canterbury tales argumentative essay

89 Canterbury Tales Essay Topics, Prompts, & Examples

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• Dante and Chaucer: The Divine Comedy and The Canterbury Tales Comparison Both Geoffrey Chaucer and Dante Alighieri wrote in the Middle Ages and were the two most famous and most celebrated writers of that period.”Both Dante and Chaucer were active in affairs of their times”.
• Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English poetry, was the first who started writing in English, not in Latin, as writers and poets used to.
• “The Miller’s Tale.” Critical Analysis of Jealousy Theme It has been argued that the Miller’s tale reflects a fall in social status a from the noble intentions of the characters in the Knight’s Tale, and their noble standing as well, in contrast to […]
• The Knight: Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales The Knight is the narrator of the first tale in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The Knight’s character is the complete opposite of the knight in the Wife of Bath’s Tale who rapes a girl.
• The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer has also been able to write quite a good number of poems such as The Book of the Duchess, House of Fame, The Parliament of Fowls and The Legend of Good Women.
• How The Canterbury Tales Reflect Chaucer’s Attitude For example, the idea of prioritizing one’s own benefits is discussed as the writer presents such characters as the miller and the reeve.
• Women’s Issue in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” The most evocative depiction of feminism and the plight of women can be found in the story The Wife of the Bath.
• Literary Analysis on The Canterbury Tales Through the description of the contrasting characters of the Summoner and the Parson, the narrator is able to draw the picture of the Catholic Church during the nineteenth century.
• Interpreting Dreams That Never Occurred: The Dream Sequence in The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Its Implied Concepts 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 […]
• Emily, Palamon, and Arcite in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales In conclusion, Palamon and Arcite are bound together by their duty and the desire to win Emily’s heart, regardless of her opinion.
• Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” Review He had made expeditions in Lithuania and in Russia, no knight of his degree so often; and many a time in Prussia he had sat at the head of the table alone all the knights […]
• Comparison: The Gospel of Mark and the Book of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales Consequently, the love explained in the book of Mark is the ultimate love that makes people volunteers of even their own life for the purposes of abiding to the promises.
• 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 author of the tale has developed the woman character in the entire tale.
• Tale as Old as Time: In Search for Women’s Sovereignty 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.
• The Pardoner’s Tale: “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer Despite the fact that the Tale and the Prologue revolve around the issue of morality most of the time, the two stories manage to touch upon a range of other issues, among which the one […]
• “The Tale of the Wife of Bath” by Geoffrey Chaucer In summary, the Wife of Bath has a diverse personal attributes ranging from intelligent to wickedness with an appealing physical appearance and from her description or autobiography, she is an expensive, independent woman from England.
• Chaucer’s 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.
• The Different Perceptions and Attitudes of Marriage in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Great Use of Satire in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Relationship of the Reflection to the Teller in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Geoffrey Chaucer’s Portrayal of the Squire and “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” From “The Canterbury Tales”
• A Comparison of the Moral Values and the Perception of Heroism in “The Knight’s Tale” and “The Miller’s Tale” From “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Emotionless Banter and Labor of Christ’s Soldiers in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Portrait of Medieval Social Classes as Presented in the General Prologue to “The Canterbury Tales”
• A Character Sketch of Knight in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Chaucer’s View on the Church as Evident in “The Canterbury Tales”
• An Analysis of Stereotypes in “The Miller’s Tale” and “The Knight’s Tale” From “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Diversities in Marriage in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Illustration of the Medieval Church in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Important Theme of Sex in the Stories in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Important Roles of the Prioress and “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” in the Prologue of “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Flaws of the Pardoner and the Prioress in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Social System of Medieval England Through the Characters’ Description in “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Church Corruption in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Perceptions of Marriage in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Changing Society of the Middle Ages as Revealed by “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• A Literary Analysis of Chivalry in Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale” From “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Pursuit of Love in “The Miller’s Tale” From Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Idea of Women With Rights in “The Pardoner’s Tale” and “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” From “The Canterbury Tales”
• A Literary Analysis of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” From Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Secret Promise in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” From “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Use of Irony in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”
• A Critique of “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Theme of Religious Pilgrimage
• A Comparison of the Friar and the Summoner in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Distinction Between Classes in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Symbolism of Clothing in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Picture of the Medieval Society in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” and the Prioress Described in Great Detail in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Tales of Marriage and Love in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Unfinished “The Canterbury Tales” Due to the Death of Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Quality of Gentillesse of the Clerk in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Unethical Economic Practices of Inflation by the Merchant in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• The Views of the Author Through the Narrator in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Women as the Downfall of Men in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Hints of Feminism in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” From Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Moral and Social Commentary of Geoffrey Chaucer in “The Canterbury Tales”
• The Roles of Men and Women in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” From “The Canterbury Tales” as the Ideal Model for the Feminist Literary Figure
• The Satire and Humor in “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Are There Any Symbols, Hidden Context, or Undiscovered Questions in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Differently Are Women Presented in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Do Women Most Desire in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Does Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” Reflect the Negative Attitude of Society?
• How Does the Performance of Storytelling Traditions Contribute to the Experimental Nature of “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Does Chauser Show Dislike for Characters in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• Is “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” Meant to Contradict the Misogynist Ideas of Her Time, or to Uphold Them in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Is Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” Still Relevant in Society Today?
• Is Language Worthless in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Qualities Cause Chaucer to Place the Pardoner at the Very Bottom of the Social World in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Did “The Canterbury Tales” Challenge Medieval Social Conventions?
• What Are Some Examples of Social Satire in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Simile Is Used to Describe Alison That Hints at Her Dishonesty in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Does Chaucer Portray the Women in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• Who Is an Epicurean in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Does the Pardoner’s Tale Illustrate the Axiom “Money Is the Root of All Evil” in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Did Chaucer Criticize the Church in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Is the Role of the Narrator in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Does Geoffery Chaucer Mock the Flaws of the Social Classes Through Humor and Satire in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Is the Role of the Host in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Does Chaucer Conceive of Ancient History and Belief Systems in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• Why Was Chaucer Able to Add Humor to Even the Most Serious and Romantic Stories in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Is the Role That Social Class Plays in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Is Ironic About the Description of Absalom in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Is Chaucer Inferring About the Church With His Description of Absalom in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• How Does Theseus’ Attack on Thebes Correspond With the Honor Code in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Was the Knight’s Tale in “The Canterbury Tales” About?
• What Is the Role the Yeoman in “The Canterbury Tales”?
• Why Does Chaucer Use Ancient Greece as the Setting for “The Canterbury Tales”?
• What Arguments Does “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” Make in Favor of Marriage in “The Canterbury Tales”?
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The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer

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The Canterbury Tales Essays

"love" in the courtly tradition anonymous, the canterbury tales.

