Chaucer’s The Prioress Essay - 931 Words

The Medieval period of The Canterbury Tales is held on April 11, 1387. The writing style of tales are literary skilled. â€Å"There is clear evidence in them that Chaucer was familiar with a considerable number of the great book of his time, and it is fairly well established that his writings show a steady increase in his literary skill† (Chaucer xxxvii). Chaucer is a writer of surprise. His stories not only come from plots of other writers but also from his lifetime. â€Å"There is of course no explaining where or how Chaucer acquired his ability as a great storyteller. However, the fact that he was a man of affairs as well as a man of books, a civil servant who dealt frequently with people from all walks of life, seem to have had great†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"In its extreme form, it ‘attributes to the Jews an exceptional position among all other civilizations, defames them as an inferior group and denies their being part of the nations’ in w hich they reside† (Wikipedia Anti-Semitism). In today’s historical background majority of Christians and Jews do not hate each other. Even though they see Jesus in a different way they have learned to accept their differences and not hate on each other. Back in Chaucer’s time they did not do that. The cruelty between them started chaos. The theme for this tale is Love Conquers All (Sparknotes). The Prioress is a Nun who must accept the 4 vows. But the readers see her as someone who is opposite and does not accept them. Poverty is a vow in which a Nun must hold no worthy possessions. But the Prioress happens to own a beautiful brooch in which the readers believe she is not fully dedicated to the church. Another vow that the Prioress does not exceed in is the faithfulness of chastity. Nuns are servants to the church and they are suppose to show promiscuity. Since Chaucer does not mention the third vow, obedience, it shows that the Prioress does not follow this one either since she is not apart of the first two The Prioress of The Canterbury Tales. 123HelpMe.com. 18 Oct 2009 http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=15607. Now the readers believe that the Prioress does not serve God in any way. The third vow is probably the most important one. The Prioress isShow MoreRelatedThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pagesmatched their stereotype of that time but most do not. The Prioress, Madame Eglentyne, and Wife of Bath, Allison, are two characters that do not fit their stereotype of the Middle Ages. 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Through his literary work, it is implied that Chaucer believed that women and men should be treated as equals. Most specifically, he believed that women should have their rights. Chaucer’s characters in the tale reflects the society. For instance, in the Miller’s Tale, Allison is the personification of a woman in the Middle Ages. It can be inferred that she had no control over her life. For instance, while she was â€Å"wild and young†Read MoreEssay on Chaucers The Canterbury Tales927 Words   |  4 PagesChaucers The Canterbury Tales In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer comments on moral corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. He criticizes many high-ranking members of the Church and describes a lack of morality in medieval society; yet in the â€Å"Retraction,† Chaucer recants much of his work and pledges to be true to Christianity. Seemingly opposite views exist within the â€Å"Retraction† and The Canterbury Tales. 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