Canterbury Tales Character Analysis - 1334 Words

The Canterbury Tales is a written work, by Geoffrey Chaucer, that is a representation of the society he lived in. His work portrays the feudal system during the medieval times and how each level of livelihood was a character, whose personalities reflect how Chaucer and his culture view them. During his time, his society regarded the Christian Church as corrupt and manipulative, with a few clergy who are honest and genuine in their exertion. Therefore, the ecclesiastical persona has the dispositions of either being con-men and charlatans or being devout and God-fearing. The other characters portray the themes of the middle ages of greed, prestigious, fraud, barbarity, vengeance and others. This novel consists of stories that illustrate rank†¦show more content†¦Chaucer says this because in his life, friars would work in churches and manipulate and sweettalk donators for the ‘needed’ money that is supposed to be given to the lepers and beggars, and not themselves. â€Å"There was a Friar, a wanton one and merry, a Limiter, a very festive fellow †¦so glib with†¦well-turned speech,† (Chaucer 8). Friars are corrupt and deceive the poor, while flattering the rich, and seducing women disregarding their vows of celibacy. The society views friars as almost dirt since they did what pleased them for they had â€Å"†¦a special license from the Pope,† (Chaucer 9) which is why the Friar’s tale is placed after the Wife of Bath tale, and not sixth, his social rank. The Knight is viewed as the highest in social rank in both status and temperament, while the Friar is ranked sixth socially, but ranked in the lower class in his nature. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories that represent how the classes are socially ranked, but viewed as lower than what the law has given them, and corresponds with the idea of gender equality and sin. During the medieval ages, women are viewed as a spawn of Eve, who brought sin and death into the world, as a goddess from Heaven, or considered property and in constant need of a man to live and help her family survive. Men are considered as the only means of work, intelligence, religion, and others, with the women having no rights to their own. While the women are considered nothing without a man in their life,Show MoreRelatedCanterbury Tales Character Analysis1988 Words   |  8 Pages The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a collection of tales and prologues of stories told by many characters whilst on a pilgrimage to the city of Canterbury. From religious figures such as nuns, monks and pardoners; to doctors, cooks and millers, this pilgrimage embarked on by many interesting people with stories that range from inspiring to gruesome. A few of the most predominant stories include those of the Prioress, the Summoner, the Wife of Bath, the Miller, and the Reeve. In theseRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis981 Words   |  4 PagesUpon first reading of the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the reoccurring theme of social status is not blatantly obvious. Upon further reading, however, it becomes apparent that it in fact plays large role in most of the aspects of the tales. In both the Wife of Bath’s Tale and the Nun’s Priest Tale, social status plays a role in the plot, characters, and themes in order to more effectively portray the messages Chaucer is trying to get across. The underlying theme addressing social statusRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis997 Words   |  4 Pageslanguage of the common people (Morrison). The Wife’s knowledge of the three languages grants her access to the forms of power that patriarchy denies to women, establishing her character as an authoritative female through the authentication of English as a literary language. In the dissertation â€Å"Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales: Rhetoric and Gender in Marriage,† Andrea Marcotte analyzes Chaucer’s usage of ethos to grant the Wife authority in her male-dominated culture. Marcotte argues that the WifeRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis1272 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales, penned by Geoffrey Chaucer gives its audiences insight on the corruption that exists to this day in humanity. As you read through the chapters Chaucer reveals the dark sides to supposedly respectable people such as the Summoner, along with people he favors like the Knight, the Wife of Bath, and women in general. His comical descriptions and stories that coincide with each character express his thoughts on real people in his society. My perception of the Summoner’s tale moralRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis1457 Words   |  6 Pages The Canterbury Tales introduces a group of very interesting characters from different walks of life. These characters can fall into different groups, and these groups show society was divided up in the 14th century. The descriptions of these characters give an idea on how these groups worked. How were people ranked in social status? Were certain people more corrupt than others? Which characteristics caused the people to be sorted into the group they are in? These questions are answered by the differentRead 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 MoreThe Canterbury Tales : An Analysis Of Medieval Life By Geoffrey Chaucer939 Words   |  4 PagesCanterbury Tales: An Analysis of Medieval Life by Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales is strongly considered one of the greatest works in medieval literature. An admirer of Chaucer, and the author of Chaucer and the Fifteenth Century, H.S. Bennett describes Chaucer’s unique style as, â€Å"No detail was too small for him to observe, and from it he could frequently draw, or suggest, conclusions which would have escaped many.† While The Canterbury Tales was originally intended to be an epic poemRead MoreThe Caterbury Tales, Carmina Burana and The Book of Taliesin722 Words   |  3 PagesChaucer’s Canterbury Tales, to the legendary king and war-hero Arthur of Camelot. The Christian Church was the single most influential institution in society, with the pope taking on a role as the leader of European Christendom and education and intellectual life mostly happening through religious institutions. Through the analysis of compositions written during the Middle Ages, it is observable that significant events influenced the page s of these notable works such as Canterbury Tales, Carmina BuranaRead More Summary and Analysis of The Shipmans Tale (The Canterbury Tales)928 Words   |  4 PagesSummary and Analysis of The Shipmans Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Introduction to the Shipmans Tale: The Host asks the priest to tell a tale, but the Shipman interrupts, insisting that he will tell the next tale. He says that he will not tell a tale of physics or law or philosophy, but rather a more modest story. The Shipmans Tale: A merchant at St. Denis foolishly took a desirable woman for a wife who drained his income by demanding clothes and other fine array to make her appearRead More Analysis of The Canons Yeomans Tale Essay762 Words   |  4 PagesSummary and Analysis of The Canons Yeomans Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Prologue to the Canons Yeomans Tale: When the story of Saint Cecilia was finished and the company continued on their journey, they came across two men. One of them was clad all in black and had been traveling quickly on their horses; the narrator believes that he must be a canon (an alchemist). The Canons Yeoman said that they wished to join the company on their journey, for they had heard of their tales. The Host asked