Geoffrey Chaucer
Though it is not pleasant thought, it cannot be denied the importance of the physical and material features in determinating ones social rank. However, as Geoffrey Chaucer illustrates in his 14th century work, "The Canterbury Tales", this may not have had any correlation to one's actual position in society. In this piece, Chaucer presents characters of various social degrees as traveling pilgrims, each one telling a story that is representative of their respective class. From the collage of tales and the vivid physical descriptions of each character, one can sense Chaucer's appreciation of both the distinguished and distasteful characteristics of each. As the tales were written during medieval times, they are inherent with the class divisions of the three societal "estates": the nobility, the church and the commoner. Chaucer lived his life in limbo between each of this classes which in turn allowed him to, "View with both sympathy and humor the behaviors, beliefs, and pretensions of the diverse people who comprised the levels of society"(175). The "Canterbury Tales" serves as a platform for presenting the wide array of people and personalities in this time while stressing the significance of the divisions of class. The noble image
In fact, Chaucer goes so far as to describe him as "A verray, parfit, gentil knight". Though his role defined that he should be companionate and administer to these people, the Frere actually exploits them while offering his services to only those who had the money to pay for them. , as seen in the character of the Knight, was held in such high esteem by the people of this time that it was often a status coveted by members of the church class, as showcased by the characters of the Prioresse and the Frere. These battle victories are representative of the condescending and prestigious qualities the upper class was believed to have had. What makes this ironic is the fact that the Prioresse interprets this as earthly love, as opposed to spiritual love. What is ironic about this however, is that friars were originally founded to provide for these people, the lepers and beggars, which were the same people the Frere was avoiding. Presenting him first sets up the social and moral "blueprint" by which all the other characters can be compared. For instance he mentions that, "Ful wel she soong the service divine, / Entuned in hir nose ful semely. By dressing plainly, one would appear lowly and to the service of others more richly dressed. From these details, one is able to ascertain how the Prioresse is able to create a very aristocratic image while sacrificing the fundamental elements of her faith. Chaucer also continues to give accounts of the Knight's heroism in combat, mentioning that, "At mortal batailes hadde he been fifteene, / And foughten for our faith at Tramissene / In listes thries, and ay slain his fo. These details presents some of the characteristics valued by the elite. During the late 14th century, many of the members of the church would have attempted to display a sincere commitment to their faith, even though they may have been beguiled with the thought of material things.
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