The Canterbury Tale: The Reeve
In Geoffry Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer manipulates the Middle English language to suit his own egotistical purposes, taking many words and utilizing their many different meanings. Certain passages can be read one way, and then when using a completely different meaning for just a few words, can be meant another way. The important details that Chaucer puts into his work about each character, as well as the details he omits, also play a large part in portraying the character that Chaucer wants to the reader to see. Also, Chaucer utilizes certain literary and poetic techniques in his tale that play a play an essential role in interpreting information about his subjects. Rhyme, rhythm, and meter play a large part in making Chaucer's work so effective and undying. In the General Prologue, during the Reve's portrait, the variances in the language that Chaucer uses and his exploit of poetic devices is integral in understanding who the Reeve is and what is vital about the character. Chaucer's Reve is seen as a man who works the earth, but almost a priest, bringing to mind many of the pagan druidic beliefs about the earth. The druids believed stridently in Mother Earth, and in an era when England was relatively new to
The Reve had learned a trade when he was young, carpentry, and it had obviously treated him well in the past years to where he could afford a nice home now on a low income job. The Reve's horse is "a ful good stot" (15), a dapple grey that goes by the name of Scot. As a poet in a time where everything was passed down orally, the popularity of his work today is evidence of just how famous Chaucer was in his day. All of the things on the farm were under the Reve's control. By calling the Reve's horse a Scot, Chaucer is poking fun at the Scottish tendency for mimicry. The Reve's home is presented as a nice, cozy cottage in a heath, an open sprawling land near Baldeswelle. Whether it is the Church or the monarchs, Chaucer manages to poke fun at just about everything in Middle Age ideology and still come across as a poet of enormous versatility and strength. The Scottish culture was trying to imitate its rival culture of England. It is a testament to Chaucer's genius as to just how much of The Canterbury Tales were remembered and recited before the printing press came into widespread use. The Reve does not appear to be strong enough to ride a horse, let alone manage a farm. At the same time, Chaucer portrays the Reve as a thief, one who steals from his lord and then returns the "borrowed" items, thus collecting the rewards and the thanks. His appearance is almost ill and does not appear to be what the reader would expect from a man who works with the earth for a living. His cottage is shaded by green trees, and much better than his lord, the lord he managed the estate for, could afford: "With grene trees yshadwed was his place / He koude bettre than his lord purchase" (15). While likening the Reve to a holy man, and then in the same passage giving the Reve theiving aspects, Chaucer extols exactly what he thinks about the Church.
Common topics in this essay:
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Middle English,
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Scot Reve,
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Acceptance Essays
