Courtly Love In The Canterbury Tales

Courtly love is a medieval conception that emphasized chivalry and nobility, where it can be most commonly found in European literature. Most writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer address courtly love through stories about knights that perform diversified tasks and set out on adventures for their lady. Chaucer’s poetic satire, A Complaint to His Lady, is one of Geoffrey Chaucer’s earliest poems about the paradoxical concept that is love. One is able to see how Chaucer connects his idea of love between his poetic satire and his The Canterbury Tales. Throughout Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales a broad theme of courtly love is shared with the reader. Furthermore, Chaucer glamorizes the idea of courtly love which allows him to poke fun at the theme and the characters who chose to follow it. Several narratives from Chaucer’s classic, prove how he is able to ridicule …show more content…
Chaucer laughs at Absalon’s lust for Alison after Absalon “kissed her naked arse… / And back he started. Something was amiss; / He knew quite well a woman has no beard”(Chaucer 103), which leaves Absalon feeling distraught and coaxed. Geoffrey Chaucer uses Absalon’s gullibility to exploit the flaws within the establishment of courtly love, which proves how the love between a lady and her knight must be mutual. Nicholas, Alison’s unofficial lover, is scoffed during “The Miller’s Tale”. Nicholas’ sexual devotion towards Alison causes him great physical pain after Absalon “smote him in the middle of the rump”(Chaucer 105). Chaucer uses Nicholas’ indulgence to show the reader how comical the system of courtly love can be. During “The Miller’s Tale” the reader can examine Geoffrey Chaucer’s use of extensive vulgarity when discussing courtly love with characters of a lower