City of Canterbury

Gregory Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” is a collection of stories from the medieval times. The purpose of “The Canterbury Tales” is to satirize the corruption within the church during the medieval ages. Chaucer’s intention is to write 124 stories- four told by each of the 31 pilgrims- but only writes 24. In “The Prologue” of “The Canterbury Tale,” the scene is set and each pilgrim is described. The pilgrims are all on a journey to the Shrine at Canterbury. Many of the pilgrims were corrupt,…

The Franklin's Tale is full of characters that represent a high quality of behavior. The character that I believe represents the highest quality of behavior is Aurelius. Aurelius is a squire and one of the most handsome men alive. He has been in love with Dorigen for two years. Dorigen is the wife of the knight Arveragus. Aurelius believes that he can be as noble as knight so that Dorigen will love him back. Throughout the story Aurelius tries to show Dorigen he is noble like a knight.…

Throughout medieval times, variables such as wealth, gender roles and the growing concern of witchcraft challenged the authority of the Church. Because each of these themes are unique to their circumstances and elicited different if not similar responses from both those involved and those observing, it is relevant to detect and understand why these different events took place, and what became of the people who drove these actions. In chapters four, five and six of Deane’s A History of Medieval…

In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses the Parson to provide a true religious example. Although the Parson “ was the needy priest of a village”, he possessed riches “in saintly thought and work” (Chaucer, 13). The Parson embodied true biblical precepts despite the fact that he possessed little material things. “He practiced first what later he would teach”, believing “if gold can rust, then what will iron do” (Chaucer, 13). Not only did the Parson lead by example, but also he believed that if the…

“And she was known as Madam Eglantyne” (125). Throughout the nun’s section in the canterbury tales prolog we come to find out this quote sums up the nun quite nicely. This line encompasses everything the nun is, elegant, well mannered, and caring. One of the things the nun feels is important is, to be seen among the travelers as elegant. She shows this in the way she eats by not letting her hands get dirty, and in the way she sings hymns. She never dips her hand in too deep in sauce and never…

Life during the medieval period was either great or very difficult. This depended on a person's family history and their classification. Ruling, clergy, middle, and peasant were the four main types of classifications during the medieval times. People in the ruling and the clergy class usually had the best of everything, so their lives were great. Life was very difficult for the middle- class people and the peasants. Most of them did not have much at all. Many peasants would go days without…

Around 1310, Roman de Fauvel, attributed to Gervais de Bus, began circulating through Europe. This extended medieval poem split into two books is full of symbolism and mockery of higher institutions and the government. This story includes a visual satire that is accompanied by beautiful, carefully chosen, polyphonic music. Roman de Fauvel is basically a symbol of everything wrong with France in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The two books can be described as underlyingly…

Honesty is more than telling the truth, it means having integrity. The pilgrim who shows these traits the most is the Knight. The Knight "followed chivalry/Truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy"(Lines 45-46). He does great things for his kingdom and the people in it. He even remains humble in spite of those achievements. Similarly to the Knight, the Parson is a respectable person. "He [is] an honest worker, good and true/Living in peace and perfect charity"(Lines 142-143). The Parson helps…

The Miller's Prologue and Tale Summary After the Knight's story, the Host calls upon the Monk to tell a story that will rival the Knight's tale for nobility of purpose. But the Miller, who is very drunk, announces that he will tell a story about a carpenter. The Reeve, Oswald, objects because he was once a carpenter. Chaucer then warns the reader that this tale might be a bit vulgar, but he must tell all the stories because a prize is at stake. Thus, the Miller begins his tale. John, an old and…

Chaucer "Of small coral about hir arm she bar a pair of bedes gauded all with greene, an theron heeng a brooch of gold ful sheene, n which ther was a writen crowned a, and after, amor vincit omnia" From what I've read and learnt in class loosely trasnlates to "Made out of coral beads all colored green, And from it hung a brooch of golden sheen On which there was an A crowned with a wreath, With Amor vincit omnia beneath." To first understand this quote we must know what genre it is to…