Canterbury Humour in two tales
Humor was used in the medieval time period to express one's ideas and thoughts. Geoffrey Chaucer also used humor in The Canterbury Tales in different instances. In "The Nun's Priest Tale" and "The Miller's Tale" I will show you how he uses humor to describe characters, his use of language and the actual events that take place.In the "Nun's Priest Tale" there is a rooster named Chaunticleer. His name suggests a fine knight or nobleprince. The description of a rooster as a noble prince in courtly love romances is ridiculas and maybe this is what keeps us from taking him to seriously in this story. Nicholas, a clerk or scholar, from "The Miller's Tale" also has a ironic name. His name suggests St. Nicholas from plays about a mysterious guest at the home of evil hosts. In the story, however, it's the other way around. In Chaunticleer's description Chaucer uses a contrasting humor. The rooster acts as a noble knight or prince when in reality he is only a barnyard animal. The description of the barnyard animals brings an undercut from the courtly love that occurs throughout the tale. The reminds you to think that Chaunticleer and Pertelote are only animals which brings about a hilarious effect. With Nicholas, a low
"The Nun's Priest Tale" ends with Chaunticleer escaping the fox up a tree and learning his lesson of vanity. " The Oxford Anthology of English Literature Vol. They also bring you back to the basic idea they are common people just putting on a show for each other. The same sins are causing the phony "flood" even though the planthis time isn't God's. The humor in description is very plentiful and Chaucer uses it to interest you in the story. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973 159-176Chaucer, Geoffrey. John is easily doped by being naive which leads to his downfall. It appears again in reference not to God but to the affair of Nicholas and Alison. Even though The Canterbury Tales is considered one of the best works of this time, it fits into its era of medieval humor. "But trewely the cuase of my cominge/Was only for the herkne how that ye sings/" (Oxford, line 191) Until the fox falls for his own vanity of bragging. Nicholas wouldn't have been "speared" if Alison wouldn't have had teased Absalom at the window. "Men sholde nat knowe of Goddes privetee" (Oxford, line 346).
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Acceptance Essays