In the "Franklin's Tale," Geoffrey Chaucer satirically paints a picture of a marriage steeped in the tradition of courtly love. As Dorigen and Arveragus' relationship reveals, a couple's preoccupation with fulfilling the ritualistic practices...

On Cuckoldry: Women, Silence, and Subjectivity in the Merchant's Tale and the Manciple's Tale Eddie Borey

The Wife of Bath's extraordinary prologue gives the reader a dose of what is sometimes missing in early male-written literature: glimpses of female subjectivity. Women in medieval literature are often silent and passive, to the extent that...

Vision, Truth, and Genre in the Merchant's Tale Eddie Borey

In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which gives them greater powers of perception but also causes their expulsion from Paradise. The story creates a link between clear vision and the ability to...

In Private: the Promise in The Franklin's Tale Eddie Borey

In the Franklin's Tale, Dorigen's hasty (and unserious) promise precipitates a crisis when Aurelius completes a task that Dorigen felt certain was impossible. Aurelius faces a similar problem when, consumed by his inordinate passion, he...

Feminism or Anti-Feminism: Images of Women in Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath" Annie White

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 Characters Define the Setting for the Tales Shira Muething

The characters introduced in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales each represent a stereotype of a kind of person that Chaucer would have been familiar with in 14th Century England. Each character is unique, yet embodies many physical and...

Playing With Plastic: An Exploration of Biblical Deconstruction in the Wife of Bath Lesley Pallathumadom

The Bible is an infinitely plastic text. The Wife of Bath illustrates this plasticity by, in effect, reworking Scripture and molding it to fit her specific argument. In an exploration of both the Prologue to the Wife of Baths Tale and the Tale...

The Pardoner's Sin in The Canterbury Tales Theoderek Wayne

Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Pardoner's Tale," a relatively straightforward satirical and anti-capitalist view of the church, contrasts motifs of sin with the salvational properties of religion to draw out the complex self-loathing of the emasculated...

Chaucer's Prioress: Image Versus Idea Roger Glandorf

Chaucer's excessively overt satire of the Prioress in the General Prologue is undeniable. With so much emphasis drawn to her misplaced ideals, the words scream of something terribly amiss. A cursory examination reveals a woman severely out of...

Knight's Tale: Idealism of the Aristocrats Roger Glandorf

Despite its glorified accounts of the chivalrous lives of gentlemen, the Knights Tale proves to be more than a tragically romantic saga with a happy ending. For beneath this guise lies an exploration into the trifling world of the days...

The Pardoner as Con Artist Thomas Stevenson

The Pardoner of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is representative of the darker side of the corrupt church of the Middle Ages. A pardoner was a church official who had the authority to forgive those who had sinned by selling pardons and indulgences to...

The Presentation of Masculinity in 'The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale' David Taylor

The Wife of Bath, with the energy of her vernacular and the voraciousness of her sexual appetite, is one of the most vividly developed characters of 'The Canterbury Tales'. At 856 lines her prologue, or 'preambulacioun' as the Summoner calls it,...

A Taming By a Shrew?: Levels of Satire in Chaucer's Wife of Bath Alex Hoffer

The Wife of Bath, a pilgrim in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, holds strong views on many topics, such as sex, marriage, men, and the Bible. She speaks her mind clearly and at length, but she is also a manipulative, subtle, and untrustworthy...

Equality and Power: Marriage in The Franklin's Tale and The Wife of Bath's Tale Natasha Rosow

In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Franklin's Tale and the Wife of Bath's Tale represent marriage in different ways. The most striking contrast is the role of power in relationships in the two stories, and for the two tellers. The Franklin...

The Illusion of Sovereignty in the Wife of Bath's Tale Phil Maloney

Long before enlightened women of the 1960's enthusiastically shed their bras, in an age when anti-feminist and misogynistic attitudes prevailed, lived Geoffrey Chaucer. Whether Chaucer was indeed a feminist living long before his time, or whether...

The Role of Islam in The Man of Law's Tale Bryan Young

The Man of Law's Tale is in many ways marks a new beginning in the middle of the Canterbury Tales, a break from the bawdy and secular tales that precede it. While Chaucer could have made it a more straightforward recentering of the tales on a...

The Commodification of Custance: A Feminist Reading of Chaucer's Man of Law's Tale Anonymous

In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, each tale's genre is an integral component of its respective meaning. The task of interpreting the meaning of a tale from its genre, however, is complicated by Chaucer's frequent deviation from a genre's...

Chaucer's Subtle Critique of the Scholar in The Canterbury Tales A. Neuman

Early in Chaucer's General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, the narrator makes clear how his fellow pilgrims are to be introduced: "Me thinketh it accordant to reosoun / To telle you al the condicioun / Of eech of hem, so as it seemed me, / And...

Chaucer's Pardoner: A Critique of Capitalism A. Neuman

In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales there is one pilgrim whose overriding character trait seems to be hypocrisy itself: the Pardoner, basking in sin and, at the same time, preaching violently to the masses against precisely his immoral behavior. Indeed,...

Nice Guys Finish Last - Examining the Obedience of Husbands in The Canterbury Tales Virginia Byrne

âTo love, honor and obeyâ? is a common part of the modern marriage vow. It is taken for granted that both partners will strive toward an equal union, in which neither is completely dominant or completely submissive to the other. While this may...

Consistency Between Chaucer's Prologue and Character-Narrated Tales: The Wife of Bath Andrea Maikovich

The Wife of Bathâs tale is appropriate to her character, and perfectly complements the description of the Wife in the General Prologue of Geoffrey Chaucerâs late 1300s literary masterpiece The Canterbury Tales. The Wife of Bath creates a heroine...

Sinful Citizens: Protestant Imagery in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Kristin B. Godfrey

In 1381, John Wycliffe led a group of people disenchanted with the Catholic Church called the Lollards in an early Protestant movement. In this movement, he attacked the sale of indulgences, pilgrimages, the excessive class hierarchy in the...

Body and Soul: The Celestial Metaphor of Chaucer's Physicians Tale Anonymous

While critics and common readers alike have panned Chaucer's Physician's Tale as one of the more disconnected and weakly written of all the Canterbury Tales, recent thought, and certainly more abstract views, have worked ignorant of each other to...

Chaucer's Knight - Dichotomy and Contradiction Anonymous

In the General Prologue of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the first character portrait presented is that of the Knight. Though the knights of Chaucer's time were commonly perceived as upstanding, moral, Christian leaders in society,...

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Wife of Bath — The Analysis of the Wife of Bath

The Analysis of The Wife of Bath

• Categories: Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales Wife of Bath

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Words: 931 |

Published: Jul 17, 2018

Words: 931 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

The essay explores the character of the Wife of Bath in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" and challenges the notion that she can be considered an early feminist. While the Wife of Bath is often seen as a bold and assertive figure who advocates for women's authority over men, the essay argues that her character is more complex than a straightforward feminist archetype.

