Canterbury Tales
Humans perceive things in a certain way. These perceptions are shaped by processes such as drives and expectations. One might create an image of someone or something, but that image might be completely imaginative. The Canterbury Tales’ Prologue tells the story of certain group of people during the Medieval Period. In the Prologue, characters’ traits and personalities show a contrast with those who actually lived during the Medieval Period. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer represents the positions of Friar, Summoner, Pardoner, Miller, Wife of Bath, Merchant, Monk, and Doctor differently than such jobs were actually lived out during the Medieval Period in England.
One position that Chaucer represents in The Canterbury Tales …show more content…
During the Medieval Period, merchants were business people who would travel to trade goods with other villages. A medieval merchant would source his supplies and sell them to various customers at markets or medieval fairs. Throughout chaucer’s prologue, he indicates the Merchant is known to be very wealthy. The Merchant is an eminent man of business, a respected importer and banker. The Merchant wears a beaver hat and leather boots, and sits high on his horse. “ There was a Merchant with a forking beard and motley dress, high on his horse he sat, upon his head a Flemish Beaver hat and on his feet daintily buckled boots” ( Canterbury Tales 105). During Medieval Times, people who wore quality hats and leather footwear were to be very wealthy. These details imply to the reader that the Merchant in Canterbury Tales was indeed wealthy. As the audience reads further about the Merchant, Chaucer reveals the Merchant is in debt. “However, he has a secret: He is in debt” ( Swisher 43). One might think a Merchant was one with many riches, but in Chaucer’s Prologue, it is completely different for the merchant. Although Chaucer's Merchant might have dealt with financial issues, real merchants during the Medieval Period where well-known to be rich. Merchants during this times thrived due to the advancement of communication and transportation in Europe. “ Thus during the late medieval ages, medieval merchants amassed huge amounts of money and many of them became wealthy individuals” ( Roberts “the Merchant”). During the middle and particularly late medieval times, trade with other countries increased and thus was further affected by the discovery of new sea routes and lands. This brought more money to traders and rose their position according to their social status. The description of a real-life Merchant
Humans perceive things in a certain way. These perceptions are shaped by processes such as drives and expectations. One might create an image of someone or something, but that image might be completely imaginative. The Canterbury Tales’ Prologue tells the story of certain group of people during the Medieval Period. In the Prologue, characters’ traits and personalities show a contrast with those who actually lived during the Medieval Period. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer represents the positions of Friar, Summoner, Pardoner, Miller, Wife of Bath, Merchant, Monk, and Doctor differently than such jobs were actually lived out during the Medieval Period in England.
One position that Chaucer represents in The Canterbury Tales …show more content…
During the Medieval Period, merchants were business people who would travel to trade goods with other villages. A medieval merchant would source his supplies and sell them to various customers at markets or medieval fairs. Throughout chaucer’s prologue, he indicates the Merchant is known to be very wealthy. The Merchant is an eminent man of business, a respected importer and banker. The Merchant wears a beaver hat and leather boots, and sits high on his horse. “ There was a Merchant with a forking beard and motley dress, high on his horse he sat, upon his head a Flemish Beaver hat and on his feet daintily buckled boots” ( Canterbury Tales 105). During Medieval Times, people who wore quality hats and leather footwear were to be very wealthy. These details imply to the reader that the Merchant in Canterbury Tales was indeed wealthy. As the audience reads further about the Merchant, Chaucer reveals the Merchant is in debt. “However, he has a secret: He is in debt” ( Swisher 43). One might think a Merchant was one with many riches, but in Chaucer’s Prologue, it is completely different for the merchant. Although Chaucer's Merchant might have dealt with financial issues, real merchants during the Medieval Period where well-known to be rich. Merchants during this times thrived due to the advancement of communication and transportation in Europe. “ Thus during the late medieval ages, medieval merchants amassed huge amounts of money and many of them became wealthy individuals” ( Roberts “the Merchant”). During the middle and particularly late medieval times, trade with other countries increased and thus was further affected by the discovery of new sea routes and lands. This brought more money to traders and rose their position according to their social status. The description of a real-life Merchant