The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue

Review background info, social context, literary terms (frame tale, characterization, social commentary, allusion)

Key Literary Devices

Frame Story

:  Narrative technique in which a main story is written to organize a set of shorter stories, each of which is a story within a story.

 Chaucer used the design of a frame story by ‘framing’ the pilgrims’ stories with a story about a trip to Canterbury. The Prologue is a way to set the stage for the stories that follow…..

Social Commentary

:  Writing that makes some statement or criticism of a larger issue  By writing about different social classes and all sorts of people, Chaucer was making a statement about the way life was lived during the Middle Ages. He is writing with irony and with purpose.

Direct characterization

:  The presentation of direct statements about a character.  Example: The Knight “followed chivalry,/ Truth, honor….”  We are told directly what the knight is like. No reading btwn the lines here…Reader does not have to make any sort of inference….

Indirect characterization:

 The presentation of a character’s personality through actions, thoughts, dialogue.

 Example: By saying the Knight “was not gaily dressed,” Chaucer might be saying what about the Knight?....

Rhyme, Meter, & Chaucer

When ʹ Spike was ʹ young he ʹ ate a ʹ lot of ʹ junk. He ate up all my aphrodisiacs. That stupid dog is on the roof asleep, And now he barely has the strength to leap.

Rhyme, Meter, & Chaucer

Chaucer, the Father of English Poetry, is one the one of the first English poets to write in iambic pentameter. He established it as the gold standard of English poetic meters and set the pattern for much of the English poetry-including Shakespeare’s- that followed.

It sounds like a fancy term- what is it really?

Rhyme, Meter, & Chaucer

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An iamb is a two-syllable poetic unit in which the first syllable is unaccented, the second accented. Examples: “a ˋ lone ,” “re ˋ turn ,” “pre ˋ tend ”

Rhyme, Meter, & Chaucer

iambic pentameter line: a ten-syllable line in which the first is unaccented, the second accented, and so on.

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When ʹ in A ʹ pril the ʹ sweet sho ʹ wers fall

Rhyme, Meter, & Chaucer

Rhyming couplets: Two successive lines of poetry in which the last word of each line rhymes. (Every two lines rhymes with the other..) Pay close attention to the last words in each line as we begin reading….

Label of the rhyme pattern: aa,bb,cc,dd,ee,ff , …..

Why the fuss over The Canterbury Tales?

        Written in English versus French or Latin Made English (Middle English) respectable Narrator influenced tales Complex issues told simplistically Available to all classes Informative, yet entertaining Political commentary upon times Use of iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets created pleasing cadence—close to our everyday speech patterns.

 Well-travelled  

Knight

most distinguished pilgrim highest social class  followed chivalry  truthful, honorable  ridden into battle  honored for his graces  fought in many battles  modest, not boorish  a true, perfect knight    represents all that is good about knighthood and nobility.

“always killed his man” See notes for previous examples of direct/indirect characterization

Squire

 Knight’s son  *curly locks, average build, about 20 yrs. old  fought in nearby battles so he could get home to see the ladies  sang, danced, wrote poetry  could

“joust and dance”

 “loved so hotly that till dawn grew pale/He slept as little as a nightingale”  was courteous and serviceable when father was around  *examples of direct characterization

Yeoman

 wore coat & hood of green  was servant to knight, yet a free man  feathers were perfectly made in arrows  knew his business as an archer and did it well    showed proper religious respect by wearing St. Christopher medal was a “proper forester” Good example from the newly-emergent middle class

Prioress (Nun)

 coy (falsely modest, flirtatious)  tried very hard to exude (show) grace, manners, and sophistication, but spoke a very poor quality of French  “all sentiment”  “by no means undergrown” (indirect characterization)

Prioress (Nun)

 Wears jewelry with “Amor vincit omnia ” (Love conquers all) which may have meant romantic love, not God’s  Travels with another nun and three priests  Notice the intro into Chaucer’s social commentary regarding the Church…..He starts us off slow w/ the Prioress…

Monk

 Corrupt, fat (implies wealth), bald  riding a horse, which he was not to do  ignored rules of his order, lazy  owned dogs and hunted, which he was not to do  expensive clothing (fur on sleeve) when ‘real’ monks are supposed to be poor  fat (opposite of his vows of poverty)

Friar

 Also a corrupt clergyman    claimed to have license from Pope to hear confessions charged $ as penance  knew taverns and barmaids well- indirect characterization  “finest beggar of his batch” begged money even from poorest and most vulnerable, whom he was to help charged money on “settling days”

Merchant

 seemed stately and wealthy but...

 was in debt and no one knew it from the way he talked  Note that the social commentary here is not as strong as it was for Monk, Friar, and Prioress. Why was the commentary so seemingly light for the middle class and the nobility, yet so harsh for religious?

Oxford Cleric (Student)

 lover of learning  an academic/ scholar note allusion to Aristotle  threadbare clothing, skinny old horse- horse is a reflection/extension of its owner   was too unworldly for secular employment “would gladly learn, and gladly teach”  was “book smart” but “life dumb”

Sergeant at the Law

 was a superb lawyer  paid strict attention to detail- quite a grammarian!

 “knew every statute off by rote”  “But was less busy than he seemed to be”- what does this mean?.....