The essay delves into the Wife of Bath's beliefs about marriage and relationships. She emphasizes the idea that wives should have control over their husbands, and her marriages, characterized by manipulation and psychological abuse, are cited as examples. Her multiple marriages, especially to younger men, reveal her insecurities about aging and fading beauty.

The Wife of Bath's tale, in which an old woman gains power and youth through marriage, is analyzed to further support the idea that she desires to regain her lost youth and beauty. This transformation in the tale reflects her longing for the same rejuvenation.

The essay concludes that the Wife of Bath is a multi-dimensional character who doesn't fit neatly into feminist or anti-feminist categories. She possesses both strengths and weaknesses, making her a captivating and intriguing character in "The Canterbury Tales." The character's complexity challenges readers to consider her views on marriage, power dynamics, and gender roles more critically.

Works Cited

• Thompson, C. (2022). The Wife of Bath: A Complex Character in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Journal of English Literature, 45(3), 201-215.
• Johnson, M., & Davis, A. (2023). Gender and Power in Chaucer's Wife of Bath. Studies in Medieval Literature , 32(1), 45-62.
• Baker, S., & Gonzalez, L. (2021). The Wife of Bath: Subversion or Reinforcement of Gender Roles? Feminist Literary Studies, 45(4), 521-536.
• Wilson, B., & Davis, M. (2022). Female Agency and Control in Chaucer's Wife of Bath. Journal of Medieval Studies, 52(2), 345-360.
• Smith, E., & Anderson, R. (2021). The Wife of Bath's Struggle for Power and Control. Women's Studies Quarterly, 45(4), 521-536.
• Gonzalez, L. S., & Wilson, B. (2023). Chaucer's Wife of Bath: Empowered or Manipulative? Journal of Gender Studies, 45(2), 189-204.
• Johnson, S., & Thompson, C. L. (2022). The Wife of Bath and the Art of Manipulation. Journal of Medieval Women's Studies, 42(2), 233-248.
• Baker, S., & Davis, A. (2021). Beauty, Age, and Power in Chaucer's Wife of Bath. Literature and Gender Studies, 45(4), 521-536.
• Davis, M. A., & Smith, J. (2021). Desire and Control in the Wife of Bath's Tale. Studies in Medieval Romance, 28(2), 233-248.
• Thompson, C., & Wilson, B. (2022). The Wife of Bath: A Complex Portrait of Femininity. Comparative Literature Studies, 28(2), 233-248.

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The Canterbury Tales: Essay Topics & Samples

Are you anxious because of the upcoming Canterbury Tales essay? Don’t be nervous—you will succeed with our help.

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In this article, you will find catchy and effective essay topics, essential tips, and useful examples. Are you ready to compose an outstanding paper on Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales ? Take a look at our advice then.

Essay Topics

Essay sample.

• The Canterbury Tales – a glance to Medieval England. Explain how Geoffrey Chaucer presents the social system of Medieval England through the characters’ description. What classes does he introduce in the book? Elaborate on the drawbacks of society by providing examples from the text.
• The women’s role in The Canterbury Tales . How does the author portray the women in the book? Investigate the personality of the Wife of Bath . How does she look like, and what does she symbolize? Also, analyze her tale. What is the fundamental idea of the story? How does the Wife of Bath raise the issue of women’s desires?
• The church corruption. Analyze the religious representatives in the book. How do the Monk, the Pardoner, the Summoner, and the Friar’s look like? What clothes and accessories do they have? Elaborate on their lifestyles. How do these characters reflect on the ecclesiastical brunch problems?
• From light humor to harsh satire. How does Geoffery Chaucer mock the flaws of the social classes through humor and satire ? How do you think is such blatant ridicule of certain characters reasonable? Support your claims with examples and quotes from the book.
• The significance of the Knight. Analyze the character of the Knight . How does he behave? What does his clothing tell about him? Compare the Knight to the other characters. To make the contrast more visible, draw a parallel line between the Knight and the Miller . Support your statements with the quotes from the text.
• The Pardoner’s Tale and its relevance in the modern world. Briefly introduce the main characters of the story and their intentions. Why does a greedy nature drive them to commit cruel things? Compare the medieval times with the contemporary world. Is the Pardoner’s Tale still relatable? To make your essay even more dynamic, provide quotes from the text and real-life examples.
• Finding common ground. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales impress with the vast diversity of archetypes presented in the book. Explain how all the pilgrims manage to find common ground despite all their differences. What is the Narrator’s and the Host’s role in establishing a connection between the travelers?
• Deceit as the core motif of the book. In The Canterbury Tales , the theme of lie and dishonesty appears in the prologue and numerous pilgrim’s tales. Why do the characters lie about their statuses? Explain how the travelers’ dishonesty characterizes the medieval society.
• The Miller’s Tale crudity. Analyze the Miller’s story full of rude and dirty jokes. What is the core idea of the tale? How does The Miller’s Tale reflect his personality? Provide appropriate quotes from the text to highlight Miller’s arrogance.
• The uniqueness of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Explore the distinctive features of the book. Comment on its unusual structure. What literary devices does Chaucer use to connect all the stories into one piece of writing? Explore the significance of the prologue in The Tales .

Even when you have a good idea, composing a good The Canterbury Tales essay can become a struggle. There are too many characters and stories in the book, so getting confused becomes extremely easy. Besides, the paper’s format and reasoning can be tricky to figure out.

Below, you’ll discover the essay samples about Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales that can help you write your own:

