Aaron RhodaSoardEnglish Literature30 March. 2018A Historical Take on The Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales is a book of several characters and their stories. Each character is different and has their own stories. Looking at society at the time of The Canterbury Tales was written reflects the view society had on people during that time.First off, the book was written in the 14th Century, a troubled time for Europe. According to Owl Eyes, the black death had ravaged Europe and killed about thirty-five percent of the population. This lead to a smaller workforce, which allowed laborers to demand higher wages and better treatment. This lead to more class conflicts. With these conflicts in addition to the Hundred Years War, a, “Rich merchant oligarchy class that had significant influence in
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The classes are clearly shown throughout the text with the order in which the characters tell their stories. It starts with the Knight, who is the highest ranking member of society in the group of pilgrims. It then goes down the list with other members of society in the proper order. All the characters follow the order, except for the Franklin.It was common for lower-class people to try to move up in society, like the Franklin did in the text. Oftentimes, lower-class people would revolt against the higher-class people that controlled society. This reflects the Franklin’s attempts to move up in society. He’s just not as violent about it. Possibly because he doesn’t want to get in trouble on the pilgrimage, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t attempt anything outside the pilgrimage.A major character in the Canterbury Tales is the Knight. When describing the Knight, Chaucer describes him as being someone who, “had loved
The classes are clearly shown throughout the text with the order in which the characters tell their stories. It starts with the Knight, who is the highest ranking member of society in the group of pilgrims. It then goes down the list with other members of society in the proper order. All the characters follow the order, except for the Franklin.It was common for lower-class people to try to move up in society, like the Franklin did in the text. Oftentimes, lower-class people would revolt against the higher-class people that controlled society. This reflects the Franklin’s attempts to move up in society. He’s just not as violent about it. Possibly because he doesn’t want to get in trouble on the pilgrimage, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t attempt anything outside the pilgrimage.A major character in the Canterbury Tales is the Knight. When describing the Knight, Chaucer describes him as being someone who, “had loved