English

Jasmin Elliott
English 1A
11/26/12
Each of the Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The prize for this contest is a free meal at the Tabard Inn at Southwark on their return. He uses the tales and the descriptions of its characters to paint an ironic and critical portrait of English society at the time.The Tales constantly reflect the conflict between classes. For example, the division of the three estates: the characters are all divided into three distinct classes, the classes being "those who pray" , "those who fight", and "those who work"
Women were classified differently. Like men, medieval women were born into the second or third estate, and might eventually become members of the first (by entering the Church, willingly or not). But women were also categorized according to three specifically "feminine estates": virgin, wife and widow. It is interesting to note that a woman's estate was determined not by her profession but by her sexual activity: she is defined in relationship to the men with whom she sleeps, used to sleep, or never has slept.
The Pardoner and the Summoner, whose roles apply the church's secular power, are both portrayed as deeply corrupt, greedy, and abusive. A pardoner was a person from whom one bought Church "indulgences" for forgiveness of sins, but pardoners were often thought guilty of abusing their office for their own gain. The Summoner is a Church officer who brought sinners to the church court for possible excommunication and other penalties. Corrupt summoners would write false citations and frighten people into bribing them in order to protect their interests. This Summoner is portrayed as guilty of the very kinds of sins he is threatening to bring others to court for.Churchmen of various kinds are represented by the Monk, the Prioress, the Nun's Priest, and the Second Nun. Monasteries frequently controlled huge tracts of land on which they made significant sums of money, while peasants worked in their employ. The Second Nun is an example of what a Nun was expected to be: her tale is about a woman whose chaste example brings people into the church. The Monk and the Prioress, while not as corrupt as the Summoner or Pardoner, fall short of the ideal for their orders.
The upper class or nobility, represented by the Knight and his Squire. Nobles were expected to be powerful warriors who could be ruthless on the battlefield, yet mannerly in the King's Court and Christian in their actions. Knights were expected to form a strong social bond with the men who fought alongside them, but an even stronger bond with a woman whom they idealized in order to strengthen their fighting ability.
All those people working would be considered members of the middle class. They are working because after the Black Plague, there were not as many serfs to be considered as slaves on the estates of the nobles. Each worker has an interesting "quirk," but the Oxford cleric, for example, is so thin because he spends all his money on books and learning. The Miller is a drunk who cheats people in the work he does, and he looks bad with the wart on his nose with hair growing out of it. Chaucer makes each character very distinctive.
Characters are all divided into three distinct classes, the classes being "those who pray" , "those who fight", and "those who work".Women were classified differently.The upper is represented by the Knight and his Squire.People working would be considered members of the middle class.All of the rest of the people would be considered the lower class.