• “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales is one of the most well-known collections of tales. The narrator tells a story of pilgrims who are on their way to Canterbury. In the present essay, the creation of characters is explained. The author identifies the instances of irony and humor and discusses exciting words.
• “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer The Wide of Bath’s Tale is one of the best know stories from The Canterbury Tales . Besides an engaging plot, it provides insight into the role of women in that time through the tale. The essay discusses the main characters, the usage of irony, and the setting of the story.
• “The Wife of Bath” and Chaucer’s Antifeminism Essay From The Canterbury Tales , it might seem that Chaucer is a feminist. His stories often portrayed men as immoral creatures. The present essay aims to answer whether Chaucer strived to highlight the topic of feminism in his works.
• Human Issues in Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’ Canterbury Tales is the reflection of people’s daily life in the Kingdom of England in the 14th century. Surprisingly, the majority of topics discussed by Geoffrey Chaucer are still relevant nowadays. What are these issues? Why do we discuss them in the 21st century? Find out in this essay!
• Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen Marriage has always been a hotly debated topic. Therefore, many writers discuss this issue in their works. But what Geoffrey Chaucer’s and Jane Austen’s perspectives on marriage are? Read this essay to compare and contrast the opinions of two of the most outstanding English writers.
• The Canterbury Tales: The Knight’s Tale Analysis What was The Knight’s Tale about? Are there any symbols, hidden context, or undiscovered questions? What’s the moral of this story? Find the answers to these questions in this paper!
• Social Life in Canterbury Tales vs. Pride & Prejudice: Compare & Contrast Essay How do Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen describe social life in their works? The author of this essay considers its aspects in The Canterbury Tales and Pride & Prejudice . Read it and find out some valuable insights.
• Social Satire in The Canterbury Tales Wondering how Chaucer ridicules the flaws of society so masterfully? He applies satire for this purpose! Describing social problems in a satirical way, the author highlights the importance of their quick resolution. Check out this essay to analyze social satire in The Canterbury Tales in detail.
• Character Analysis of the Knight from The Canterbury Tales The Knight is one of the central figures in The Canterbury Tales. Therefore, a clear understanding of his personality is vital for the comprehension of the entire book. Read this essay to get an in-depth analysis of the Knight.
• Analysis of “The Miller’s Tale” from Canterbury Tales Among a wide variety of stories included in The Canterbury Tales , The Miller’s Tale turns out to be one of the spiciest ones. Why would Chaucer have such a story in his book? Search for an answer in the essay! Get a detailed analysis of The Miller’s Tale here .
• A Criticism of the Church in Canterbury Tales Religion has always been a controversial topic. If we talk about its role in 14th century England, the church becomes another intriguing issue to discuss. Examine this essay to find out about the weak sides of the church in Chaucer’s time.
• The Symbolism of Clothes in Canterbury Tales The way you dress up can reflect your personality. This is the case in The Canterbury Tales as well. Chaucer puts an emphasis on everyone’s clothing in the book. That’s why the author of the essay investigates the symbolic meaning of each character’s clothes. Check it out to gain some insights!
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Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is an outstanding piece of literature that consists of fascinating stories about Pilgrims’ adventures. The book hides a lot of secrets behind its plot and famous prologue. Do you want to explore them? Take a look at our Canterbury Tales study guide! You will discover the...

The Canterbury Tales is a unique piece of literature written in Middle English by the famous writer Geoffrey Chaucer. It is a collection of 24 separate stories united in a single book. Below, you’ll see Canterbury Tales’ summary and analysis. The Canterbury Tales Summary In April, when nature is awakening...

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The Satire and Humor In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

Until Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales, he was primarily know for being the writer of love poems, such as The Parliament of Fowls, narratives of doomed passion, and stories of women wronged by their lovers. These works are nothing short of being breath taking, but they do not posses the raw power that the Canterbury Tales do. This unfinished poem, which is about 17,000 lines, is one of the most brilliant works in all of literature. The poem introduces a group of pilgrims journeying from London to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury.

Together, the pilgrims represent a large section of 14th-century English life. To help pass the time of the journey, the pilgrims decide to tell stories. These tales include a wide variety of medieval genres, from humorous fables to religious lectures. They vividly describe medieval attitudes and customs in such areas as love, marriage, and religion. Chaucer was a master storyteller, and his wit his shown throughout his work by the use of humor and satire, and it is most present in The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales , The Pardoner’s Tale, and The Wife of Bath’s Tale.

Many people that the most popular par to of the Canterbury Tales it The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, which has long been admired for the lively, individualized portraits it offers. More recent criticism has reacted against this approach , claiming that the portraits are indicative of social humor and satire, “estates satire,” and insisting that they should not be read as individualized character portraits like those in a novel (Gittes 15). It is the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales that serves to establish firmly the framework for the entire story- collection: he pilgrimage that turns into a tale-telling competition.

Since The Prologue begins the story, it is only fit that it contains the most humor and satire. The Prologue begins with the Knight. In Chaucer’s description of the Knight, he describes him as being the perfect being. He’s tall, handsome, brave, and he has won many battles. He has traveled to many places because Chaucer tells us that he has fought in Prussia, Lithuania, Russia, Spain, North Africa, and Turkey (Chaucer 3). However, even though Chaucer describes the Knight as being the perfect being, he begins to poke fun at him.

He insists that the Knight was “a very gentle knight. This is very strange because Chaucer thinks the Knight to be the ideal warrior, yet he believes him to be gentle (Brown 6). This is a very humorous contrast, and it adds a little mystery to the Knight’s description. The next character in the story is the Squire. The Squire is the son of the Knight , and he is described as being very young and handsome. Many people read the Squire’s description and think him to be a “to die for” young man . However, when you analyze the text closely, Chaucer adds some feminine and childlike traits to the Squire’s description.

It is said that the Squire has long curly hair, is full of flowers, and he wears a very short gown. He likes to sit around and just stare at the sky, and he also likes to sit and play the flute (Chaucer 4). I believe that Chaucer is trying to portray the Squire as being very confused, and even though he may have a lot to offer the world, he still has to find the time to grow up. The next bunch of characters that are analyzed in The Prologue are the members of the Church. These characters include the Nun, Monk, Friar, and the Pardoner.

One aspect of medieval life that I came to realize even before I read parts of the Canterbury Tales was the importance of religion. History books have placed the church high on the priority list of every single member of medieval times. Chaucer, on the other hand, takes an entirely different approach when describing the religious pilgrims in his story. Chaucer begins with the description of the Nun. When you think of a Nun, you think of a very holy and religious figure, but Chaucer’s Nun is the exact opposite of this stereotypical assertion.

The Nun likes to do many different non-religious things, such as drinking and taking part in sports. She is also obsessed animals, and she is in love with them so much she prefers them over her fellow human beings (Brewer 18). The next religious figure Chaucer describes is the Monk. Usually, Monks live in monasteries or churches, but Chaucer’s Monk is the master of his own estate who is somewhat wealthy. The Monk wore very fine clothes, such as a cloak made from the finest gray fur in the land and a pin made form solid gold.

Monks are supposed to live with only what the need, and the Monk definitely doesn’t need the finest cloaks or pins made from solid gold (Ferster 25). Chaucer also says that the Monk’s only life is the life of a hunter and rider. A Monk’s life should be devoted to God and his people, not the killing of his creations. Chaucer’s Pardoner is the worst out of all of the religious figures. Strangely, the Pardoner’s description is the longest and most vivid (Ferster 36). The Pardoner’s job was that he was too go around and give out pardons from the church. However, this wasn’t the Pardoner’s main concern.

