Chaucer


 * Gawain poet and Chaucer were contemporaries
 * Who was Chaucer?
 * He was born in to the middle class ca.1343
 * Society was compared of three estates: nobility/ aristocracy, the Church, the commoners
 * At the end of the 14th century theses categories began to change, giving way to middle class, which changed Social fabric of all of Europe
 * Father was a vintner (wine merchant), wealthy
 * Think Middletons
 * Bubonic plague in London - 1350
 * There was no absolute security people during this time, whether is be political or economical.
 * As readers we perceive the reality of the characters than what they are supposed to be.
 * The narrator would describe the characters of the story in glowing terms, but describe their faults. Chaucer wasn't overly didactic, but left the reader to decide


 * Character's in The General Prologue
 * The Knight
 * Represents the midieval Christian man ideal
 * Paragon of virtue and chivalry
 * Highest in rank
 * Won every battle he's been in
 * True, perfect, humble, noble
 * Typifies what a knight should be
 * The Squire
 * "lover and lusty bachelor"
 * Trying to impress a girl
 * Sings, whistle, composes songs thought the day
 * Is merry and youthful
 * Has fought in several tournaments
 * Doesn't meet the standards of chivalry of his father, more soft
 * Also courteous, humble, serviceable
 * The Yeoman
 * Only servant brought by the knight and squire
 * Got to ride a horse
 * Outdoorsy, an archer
 * Maybe brought along for protection?
 * Sounds like Robin Hood
 * Very nice weaponry, suspicious
 * The Prioress
 * "Madame Eglatine", weird b/c nuns usually
 * Very sensitive, would weep for dead mouse caught in trap, shows more compassion towards animals than people
 * Described ironically, doesn't meet expectations for her role (Mother Superior)
 * Had lap dogs, very nice clothing, jewelry - nuns are not supposed to be of this world
 * Is about appearance and presentation, more courtly than nun-ish
 * She comes grates the tension between the religious
 * More concerned with fine manners, clothing, behavior
 * Grey eyes. Grey eyes associated with beauty, few literary female characters have grey eyes, Athena and Guinevere
 * The Monk
 * Loudly, boisterous in place where monks are typically supposed to quiet
 * Hunts, "manly man"
 * Reckless
 * V. Much of this world
 * Fine clothing, fancy bridle for horse
 * Would overspend for hunting, and clothing
 * Plump, took care of himself
 * The Friar
 * Hubert, onemofmfew characters who are named
 * Bum, beggar - member of order that lived by begging
 * Doesn't want much to do with the people his is supposed to minister unto.
 * Accepted bribes - would call someone penance for money
 * Ignored the lower classes
 * Overly friendly with young women
 * Would have women married off after he ruined or impregnated them
 * The Merchant
 * Bragged about wealth, but was actually in debt
 * Very stylish: forked beard, in mixed-hued clothes, Flemish beaver hat
 * Clerk
 * Looked poor, used all money for philosophy
 * Smart, moral
 * Wanted to study Aristotle all the time
 * Borrowed money and didn't pay back, would pray for them instead
 * Sergeant at Law
 * Judge
 * Corrupt, would advise lawyers and their clients
 * The Franklin
 * Merry, sanguine
 * Looked like Santa Clause
 * Epicurean
 * The Guildsmen
 * Five: weaver, tapesy maker, carpenter, haberdasher, dyer
 * In "fraternity" where they focused on social and religious issues
 * Nagging wives
 * Upper-middle class
 * The Cook
 * Cooked very well
 * Had gross pus-filled sore on leg, made milky pudding
 * Parson
 * Only devout churchman in the group
 * Like the Knight, doesn't appear to have faults
 * Shipman
 * Was a pirate
 * Wife of Bath
 * Lusty
 * Married 5 times
 * Gap-toothed, sexy
 * Alice
 * Married old men for their money and manipulated them
 * The Parson
 * Only decent churchmen
 * Would give of the church tithes to the needy
 * Teaches by example
 * The Miller
 * Drunk
 * Blasphemous
 * Seems to lack filter, morals
 * Stout, muscular, brawny, wrestled
 * Warts
 * Represents rising mercantile class, runs mill
 * Millers were negative figures, assumed to be dishonest
 * Interrupts the Monk who was supposed to give his tale after the Knight, symbolically breaking the hierarchy. Emblematic of the tension between the social classes.
 * He wants to directly parody the Knight's Tale
 * The Knight's Tale is an idealized tale of courtly love, heroic epic set in ancient Athens. Story of two Greek knights who were imprisoned; they see the same woman who is out on the street and fall in love. One knight is banished and unable to see the woman, the imprisoned knight is lucky to be able to see her from his prison cell. Love triangle.
 * The Mancipe
 * The Reeve
 * Skinny, in direct contrast to the Miller whom he loathes
 * Carpenter
 * A cheat, would lend The Lord money from The Lord's own goods
 * The Knight's Tale in the beginning and the Parson's tale at the end aree idealized, spiritual, very unworldly examples, and stories of medieval life. The tales that come between are a more realistic cross-section of life. Messy, bawdy, etc.,
 * Pilgrimage of life = complicated, messy
 * The Wife of Bath
 * Begins "In the olden days of good King Arthur" - like a fairy tale
 * Courtly love - lady (married) & knight
 * Platonic-ish, never consummated
 * Idealistic
 * Knight gets sentenced to death for raping a maiden
 * Queen Guinevere asks for control of knight's fate (she wants control of the situation)
 * What do women desire most?
 * Sovereignty, control
 * Knight upbraids the old wife for being of low lineage, being poor, and old
 * Gentility, nobility comes from Christ, grace, virtue. Not from wealth, lineage
 * Christ was poor
 * Since she's old and foul she will remain faithful