Personal Identity In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

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Throughout The Canterbury Tales, there is a distinct distance between personal identity and the general statement “alle”. “Alle” means totally, or all together (University of Michigan); it implies a universal agreement without hesitation. The term is used frequently within the collection and functions as yet another aspect that distances individuals from companies and different ranks. In “The Miller’s Prologue”, the narrator reflects on the Miller’s words and character: “And therfore every gentil wight I preye, for Goddes love, demeth nat that I seye of evel entente, but that I moot reherce hir tales alle, be they bettre or werse, or elles falsen som of my matere.” (Chaucer, 73). The narrator’s usage of alle, contrasting with his usage of I, …show more content…
Through the portrayals of individuals and companies in the collection, it is clear to see the imbalance of power, resulting in a highly fragmented society. Different ranks held unfair and bias attitudes towards those of other ranks purely based on the distance among them. The reactions from the companies and individuals, the relationship between personal identity and “alle”, the competition regarding storytelling, and the idea of “equality” on the pilgrimage all emphasis the inequality that thrived in society during Chaucer’s time period. One of the many reasons The Canterbury Tales remains a classic today is that although the world has greatly changed since the 14th century, these societal tensions among different groups have not—inequality still exists today and is engrained within our society based on the lines of race, gender, class, socio-economic status, and geographical location. The messages in this collection still apply, and hold striking similarities to some of the largest problems our world faces today in regards to identity, inequality, and imbalance of power. It will be interesting to see the day when The Canterbury Tales remains relevant purely based on historical background, and not because of its relevance in our modern

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