Chaucer? Sarcastic? Never.
(An Analysis of Chaucer’s Use of Satire to Reach Intended Audience) “A father has to be a provider, a teacher, a role model, but most importantly, a distant authority figure who can never be pleased. Otherwise, how will children ever understand the concept of God?” As Stephen Colbert says, so Geoffrey Chaucer attempts to relay; how does one ever begin to understand so abstract a concept as holiness? Chaucer begins by trying to reach a certain group of people: the common people of England. In this way, Chaucer tries to use the languages of the time to relate to as wide an audience as possible. This involved using a language technique known as satire in order to relate his message in a simple, yet slightly comedic and critical way. Chaucer’s use of satire throughout the …show more content…
As said in an article by the Biography Staff “ Despite its erratic qualities, The Canterbury Tales continues to be acknowledged for the beautiful rhythm of Chaucer’s language and his characteristic use of clever, satirical wit.”(Bio Staff) When Chaucer addresses the church, he addresses them with an unforgiving and biting satire, knowing this is the only way to get his message across to the authorities in the church. These figures controlled every aspect of peasant life, as well as most aspects of the lives of nobles. The church often times acted as a puppeteer to the nobility, and this was something that Geoffrey Chaucer recognized. In order to cut into this authority, Chaucer called the church out through his stories and his description of those that represented the church. As it was said by Boece, “Considered a cultural touchstone, if not the very wellspring of literature in the English language, Chaucer’s tales gather twenty-nine archetypes of late-medieval English society and present them with insight and humor.”
(An Analysis of Chaucer’s Use of Satire to Reach Intended Audience) “A father has to be a provider, a teacher, a role model, but most importantly, a distant authority figure who can never be pleased. Otherwise, how will children ever understand the concept of God?” As Stephen Colbert says, so Geoffrey Chaucer attempts to relay; how does one ever begin to understand so abstract a concept as holiness? Chaucer begins by trying to reach a certain group of people: the common people of England. In this way, Chaucer tries to use the languages of the time to relate to as wide an audience as possible. This involved using a language technique known as satire in order to relate his message in a simple, yet slightly comedic and critical way. Chaucer’s use of satire throughout the …show more content…
As said in an article by the Biography Staff “ Despite its erratic qualities, The Canterbury Tales continues to be acknowledged for the beautiful rhythm of Chaucer’s language and his characteristic use of clever, satirical wit.”(Bio Staff) When Chaucer addresses the church, he addresses them with an unforgiving and biting satire, knowing this is the only way to get his message across to the authorities in the church. These figures controlled every aspect of peasant life, as well as most aspects of the lives of nobles. The church often times acted as a puppeteer to the nobility, and this was something that Geoffrey Chaucer recognized. In order to cut into this authority, Chaucer called the church out through his stories and his description of those that represented the church. As it was said by Boece, “Considered a cultural touchstone, if not the very wellspring of literature in the English language, Chaucer’s tales gather twenty-nine archetypes of late-medieval English society and present them with insight and humor.”