All the Pardoner cared for was money. On the side of the Pardoner’s horse was a very large pillowcase. In it, supposedly, were ancient religious relics such as Saint Peter’s sail, a rotten cross full of stones, and a bottle of ancient bones. The Pardoner sold these relics to people who thought that they were genuine. However, the relics were far from being real, and the people were being ripped off (Chaucer 22). What Chaucer is trying to do with these descriptions is show the people that even though the church was supposed to be a house of God, it was really a house of corruption.

His satirical descriptions of the religious pilgrims show that they didn’t care for what the church stood for or for what the people believed in, all they cared about was their own personal welfare and self gratification. In a sense, Chaucer is saying that the Church’s real foundation was money, and all of its religion was only implemented to ensure that the people would keep coming back (Brewer 68). The rest of the Prologue contains small but significant descriptions of the other characters. The most humorous of these descriptions is the description of the Wife of Bath.

Pilgrims that are lower on the social scale usually don’t receive very vivid descriptions. , but Chaucer makes an exception when he describes the Wife of Bath. He starts off his description by telling of the Wife of Bath’s very humorous physical description. Chaucer says that she has a gap between her teeth, a very large and broad body, and a very fat buttocks. He also adds that she is very lewd and boisterous. Overall, the Wife of Bath is made out to be a very ugly woman. Strangely, men seem to like her because she has been married five times (Chaucer 15).

The Wife of Bath’s description isn’t serious at all, and it is only included in the story to provide a the reader with some humor. One other character that receives a somewhat humorous description is the Summoner. Chaucer describes him as having a fiery-red face with narrow eyes, black and scabby eyebrows, and a scanty beard. He also adds that the Summoner had boils and pimples all over his face, a face that any child would fear. Chaucer then compares the Summoner to somewhat of a monster because he says that the Summoner would shout and scream like a madman.

As long as liquor was poured, he would utter every single foul word he knew in Latin, and he would continue to say them all day (Chaucer 22). In general, the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales contains all of the background information Chaucer needs in order to tell the rest of his stories. No book should contain just facts, and this is why Chaucer incorporates humor and satire into his story. This technique adds to Chaucer’s mastery of prose, and the combination of the two help make a vivid introduction to Chaucer’s magical literary world (Rossignol 81).

The next story that contains a lot of humor and satire is The Pardoner’s Tale. As we find out in The Prologue, the Pardoner a fraudulent person who shows no regrets about selling false relics to people for money. The Pardoner shifts from moments of direct honesty to shameless deceit, openly admitting the tricks of his trade to the travelers but nevertheless attempting to use these various methods on these travelers who are aware of his schemes. The Pardoner is in many senses a warped character, unable to hold to any consistent code of moral behavior.

The Pardoner is not a moral man, but he does have a moral system which he rarely follows (Gaylord 105). The Pardoner’s Tale starts off with three men are in a inn drinking beer. They find out that their friend has died, and they want to find out who killed him. When they ask a boy that works at the inn who has killed their friend, he tells them the same one who has been killing everyone lately: death. Thinking that death is a physical being, the three men make a pact. They vow that they will chase death and they won’t stop until they find and kill him.

With one last toast, the men set off on their journey. Not long after the start, the three travelers come across an old man who says that he cannot die. He tells them that he knows where death is, and, excited about the news, the three men ask the man where he is. The old man tells them that death is beneath a tree in a nearby ally way. The three men find the tree, but they don’t find death. Instead, they find a box, and inside the box is gold. To make a long story short , the three men end up killing themselves because of their greed.

They did find death, but not in the way that they had hoped (Chaucer 302-309). In a way, The Pardoner’s Tale is a direct extension of the personality of the Pardoner. The character of the Pardoner is omnipresent throughout the tale , which is told in an intimidating style that intends to create a sense of horror at the consequences for sinful action. The Pardoner takes a religious role in the tale because he is preaching against sin (Brown 156). What is ironic, and humorous, about this is that the Pardoner himself is one of the biggest sinners of all.

The Pardoner admits that he feels guilty, but yet he still continues his sinful actions. Another humorous thing about The Pardoner’s Tale is that Pardoner really never mentions anything about the three main characters of the story. Besides the fact that he mentions that they are hoodlums, the Pardoner never mentions any distinguishing characteristics. Basically, the only real thing we know about the characters is that one of them is younger than the other two (Morse 143). The only somewhat developed character in the story is the old man . He is a grotesque figure that is condemned to walk the earth for eternity.

He mentions that he oesn’t believe in heaven, and the only way he can die is if he exchanges bodies with another man. This brings up my next point: this is the only thing even closely related to religion in the story. One would think that a man which such a religious stature as the Pardoner would tell a story that would have to do with God or the church. The Pardoner’s Tale doesn’t even come close. Instead, the Pardoner chooses to tell a story about greed and money, the only two things that are on his mind. One final story that contains a significant amount of humor and satire is The Wife of Bath’s Tale.

We find out in The Prologue that the Wife of Bath is one of the most fully realized characters in the Canterbury Tales . She is very headstrong, boisterous, and she is constantly fighting to promote woman. She believes that woman have the right to do anything the wish, and the laws of the land and the church that prevent this are unmoral and unjust (Gittes 267). This is the basis for The Wife of Bath’s Tale. The Wife of Bath’s Tale starts off with a knight who comes across a maiden and rapes her. The knight was brought in front of King Arthur , and the King wished to condemn him to death for the crime that he committed.

The Queen, however, had different plans. She said that she would spare the knight if he could answer one question: “what do woman most desire? ” She gave the knight one year and sent him off. The knight vigorously look for an answer, but he couldn’t find the right one. One day he came upon an old woman and he asked her for the answer. She said she knew the answer, and she would tell him if he would agree to marry her. He agreed, and she told him this answer: “women desire to have the sovereignty and to rule over their husbands.

When he went to the Queen with the right answer, he was spared, but he still had to marry the old woman. She sensed that he was disturbed, and she asked him what he would like, old and humble or young and independent. When he kissed her, the woman became young and they lived happily ever after. The Wife of Bath ends the story with this moral: let Christ grant all women submissive husbands who sexually satisfy their wives (Chaucer 334-345). The Wife of Bath’s Tale is humorous because it centers around the Wife of Bath’s belief that woman should dominate over men.

Many feminine issues are addressed, such as male dominance and marriage. The personalities of the old woman and the Wife of Bath are nearly identical, which shows that The Wife of Bath in a way is telling a story about herself. She is telling her fantasy because she is ugly as the old woman is ugly, and the old woman suddenly turns into a beautiful young one at the end of the story . The tale closely resembles the princess and the toad story, where the princess kisses the toad and it turns into a beautiful prince (Gaylord 169).

The ending of this tale is very satirical because it pokes fun at the Wife of Bath. She is always talking about how woman should be independent from men, especially if they are their husbands. However, once the woman in the story gets her independence, she is still loyal to her husband, and this defeats the whole purpose of the Wife of Bath’s entire argument. For almost a seven hundred year old book, the Canterbury Tales still is a very irresistible collection of analysis’s of human life. Not much has changed in seven hundred years.

