out looking for a non-religious job for himself. “Though a philosopher, as I have told/He had not found the stone for making gold” (307-308). During this time period, there was a stone known as the “Philosopher’s Stone” that was said to be able to turn metals into gold. The narrator is saying that even though the cleric is a philosopher himself, he did not obtain or have this stone, therefore he had no money or riches. The cleric is a student who has no source of income, besides borrowing money from his friends, in which we can say that he is not employed.

The doctor is a very skillful and successful physician, in which he is paid very well due to his knowledgeable skills and recognition he receives. ”He knew their seat, their humor and condition./He was a perfect practicing physician” (431-432). The doctor’s occupation is clearly stated as a physician, and he is described as intelligent for knowing the things he does. He is very skillful with his studies and diagnoses, and he shows that through his practices. “Yet he was rather close as to expenses/And kept the gold he won in pestilences” (451-452). He received payment from the pestilences, or the plagues. He used his occupation as a physician to the best of his advantage, and gathered his money to feed his love for money. Unlike the cleric, who had a job as a student, learning, the doctor had a well-paying job as a physician.