Chaucer And Feminism Essay, Research Paper
The most potent form of criticism that a writer can use is satire. Satire is a form of irony wherein the speaker uses false praise in order to condemn an idea or event. Chaucer was a pioneer in the realms of English and criticism. He popularized the use of the satiric mask. A satiric mask is when the writer has the speaker like or support something for trivial and unjustifiable reasons. By having the speaker supporting things for all the wrong reasons the writer makes the situation absurd and it is this absurdity that is the satiric source. For example, the speaker Chaucer tends to like morally corrupt individuals for odd reasons. He admires the monk because he is wealthy, gregarious, and popular among woman. Needless to say these are not the characteristics of a good monk, but by having the speaker Chaucer sing praise about him the writer Chaucer can specifically criticize these same flaws. This makes it important to distinguish between the two Chaucers for if the reader gets the two switched they will be getting the exact opposite message that is intended. As a result it becomes essential for the reader to take what the speaker Chaucer says with a grain of salt.
The speaker Chaucer meets several women that he admires for odd reasons. He admires the nun for her exquisite etiquette. Her states that her table manners are impeccable and her dress is beautiful. Since we know that Chaucer is out to criticize, we realize that this is not the lesson he wants us to learn. These characteristics are what one would expect from a lady of an established house not a nun. The nun is pretending to be something that she is not.
Chaucer contrasts this falseness with the near brutal honesty of the wife of bath. The wife of Bath is a particularly amorous woman who has been married five times. She also speaks openly about her views on relationships and sex. This at first shocks the reader but it also when considered indicates an individual that is what she appears to be. Chaucer makes this contrast to show that he finds truth in the wife of baths words.
Therefore one should take the wife of baths advice on relationships to be advice that Chaucer wishes to circulate.
Perhaps the most striking quality of the wife of bath is that she is very masculine in manner and speech. She speaks very openly of relationships and sex, is very well traveled and is a prominent individual. These qualities allow Chaucer to her up as a foil character to the Miller, who is a sexist male character. The wife is proud of her marriages and states that women should not be barred the privilege of successive marriages because men who have had multiple marriage were looked upon favorably. She alludes to Knig Solomon and says: ?Which yifte of God hadde he for alle his wives!? She makes it clear that she believes that there is nothing wrong with multiple marriages and that she doesn?t believe in a double standard. She also asks: ?To what conclusioun/ Were members maad of generacioun/ and of so parfit wis a wrighte ywrought?? Here she is justifying that if God didn?t want people to have sex then why did he make bodies that are so perfectly suited to the task. The wife of bath puts forth that women, since they can?t get what they want in other ways, that they should use sex as a way to ensure that marriage consists of two people of equal importance. Her beliefs ensure that the wives of controlling men have a safeguard against being totally powerless. She describes this arrangement by saying that her husband ?shal be bothe my dettour and my thrall?. She is describing how her husbands need her for gratification as she needs them as well in a sexually dependant way.
Другие работы по теме:
Bad Medicine Essay Research Paper Bad MedicineBefore
Bad Medicine Essay, Research Paper Bad Medicine Before the age of television shows, movies, and the Internet people entertained one another with vibrant and exaggerated tales. Geoffrey Chaucer’s, The Canterbury Tales, is a good example of this form of entertainment. The novel details the journey of a band of pilgrims, who engaged in a storytelling competition, as they travel toward the shrine of Thomas ? Becket.
Chaucer 2
Chaucer – The Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper By far Chaucer’s most popular work, although he might have preferred to have been remembered by Troilus and Criseyde, the Canterbury Tales was unfinished at his death. No less than fifty-six surviving manuscripts contain, or once contained, the full text.
Feminists 2 Essay Research Paper Final Composition
Feminists 2 Essay, Research Paper Final Composition-”Feminism” Women have a disease, a disease that will prevent them from ever achieving political, social or economic greatness. This “disease” is the need for independancy and self-respect or the lack there of. This is what we have come to know as feminism.
Corruption In The Church Essay Research Paper
Chaucer lived in a time dictated by religion and religious ideas in which he uses The Canterbury Tales to show some of his views. Religion played a significant role in fourteenth-century England and also in Chaucer’s writing. His ideas of the Church are first seen in “The Prologue,” and he uses seven religious persons to show the influence of the religion in his writing.