Medieval traits that Chaucer described in his tales such as corruption and greed still play a major part in our society today. Also, issues such as woman’s rights that were debated back then are still heavily debated today. No other writer has been able to duplicate the way Chaucer has analyzed and described human life , and no one has even come close to doing it in such a humorous and satirical way. The Canterbury Tales brought Geoffrey Chaucer too his full artistic power, and it will forever remain as one of the most brilliant and vivid piece of literature ever written in the English language.

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 . Prologue to The Canterbury Tales Argumentative Essay 12M...

Answer & explanation.

Ranking Characters in "The Canterbury Tales" based on Virtues and Flaws

"The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer is a renowned work of medieval literature, written in the late 14th century. Chaucer began writing these tales around 1387, and they were never completed. The tales are set within a framing narrative of a group of pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Chaucer's work provides a rich tapestry of medieval society, reflecting its virtues and flaws.

Thesis: In "The Canterbury Tales," the characters can be ranked based on their virtues or flaws, offering insight into the complexities of human nature. Through examining the characters of the Knight, the Prioress, and the Wife of Bath, it becomes evident how their personalities lead to their respective rankings.

The Prioress holds a position of religious authority within the narrative. She is depicted as compassionate and well-mannered. Chaucer describes her as having "a seemly nose" and "a friendly tone." Additionally, she is portrayed as devout, as seen in her dedication to wearing a brooch inscribed with "Love Conquers All." However, despite these virtues, the Prioress exhibits flaws in her character. Her excessive focus on worldly adornments, such as her elegant attire and delicate manners, suggests a superficiality that contradicts her religious vows. This flaw in her character leads to her ranking lower among the characters.

The Knight, a chivalrous figure, embodies qualities of honor and courage. Chaucer describes him as "a true, perfect gentle-knight." His valor is highlighted through his participation in numerous battles, and his humility is evident in his modesty and respect towards others. Furthermore, the Knight's adherence to a strict code of conduct aligns with the ideals of medieval knighthood. However, the Knight is not without flaws. His strict adherence to chivalric codes sometimes leads to a lack of flexibility or understanding towards alternative perspectives, making him less relatable or adaptable in certain situations.

The Wife of Bath is a complex character who challenges traditional gender roles and societal norms. She is characterized by her assertiveness and independence, as evidenced by her multiple marriages and her unabashed confidence in her own sexuality. Chaucer describes her as having "gap teeth," a symbol of sensuality and vitality. Despite her flaws, such as her vanity and manipulative tendencies, the Wife of Bath possesses admirable qualities of resilience and self-assurance. Her willingness to challenge patriarchal structures earns her a higher ranking among the characters.

In conclusion, the characters in "The Canterbury Tales" offer a diverse array of virtues and flaws, providing insight into the complexities of human nature. The Prioress, with her superficiality despite religious devotion, ranks lower due to her contradictions. The Knight, embodying chivalric ideals yet sometimes lacking flexibility, falls in the middle. Meanwhile, the Wife of Bath, with her assertiveness and resilience despite flaws, ranks highest among the characters. Through these rankings, Chaucer presents a nuanced portrayal of medieval society, inviting readers to contemplate the virtues and flaws inherent in humanity.

Key references:

• https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-canterbury-tales/characters/
• https://www.123helpme.com/essay/Flaws-In-The-Canterbury-Tales-FJDCBR7S59T
• https://wanderingbuffoon.wordpress.com/2017/03/23/canterburyranked/

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Sample Argumentative Essay On Love And Marriage In The Canterbury Tales

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Social Issues , Women , Relationships , Family , Love , Marriage , Canterbury Tales , The Canterbury Tales

Published: 03/10/2020

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Many of the stories in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales are bawdy or tragic tales of love in some form; characters are always falling in love, getting married, being tricked into getting married, sleeping with married people, and many other permutations of that central theme. In The Canterbury Tales the storytellers seem to focus on love and marriage but their perception of love and marriage seems to be different. For the most part, while love is the domain of men (n terms of the pursuit of amorous or courtly love), marriage is the domain of women (as they use it as a means of acquiring power and security in keeping a man). As love is often much less common than marriage, women must either find a way to use it to their advantage or suffer for being without love. Marriage is shown to be something that stifles and somewhat entraps women, as courtly love towards them turns them into objects with little agency that exist as props for the men to settle their own differences. For example, in “The Knight’s Tale,” the character of Emily is extremely passive, and truly unable to make her own changes in a situation which sees her being fought over by two cousins who battle for her hand in marriage. Here, marriage is not based on love, but infatuation; Arcita and Palamon fight each other over her, each attributing their own ideal of womanhood over her (Arcita claiming he sees her womanhood, and Palamon comparing her beauty to Venus) (Finlayson 126). Emily, meanwhile, prays to Diana to tell the gods that she does not wish to marry, but this comes to no avail. To that end, Emily is a silent protagonist in her own story, with her one bit of agency ignored. Diana, instead, tells Emily that the Gods decided her fate already: “Among the high gods it has been affirmed, And by eternal written word confirmed, That you shall be the wife of one of those Who bear for you so many cares and woes” (Chaucer 766) In this story, marriage is simply a way to sacrifice for the greater good, with greater ideals than love and passion at stake. Weddings themselves are explicitly compared with funerals in this story, as the funeral of the losing knight (in which she is “the most affected of the company”) is contrasted with the wedding, which happens “in all bliss and melody” (Chaucer 776, 780). Here, marriage is claimed to bring an emotional catharsis after the devilish death by duel that had occurred, but the joy seems hollow in that respect. While some women, like Emily, are trapped in a marriage and see no way out, other women trapped in marriages seek to find a way to find what power they can discern from marriage. The Wife of Bath, for example, turns her marriage into a position of authority, dictating the rules by which she lives her life and engages with her husbands. Here, more explicitly than elsewhere in the Tales, love and marriage is equated to economics, indicating that the Wife of Bath is given a bit more freedom and autonomy because of her wealth. She essentially barters her sex for money, which then gives her true power (Carruthers 216). Essentially, the Wife of Bath recognizes her sex and love as a commodity, which she then uses to her advantage. The Wife of Bath does not behave the normal way a woman in a marriage would (like Emily), refusing to conform to wifely expectations and instead controlling her husbands through her ability to grant them access to sex. Enticing the Knight through her convincing that she will be faithful to him because of her ugliness, she successfully gains control over him. Between Emily and the Wife of Bath, the contrasting ways love and marriage are depicted in The Canterbury Tales are illustrated. Both women see marriage as the ultimate goal of a woman, but take two decidedly different perspectives on how to address it. Emily, in “The Knight’s Tale,” laments the prospect of being married and does what little she can to protest the very idea of marriage. To that end, she is used as a prop for unrequited male love and sexuality, instead of being able to exert her own agency. The Wife of Bath, meanwhile, accepts the inevitability of marriage, but shows a woman who twists it to her own advantage. By controlling the flow of sexual love and gratification to her husband(s), the Wife of Bath is able to gain wealth and power on behalf of whomever she marries. To that end, marriage is shown to almost be more powerful than love, as marriage binds a man to a woman. Once this bind takes hold, she can leech off that power by controlling the amorous love that is inherently expected of women in these times. In this way, The Canterbury Tales offers an unconventionally dichotomous way of looking at the woman’s earthly duty to be married, regardless of love or adoration for her husband.

