Canterbury Tales and 14th Century

¶ … Canterbury Tales and 14th century life

The Canterbury Tales is a fragmented narrative. It consists of a series of tales, told by a variety of characters on a pilgrimage. The tales are given additional resonance because of the character of the teller. For example, "The Pardoner's Tale" is a tale of how money is the root of all evil. Because it is told by a greedy and hypocritical figure in the employment of the church, the dark humor of the tale is even more pointed: the Pardoner is unable to see himself clearly, he only knows how to judge others harshly.

The reader becomes acquainted with the character of the Pardoner through Chaucer's "Prologue" which details the characters of a wide variety of figures from different segments of medieval society. The "Prologue" shows the modern reader how Chaucer's world was far more socially complex than individuals today might assume: clerks, lawyers, knights, and millers go on a pilgrimage side-by-side with nuns, priests, and monks. The irreverent attitude Chaucer takes towards religion also shows how medieval people were not above satirizing the church that had such an important role in their lives. The Church is clearly a powerful institution, but its representatives do not always live according its teachings. The sexually ambiguous Pardoner, and the lusty friar illustrate an ironic and hypocritical contrast between the teachings of the church and the reality of the way churchmen often lived. While the behavior of the Pardoner and others does not seem to threaten the faith of the pilgrims, the secular pilgrims do not regard all of the religious figures on the pilgrimage with universal reverence.

Chaucer's tales are illustrative of the role of religion in medieval society -- it was ubiquitous but not always revered. Although the pilgrims are on a religious quest, telling stories and engaging in social wrangling with one another is just as important as religious reflection. The fact that the pilgrims must band together for support on such a long journey indicates the harshness of 14th century life and Chaucer's wry irony also shows that people had a sense of humor about the difficulties of their existence.

Perhaps no one has more of a sense of humor about herself and the world than the Wife of Bath. The Wife of Bath shatters a number of stereotypes of the Middle Ages a contemporary reader might possess: first of all, she is socially powerful. As a widow, she is rich, and she is willing to speak her mind. Chaucer's evident delight as a narrator in her lustiness shows that not all medieval women were desexualized in literature, and portrayed as shrinking maidens or nuns. Her tale seems openly feminist: it depicts a knight who must rely upon an old woman's wisdom to fulfill his quest, and after he is forced to marry her, she offers him a choice: she can be beautiful and unfaithful, or ugly and faithful. When given the option to choose the knight surrenders his choice to his wife -- to which the woman responds that he chose correctly, and now she will always be lovely and faithful as his reward.