The World According To Garp By John
Irving Essay, Research Paper The World According to Garp by John IrvingIn the novel The World According to Garp, by John Irving, feminism is both glorified and ridiculed. This is shown through the life of T.S. Garp and his family. When the author refers to Garp s mother Jenny, feminism is shown as a great thing that is totally for the benefit of women and all mankind.
Use Of Satire In Chaucer
’s The Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper “The Canterbury Tales” was a novel written by Geoffery Chaucer in 1386. In the prologue to Chaucer’s work, he describes certain characters using the literary device known as satire. His descriptions of the characters do a few different things. First, they give the reader an accurate vision of the time period that the novel takes place, fourteenth-century England, through the context of the character descriptions such as their dress.
Guillaume De Mauchet Essay Research Paper handout
Guillaume De Mauchet Essay, Research Paper handout: Guillaume de Machaut Noelle Chamorro, September 19, 2000 Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) Born to commoners, Machaut came from humble origins in the Champagne -Ardenne region of Northern France.
Chaucer And Religion Essay Research Paper Chaucer
Chaucer And Religion Essay, Research Paper Chaucer and Religion It is very rare that a book is written without the opinions of the author being clearly expressed somewhere within that book. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is one such book. In the General Prologue alone, by viewing Chaucer’s description of the Knight, the Prioress, and the Friar, the reader is able to pick up on Chaucer’s satirical humor toward the church of the 14th century.
Literary Criticism In Canterbury Tales Essay Research
Paper There are numerous sources of literary criticism of The Canterbury Tales, as well as specifically about “The Miller’s Tale.” “Telling stories of low sexual intrigue (fabliaux)…There is nothing like [these tales] in Middle English and nothing like [these tales] anywhere in English literature” (Life of Geoffrey Chaucer, 172).
The Cantebury Tails Essay Research Paper The
The Cantebury Tails? Essay, Research Paper The Cantebury Tails? What are those? A story? Perhaps a poem? Who really knows? If anyone is a book worm, likes British Literature, or just happens to be in the Junior English class at St. Bede Academy, all know what The Cantebury Tails is. The Cantebury Tails is a poem written by Chaucer.
Canterbury Tales Essay Essay Research Paper Geoffrey
Canterbury Tales Essay Essay, Research Paper Geoffrey Chaucer presents a realistic portrayal of the medieval period in The Canterbury Tales. These details are especially accurate of the pilgrimages to Canterbury and the types of people who made them. Whether the character and its description are based on actual historic figures, then being called ?individuals,? or are more general portrayals, ?types,? they give the reader a genuine idea of the medieval society.
The Prioress Madame Eglantine Essay Research Paper
The Prioress, Madame Eglantine In the “General Prologue” of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer introduces the readers to pilgrims he meets in the town of Southwerk as he begins his pilgrimage to Canterbury. The pilgrim I found to be most interesting was the Prioress. Chaucer tells the reader that she is a nun and her name is Madame Eglantine.
Abelard And Heloise Essay Research Paper Physical
Abelard And Heloise Essay, Research Paper Physical tragedy turns to sp Abelard and Heloise – Essay on any aspect of Abelard and Heloise, by Chaucer – Abelard Heloise Chaucer Literature English Canterburry Tales Anthology Letters Lover
Satire In The General Prologue Essay Research
Paper The General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales satirizes almost every character that Chaucer introduced. Each person fits into one of four character descriptions; three of which are satires. But what are these descriptions and what characters fit into which?
Canterbury Tales Prologue Essay Research Paper
In Geoffrey Chaucer s prologue to The Canterbury Tales, he introduces a character that he describes with very high esteem. Through direct and indirect characterization we learn Chaucer s feelings and facts that help us get to know his character, the knight.
Wife Of Bath Essay Research Paper Wife
Wife Of Bath Essay, Research Paper Wife Of Bath Feminism, or a doctrine advocating social, politcal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men, plays a large role in “The Wife of Bath’s
Thw Wife Of Bath Chaucer
’s Feminist Character Sketch Essay, Research Paper In the medieval period when women were viewed as property, held to sexual double standards and considered to be little more than heir-makers, Chaucer wrote a rather biting piece that draws attention to the inequalities in standards for men and women that were supported by society.
Authorial Opinion Of Wife Of Bath Essay
, Research Paper The character of the Wife of Bath is clearly feminist. She indicates this by her extreme ideas of female ?maistrye? and statements such as ?I have the power duringe al my lyf upon his proper body, and nought he,? which is extremely feminist. However, Chaucer makes us see the Wife of Bath as inconsistent, at times illogical, and also amoral and adulterous, The prologue and tale is spoken by a woman of supposed vast experience, yet was written by a man.