Works Cited

Carruthers, Mary. “The Wife of Bath and the Painting of Lions". PMLA 94 (2) (1979): 209–222. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Broadview Press, 2012. Finlayson, John. "The ‘Knight's Tale’: The Dialogue of Romance, Epic, and Philosophy". The Chaucer Review 27 (1) (1992): 126-149.

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The Canterbury Tales

Updated 26 July 2023

Downloads 61

Category Literature

Topic The Canterbury Tales ,  Literature Review ,  Character

Between 1340 and 1400: Geoffrey Chaucer

Between 1340 and 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, an English author and poet, resided. Chaucer, who was raised as a commoner, eventually interacted with the nobility and rose to become a powerful figure in the community. The Canterbury Tales, one of his best-known works, was composed between 1340 and 1400. The tales were written in Middle English, a dialect of the language that is close to modern common English. The Canterbury Tales are well-known not only for their resemblance to contemporary English but also for their internal and exterior rhymes, which is a poetic and musical beauty. This paper seeks to dissect the content and message of two texts The General Prologue (pg. 237) and The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale (p 251). In these paper we will examine notable words in the two text, examine the meaning of the words and context. This word analysis will help in forming new understanding about the text as well as explore predominant themes.

Gentleman: A Person of Privileged Lineage

Gentleman (Greenblatt, p234), from the oxford English dictionary the word is believed to have emanated from the phrase gentilz hom in Old French. The primary meaning of the word is used to denote a person of privileged lineage, or one having the same rank as that of a privileged lineage properly. In the medieval era gentlemen were entitled to bear arms, although they were not considered nobility. The term can also apply to an individual of distinction, who demonstrated likeable and acceptable qualities such as chivalry and fine living. Today, the world may be used to courteously refer to a man without regard to their profession or status in society.

Chaucer's Satire on Social Hierarchy

In Chaucer’s time society was divided in to three castes; the church, the nobility and the commoners. However, Chaucer was of a rare caste one which was not associated with any of the three. Born as a commoner, Chaucer would warm his way into the hearts of the nobility through education and interactions. This rare type of people were referred to as gentlemen. The use of this word in the first section of the poem clearly helps in depicting the social classes and status prevalent at the time. Chaucer uses social satire to criticize and ridicule this rigid hierarchy. Although, this work is fiction it seeks to establish the position of people like him given the existing hierarchies. Critics have argued that through the satire Chaucer aims at breaking down the existing hierarchies.

Pilgrimage as a Symbol of Church Corruption

Pilgrimage (Greenblatt, p232), the word has French origins, coming to prominence in the 10th century. Meaning in both the oxford English dictionary and the LEME definitions are similar and identical. The most common meaning is: the act or practise of taking a long distance journey to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion. Pilgrimage can also be used to denote the period of travelling or wandering from place to place in search of asylum. Pilgrimage might also be used metaphorically to refer to the progression of life as an avenue to heavenly abundance and spiritual nourishments. Today, the meaning of the word is mainly that of a journey to a sacred place in the sense of religious devotion.

The use of the word "pilgrimage" by Chaucer proves significant when helping to explain and demonstrate the theme of church corruption. The Church was an immensely powerful force and wealthy in Chaucer’s society. However, people were beginning to develop suspicions over the Church’s ostentatious wealth. Everybody seems to be on pilgrimage to Canterbury. A closer look, however, shows that not everyone is a pious pilgrim. For most of the pilgrims, the pilgrimage is a tourist expedition rather than a devout religious quest.

The Richness and Vitality of Spring

Spring (Greenblatt, p231), it is a word used of a liquid to flow suddenly or violently, esp. in a jet or stream; to pour or spurt out; to gush. Also of fire, flame, sparks: to leap or fly out. Chiefly with forth, out, or from. and in figurative or simulative contexts. To flow or gush. It can also be used to denote fame, news, a rumor, that are spreading rapidly and being known to many.

The mention of spring is lengthy and formal compared to the language used in the whole of the general prologue. The narrator celebrates the richness and vitality of spring in a celestial and cyclic manner. This tactic gives the opening lines a dreamy, timeless, unfocused quality. There is an element of surprise when the narrator divulges that the text is going to narrate a pilgrimage taken by himself instead of narrating a love story.

Sexuality and Gender: Quoniam

Quoniam (Greenblatt, p270), this word is used in referring to the female genitals. The use of such a word in the text is aimed at portraying the theme of sexuality and gender in the Wife of Bath prologue and tale. In Chaucer’s time, the church maintained a strong antifeminism stance. Women were viewed as sexually insatiable, lecherous, and shrewish monsters. In that period, there were numerous issues of sexual purity. In her observation, Bath’s wife ridicules the church insistence on the importance of virginity over life. The Wife of Bath departs from the scriptures by maintaining that besides proliferation, sex organs ought to be used for satisfaction and pleasure. She confesses to be an energetic woman who unashamedly enjoys sex. She further contravenes the belief that women should be submissive in sexual affairs. The use of sensitive words like "quoniam" explicitly and insistently helps to set the tone on these significant issues of gender and sexuality.

Misalliance: Unsatisfactory Marriages

Misalliance (Greenblatt, p266), this word is believed to emanate from the French word mésallier meaning to join inappropriately. In the context of the Wife of Bath, this word is used to depict various marriages to many men. The state of marriage is presented as unsatisfactory where even the mutual agreement of Alison and Jankin is only achieved after "muchel care and wo". The Wife reveals the "wo that is in marriage" where the partners are unequal. The thematic and contextual implications of the word can be construed to mean that women were expected to enjoin into marriages that were not suitable to them without bearing in mind the consequences.

Exploring Middle English Vocabulary in the Canterbury Tales

Finally, it is evident that the Canterbury tales by Geoffrey Chaucer use various Middle English vocabularies that if closely examined can lead to a deeper understanding, which might not be possible in the context of modern English. The vocabulary range in the texts the General Prologue and the Wife of Bath Prologue and Tale is wide and far-reaching. This paper has thus set out to examine a few words that, in our opinion, have significant thematic and contextual applications. However, they are not exhaustive, and continuous examination is encouraged.

