Uncivilized Free And Wild Thinking In The Shipman's Tale

Chaucer often incorporates actions in the Canterbury Tales that are considered risqué or indecent, especially during the time period in which he wrote the stories. By doing this, Chaucer adds a comical aspect to his writing, which is prevalent when analyzing the plots of the tales. In the Shipman's Tale, there are many characteristics of "uncivilized free and wild thinking". This creativity sparks attention in readers and gives extra value to the work as a whole. The basic plot structure shows Chaucer's uncivilized style of writing. With most of the story being about lying, trickery and cuckolding. This adds a comedic effect, because the Shipman's Tale was designed to be taken lightly and jokingly. To the readers of the Canterbury Tales, this story may seem uncivilized, as the plot includes a wife cheating on her husband with a monk, and both the monk and wife lying to the husband to get his money. The plot of the Shipman's Tale demonstrates how Chaucer's uncivilized free and wild thinking adds to the creativeness and overall value of the works as a whole. …show more content…
The Knight tells a tale of courtly love and romance, which is in stark contrast to the dirty tales recited by the Miller, the Shipman, or some of the other middle to lower class pilgrims. Chaucer uses this creative raciness to make clear the distinct social dissimilarities during this time period. Chaucer also shows his distaste for the church, by characterizing the monk in the the Shipman's Tale as deceitful and untrustworthy. By describing the characters realistically, Chaucer created a story that when read in present day, gives a window into the social structure and personalities of all classes of people in the