The Myth Of New Feminism Essay Research
Paper The myth of new feminism New feminism. Everybody will probably have heard these divine words before. It seems that desperate women with too much time on their hands want to apply the technique of putting something which has gone out of the spotlights into a new package and claiming it has been improved revolutionary.
Feminism Essay Research Paper What is feminism
Feminism Essay, Research Paper What is feminism? By general definition, feminism is a philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on social, political and economical equality for women. Feminists can be anyone in the population, men, women, girl or boys. Feminism can also be described as a movement.
Character Sketch Of Chaucer
’s Knight Essay, Research Paper Character Sketch of Chaucer’s Knight Geoffrey Chaucer s Canterbury Tales, written in approximately 1385, is a collection of twenty-four stories ostensibly told by various people who are going on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral from London, England. Prior to the actual tales, however, Chaucer offers the reader a glimpse of fourteenth century life by way of what he refers to as a General Prologue.
Rad Essay Research Paper
“The Wife of the Bath’s Tale” is the most affecting piece of literature studied this semester. The ranges of emotions displayed by the story’s characters are a function of Chaucer’s personal feelings. The reason the literature has been so affecting is because of the character development, and emotional differences from one character to the next.
The Time Period And People Of Geoffrey
Chaucer Essay, Research Paper The Time Period and People of Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the greatest authors of his time. His distinctive use of characters in his literary works is one of a kind. Chaucer s works were accomplished during the Middle Ages. During this time period the whole community revolved around the church, the village and the surrounding farmland.
Geoffrey Chaucer 2
Geoffrey Chaucer – English Essay, Research Paper Why is Geoffrey Chaucer an important figure in the development in the English language? Geoffrey Chaucer once wrote
Geoffrey Chaucer Essay Research Paper Does Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer Essay, Research Paper Does Chaucer truly understand human nature? Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, is known as the Father of English poetry. Some have said that Chaucer has the perfect understanding of human nature. All people identify with this piece of poetry in every time period, culture, and race.
Chaucer 2 Essay Research Paper Chaucer already
Chaucer 2 Essay, Research Paper Chaucer already summarizes the characteristics of the Knight as making up a perfect gentle-knight, and the many deeds of valor add more credence to Chaucer s summary. The modest bearing is contrary to the “lad of fire” and although the Squire had “wonderful strength and agility”, he did not use it to the full extent that his father used his own.
Chaucer Reaction Paper Essay Research Paper I
Chaucer Reaction Paper Essay, Research Paper I’m really not sure how a lot of things I took away from Cheryl Brown’s Lecture related to the Canterbury Tales, but they are worthy of reaction nonetheless. I wonder really if we are limited in the English Language with a word like “love” that can mean so many different things.
THE CANTERBURY TALES Essay Research Paper The
THE CANTERBURY TALES Essay, Research Paper The Canterbury Tales Chaucer uses satire in the Canterbury Tales to expose his attitude towards the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages. The first way in which he does this is by satirizing a common nun of the Middle Ages. Chaucer, in The Canterbury Tales, tells of a nun who is supposed to be married to the church.
Was The Wife Of Bath A Feminist
Essay, Research Paper Would you say that the Wife of Bath is “pro-feminist,” or “anti-feminist,” or neither? Chaucer has chosen to project his views towards feminism through the wife and her views and attitudes. Many literary critics throughout the years have labeled the Wife of Bath a feminist. She is a strong-willed and dominant woman who gets what she wants when she wants it.
Is Antigone A Feminist Or AntiFeminist Play
? Essay, Research Paper Ahmed B. Karim Antigone Essay (Is Antigone a Feminist/Anti-Feminist Play) Sunday, Oct. 31, 2000 I think Antigone was a feminist play because of three main facts. Antigone was in all the conflicts, even though Creon started them all, even though Creon had all the power, Antigone still won the war between her and Creon, also no woman in her time would even think of doing the things that Antigone did.
Chaucer And Milton Essay Research Paper The
Chaucer And Milton Essay, Research Paper The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, and Paradise Lost by John Milton both show how big the role was by women to contribute to the downfall of man. Each of these authors portrays women s actions in different ways. Chaucer, in his female pilgrimages thought of women has having an evil-like quality, which was that they always tempt and take from men.