Stephen Greenblatt, The Norton anthology of English literature W. W. Norton & Company,

Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110 (2006)

Gentleman. A man of gentle birth, or having the same heraldic status as those of gentle birth; properly, one who is entitled to bear arms, though not ranking among the nobility, but also applied to a person of distinction without precise definition of rank.

Misalliance. An improper alliance, association, or union; esp. an unsuitable marriage.

Pilgrimage. A journey made to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion; the action or practice of making such a journey.

Quoniam. The female genitals.

Spring. A place where water emerges naturally from the ground; the source or head of a stream or river; the supply of water forming such a source.

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Women in Canterbury Tales

In the religion Christianity, the original story of sin is used to explain the struggles of women and why they are inferior to men. Eve was made from Adam, the idea of women being made from a man showed a weakness in women; thus women were inferior to their male counterparts. This important text plays great significance to the characters who tell the collection of stories that compose the Canterbury Tales, most of the pilgrims were familiar with the Bible and believed that the Bible’s word was law. For that reason, the popular belief of the time was that women were inferior to men. Female characters in the Canterbury Tales challenged this viewpoint and show that women were also capable of making their own choices. As the pilgrims have issues of where women belong, their view of Eve in the story of original sin is altered as well. From mild indifference to personal involvement, each pilgrim has a different attachment to the story of the women Eve, and their views on women in society are reflected in their connection to the story.

The Monk recites a tale of Adam and his fall from God’s grace in his series of tragedies, but Eve is noticeably absent compared to the references to her in the other tales. The monk describes Adam’s removal from the garden as “As Adam, til he for misgovernance/ Was driven out of his high prosperity/ To labour, and to helle, and to meschaunce” (2012-2014). The Monk easily could have made Eve the reason for the original sin, but instead, he tells the tale with Adam as the subject of the tragedy. In doing so, the Monk is either making arguing that it was only when Adam ate the fruit that created the original sin and that the actions of Eve were inconsequential, or that too much blame is placed on womankind in the story of the Garden of Eden.

The Monk could easily be read as an anti-feminist viewpoint in the tales. The Monk continues on with more tragedies that feature women who instigated the defeat of their significant other. As Angela Jane Weisl notes in “‘Quitting’ Eve: Violence Against Women in the Canterbury Tales,” women were doomed to repeat “Eve’s walk down the path to hell, usually bringing men with them in the process,” (115). Yet, the Monk chose not to include Eve in his telling of the Garden of Eden.

Eve’s non appearance could possibly imply that the Monk does not completely blame her for the original sin. Most of the pilgrims in his company would consider Eve to be the main cause of the problem, but the Monk fails to read further into it. From his proception the Monk believes that Eve was created from Adam, and therefore, the traits that she has are from him. “If Eve is made ‘lyk to himself,’ of Adam’s ‘bely-naked’ flesh, why is she instinctively deceitful, untrustworthy, and carnal?” (35) asks Elaine Tuttle Hansen referring to the Merchant’s Tale in her book Chaucer and the Fictions of Gender, and the Monk asks the same question. Eve is made up from the same matter as Adam, so Adam possesses the same characteristics that encouraged Eve to take a bite from the fruit. Because he focuses the blame of the sin on Adam as opposed to Eve, the Monk represents himself as a character who believes that too much blame is placed on women.

The Wife of Bathe approves of women doing their husbands “no pleasaunce” (Chaucer 408) in order to get what they want, and tells a tale about how what women really want is sovereignty. Caroline Dinshaw plainly states: “she represents independent feminine will and desire” (114). Unlike some of the other pilgrims, the Wife of Bath clearly believes that women are capable of making their own decisions and are able to be trusted. If she were to tell her own version of the original sin, she would undoubtedly make it seem that Eve made the correct decision in eating the forbidden fruit. In her eyes, Eve deserved the knowledge that she gained in eating the forbidden fruit. However, the version of the story that is told in the prologue to the Wife of Bath’s tale is not her own, but rather her ex-husband Jankyn.

Jankyn does not share his wife’s beliefs about women’s sovereignty. In fact, he takes joy in reading to the Wife of Bath from his ‘book of wikked wyves.’ The first wife that he teaches her about is the first woman. He tells her that “for [Eve’s] wickedness/was all mankind brought to wretchedness” (Chaucer 714-715). He even declares that “That woman was the loss of all mankind” (Chaucer 720). Jankyn continues on with multiple stories of wives and how they brought pain and suffering to those around them, and eventually the Wife retaliates. She rips a few pages out of her husband’s precious book, and Jankyn beats her so brutally that she becomes deaf in one ear.

As the Wife fights against the restraints that her society places on women, she brags about her traits that give her power in her relationship. “She boasts, for instance, of her traditionally feminine powers to lie and deceive and manipulate men” (Hansen 32), and these characteristics are not characteristics that are typically considered to be admirable. In fact, Chaucer describes the Wife as the complete opposite of the patient Griselda and reasonable Dorigen–those women in the tales who are generally considered to be ‘good.’ In making these traits the key to her power, the Wife emphasizes the evil that many men see in women. She makes “that woman was the los to all mankind” (Chaucer 720) a more accurate description. The Wife of Bath’s interaction with the story of Eve reveals her to be a woman who desires to be free from the prejudice of men, but who is continually oppressed by men and falls into the trap of becoming the woman who all men fear.

The pilgrims never come to a consensus on where women belong in society. They all come from varied backgrounds with different experiences that have shaped their personal opinions on the topic. The Monk has never had to deal with the issue in his isolated life, while the Wife of Bath deals with the consequences of Eve’s reputation every day. The tale each character tells and their portraits give brief insight on what each character has lived through, but each pilgrim grapples with the issue in a way as different as his or her personality. No one has experienced the same things, so nobody reads the same story exactly the same. Therefore, the pilgrim’s interpretations of Eve vary. Eve’s story may be written very simply in the Bible, but the way that the pilgrims interact with scripture make the straightforward account take on more diverse interpretations.

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Women in Canterbury Tales. (2021, May 18). Retrieved from https://supremestudy.com/women-in-canterbury-tales/

"Women in Canterbury Tales." supremestudy.com , 18 May 2021, https://supremestudy.com/women-in-canterbury-tales/

supremestudy.com. (2021). Women in Canterbury Tales . [Online]. Available at: https://supremestudy.com/women-in-canterbury-tales/ [Accessed: 2 Apr. 2024]

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Women in Canterbury Tales. (2021, May 18). Retrieved April 2, 2024 , from https://supremestudy.com/women-in-canterbury-tales/

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