Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Canterbury Tales Satire Analysis - 866 Words

Chaucer (A Discussion of Geoffrey Chaucer’s use of Satire in Canterbury Tales Directed Towards Church Hypocrisy, Class Nobility, and the Patriarchy) All well known, articulate speakers and writers throughout history use critical speaking techniques to rally support from those around them. One such tool is the use of satire in public speaking or writing. Satire is the combination of a poignant message along with sarcasm. Arguably the founder of Middle English, Geoffrey Chaucer was a mastermind in the use of satire within his writing. â€Å"His genius is like that of Shakespeare, having a high degree of negative capability. Hence, Chaucer gives us no impression of being a great satirist, although in his writings...we have sharp little sallies of†¦show more content†¦He cannot see that he is exposing his criminality to his listeners,† (Andrews). The ultimate joke is that the pardoner is too drunk to understand that he is revealing his â€Å"game† to everyone around him. Through his writing of The Wife of Bath’s Prologue, Chaucer breaks down the patriarchy by explaining that women truly can have all the power and freedom they desire with manipulation. In her prologue, the wife explains that women are far smarter and more cunning than men. She explains her various tactics in which she uses her sexual power as well as deceitful tricks to place herself in complete control over her husbands. â€Å"So there’s one thing at least that I can boast, that in the end I always ruled the roast; cunning or force was sure to make them stumble, and always keeping up a steady grumble,† (126). Throughout all her marriages, the wife always tricks the husband into giving her total freedom to do as she pleases. As this would be a radical lifestyle of the time, it was a clear strike against patriarchy in Medieval times. â€Å"Ironically, she reveals herself to be the garrulous, indiscreet, deceitful woman, the ‘jangleresse and gossip tha t has been under attack by male authorities. She is as free with her speech as she is with her sexual activity,† (Miles). Her extensive prologue sets up the reader to yet another radical dig at social class systems within herShow MoreRelatedUse Of Satire In Canterbury Tales1301 Words   |  6 PagesChaucer’s Satyric Attack (An analysis of Chaucer’s use of satire to reach his intended audience in his Canterbury Tales) Satire is defined as â€Å"the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize peoples stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues† (Oxford). Another term that people would be more familiar with to describe this would be sarcasm. Language can be utilized in a nasty way, especially when wanting to demoralizeRead MoreWomen In Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales1288 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"The Canterbury Tales† is a collection of stories written between 1387 and 1400 about a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England) and on their way, they tell stories to each other about their lives and experiences. The stories constitute a critique of English society at the time, and particularly of the Church, while women seem to be presented in a different way than they are in other contemporary works. The aim of this essay is to presentRead More Powerful Satire in Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay3466 Words   |  14 PagesPowerful Satire in The Canterbury Tales If one theme can be considered overriding or defining throughout Medieval European society, it would most likely be the concept of social class structure. During this early historical period in Europe, most of society was divided into three classes or estates: the workers, the nobles, and the clerics. By Chaucers time, however, the powerful estate structure had begun to wear down. Weaknesses in the system became apparent, as many people, such as ChaucerRead More Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales1623 Words   |  7 Pages Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucers greatest and most memorable work. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses a fictitious pilgrimage [to Canterbury] as a framing device for a number of stories (Norton 79). In The General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes in detail the pilgrims he meets in the inn on their way to Canterbury. Chaucer is the author, but also a character and the narrator, and acts likeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Knight And His Tale2835 Words   |  12 PagesAn Analysis of the Knight and His Tale in The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales, a poem consisting of several tales told by various pilgrims, is perhaps the most well known work of Geoffrey Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales Chaucer introduces the pilgrims in the general prologue many of the pilgrims in a satirical manner. In prologue to The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer introduces the Knight as â€Å"a true perfect gentle-knight,† (5) who exemplifies the code of chivalry. The tale that the KnightRead More Contradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay3897 Words   |  16 PagesContradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales There is no question that contradictory values make up a major component of The Canterbury Tales. Fate vs. Fortuna, knowledge vs. experience and love vs. hate all embody Chaucers famous work. These contrasting themes are an integral part of the complexity and sophistication of the book, as they provide for an ironic dichotomy to the creative plot development and undermine the superficial assumptions that might be made. The combination of completelyRead MoreThe Nuns Priests Tale in the Canterbury Tales Essay1339 Words   |  6 PagesChaucers The Nuns Priests Tale is at once a fable, a tale of courtly love, and a satire mocking fables and courtly love traditions. To this end, Chaucer makes use of several stylistic techniques involving both framing and content. The tale begins and ends with a poor widwe somdeel stape in age (line 1), but the majority of the content involves not the widow but the animals on her farm, in particular an arrogant rooster name Chauntecleer. The first ment ion of the main character does notRead MoreAnalysis Of The Canterbury Tales : Chaucer s Second Nun s Tale 2418 Words   |  10 Pages AN ANALYSIS OF THE CANTERBURY TALES: Chaucer’s â€Å"Second Nun’s Tale†. Leah Holle REL. 700a: Transitional Moments in Western Christianity 1 November 5th, 2014 Geoffrey Chaucer was a prominent figure within English Literature during the Middle Ages, and is regarded as one of the greatest English poets. Among Chaucer’s works, The Canterbury Tales is arguably one of his most famous pieces. In this fictional work, there is a collection of over 20 stories that areRead MoreEssay on â€Å"The Nun’s Priest’s Tale†: An Analysis2247 Words   |  9 Pagesof the Nun’s Priest. Only in the prologue to his tale do we finally get a glimpse of who he might be, albeit rather obtusely. As Harry Bailey rather disparagingly remarks: â€Å"Telle us swich thyng as may oure hertes glade./Be blithe, though thou ryde upon a jade† (p.235, ll2811-2812). I say this cautiously because much criticism has surrounded the supposed character of the Nun’s Priest, his role in the tale, and his relationship to the Canterbury Tales as a whole. One example, in my opinion, of an unsatisfactoryRead MoreAn Analysis Of Chaucer s Th e Canterbury Tales 2650 Words   |  11 PagesAn Analysis of Chaucer’s Miller in The Canterbury Tales In the prologue to The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer introduces the Miller as a crude, rude, loud character who cheats his customers. The tale, which the Miller later narrates, is appropriate because the Miller’s tale clearly reflects this individual’s unrefined personality by telling a typical, filthy tavern story. The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a story that details thirty pilgrims, including Chaucer, traveling on

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.