Franklin

 wealthy landowner (not member of nobility but owned land- new social position)  lived for pleasure, particularly “Epicurean” delights (allusion)  Enjoyed his food, had a table prepared all day long  Sheriff  Big partier  Notice how his portrayal ends: “He was a model among landed gentry.” – direct characterization

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Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, and Carpet-Maker

treat these as single character the key to under standing them is their wives • their wives “declared it was their due” to rise in social class they LOOK great (new looking gear which was bought used)   wives wanted to be called “Madam” and to be “seen” -- like a queen Guild members organization of craftsmen/artisans

Cook

 could distinguish London ale by flavor (which was quite cheap – not very impressive…)  had ulcer on his knee (probably from cooking at open pot)

Cook

 made good thick soup  made good blancmange (yellow white, thick, creamy chicken soup--much like the color of what might be in the ulcer how foul!)

Skipper

 Master of a ship, commander of a vessel  stole wine while the trader slept  ignored conscience (“nicer rules of conscience he ignored)  made his prisoners “walk home” (somewhat ruthless to prisoners, opponents like the Knight)  Boat is named

The Maudelayne

reference to the Prioress?.....

Theory of the Four Humors

 The body's state of health--and by extension the state of mind, or character--depended upon a balance among four fluids: blood, yellow bile, phlegm, and black bile.  The four basic human temperaments, phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic, and choleric, were each caused by a predominance of one of the four humors. The humors and their corresponding temperaments were closely allied with the four elements (air, fire, water, and earth) and the dualities of hot/cold, moist/dry .

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Doctor

grounded in astronomy, as most doctors in the Middle Ages were  did not read the Bible indirect characterization  (love of $ as root of all evil- biblical concept)  “All his apothecaries in a tribe...each made money from the other’s guile.”  Notice his “special love of gold.”

Wife of Bath

 tight, red clothing, red complexion, and gap teeth symbolize her promiscuity  partially deaf, large hips  had five old husbands (widow)   large hips- why?....

“knew the remedies for love’s mischances” (Indirect characterization)   Bold, brash, v confident, bawdy Does not have good relationship w/ other women- lines 459-462

Parson

 holy-minded, poor, good reputation  learned  Stark opposite of Friar, Monk, Pardoner, Summoner  a shepherd  virtuous, rich in holy thought, devout, noble  served the poor altruistic  gave away his own $  practiced what he preached as seen in “if gold rust,…”

Plowman

  Parson’s brother ‘honest worker, good and true’- direct characterization  followed the Gospel  steadily went about his work  helped poor purely out of love  always paid his tithes in full when due- unlike his brother.

Miller

 great big fellow, brawny fellow   boasted he could heave any door off the hinge or break it with his head red beard (fox, sow indirect characterization)    hairy wart on end of nose weighed 224 pounds told filthy tavern stories  “stole” grain with his “thumb of gold”  played bagpipes  led procession of pilgrims out of Canterbury

Manciple

 buyer of food for the 30 Knights of the Temple (lawyers)  got to market early to get best values  was illiterate     wise in practical matters, though lived debt free on what he “saved”

Indirect characterization-

is an unethical (sketchy) nature necessary for financial success?...

IS clearly

satirized

attacked with sharp social commentary about education and financial success

Reeve

  Manager of manor, overseer of peasants “feared like the plague he was”  better at bargains than his lord  hates the Miller (not made clear in Prologue)  carpenter  rode at back of procession

Summoner

 charges people who have broken Church law  pimpled face  ate garlic  limited knowledge of Latin (speaks it when drunk)  took bribes  threatens excommunication  “knew their secrets”  Indirect characterization v strong here Example: “Children were afraid…”

Pardoner (sells indulgences)

  Travels w/ the Summoner hair yellow, long like “rat’s tail” (

simile

)   carried pardons and relics from Rome, he said (Narrator hinting they’re probably fake ones) sang “merrily and loud” to get more $ from poor  What is the significance of the “gelding”?....

Narrator

 Will speak “plainly” (honestly) of all the pilgrims  Report every detail exactly as it happens (lines 747-753)  31 people are going on the pilgrimage to Canterbury (29 original pilgrims+ narrator+ Host)

Host

 served finest food  very hospitable  pilgrims stay at his Tabard Inn  suggested the tale telling contest  Each pilgrim tells 2 tales on way there, 2 on way back (120 tales in all projected)  Prize: a meal for winner paid for by others      he would be sole judge of tales “good morality” and “general pleasure” disobeys- pay expenses of trip accompanied pilgrims to Canterbury “man who draws shortest straw shall start”

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Nature of the Tales

Chaucer only finished 24 of projected 120 tales   Worked for 10 years on them but died Stories were interactive with others’ tales  Friar told a tale to insult the Monk and vice versa  Reeve told a tale to insult the Miller, etc.

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Final Thoughts

Chaucer placed (juxtaposed) certain characters alongside one another to emphasize contrasts, to make his

social commentary

sharper:   -The foul, corrupt Reeve, Manciple, Miller, Summoner, and Pardoner travel together and are introduced immediately after the highly moral Parson and Plowman….

Who are the only clergy members who are ‘good’? – Prioress and Parson Chaucer’s social commentary is sharpest during the portrayals of the clergy and their behavior. Also, notice how he was trying to show people from all walks of life, from all social classes.