Character Satire in Chaucers Canterbury Tales - 2302 Words

Satire of the Knight in Prologue and Knights Tale Satire. Satire is a biting literary tool, one that Geoffery Chaucer used liberally when he wrote his Canterbury Tales. Websters New World Dictionary says that satire is the use of ridicule, sarcasm, etc. to attack vices, follies, etc. Using that definition, I think that all of the pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales are satirized to some extent; some of the satirizations are more subtle than others. The Knight is one of the pilgrims that is more subtly satirized. Chaucer satirizes knights and chivalry in two different ways: in the prologue and in the Knights Tale. The first way in the prologue is with the pilgrim Knights character. Chaucer wanted to present a†¦show more content†¦From the texts that I have read from the medieval period, I think that for a medieval person, honor was a combination of being truthful, being polite and decorous, being righteous and having religious integrity. Having a dishonorable knight would be the antithesis of what a good knight should be, and I think that making the knight dishonorable is one of the ways that Chaucer satirizes him. Throughout the entire prologue of the Canterbury Tales, Chacuer uses the idea of having two voices heard. The first voice that is heard is that of the narrator. The narrator is a very naive human being, and is ready to see the good points in even the most rotten of characters. He looks at the Knight, and sees a great guy. After all, the Knight is very well traveled, and has participated in many battles and wars. He thinks the Knight is a good guy. The second voice that is heard is Chaucer. Chaucer is much more worldly, and more sarcastic. It is Chaucers voice that satirizes the characters in the Canterbury Tales. One of his more subtle ways of satirization is by what he doesnt say. In the Nuns section of the prologue (which is obviously a satire), most of the biting satire comes from what Chaucer didnt write. He didnt write that she was kind to poor people; he wrote that she was kind to dogs. The same idea can be applied to the Knight. Chaucer says that the Knight is very courageous, very prudent, and very sage, but he neverShow MoreRelatedGeoffrey Chaucers Use of Characterization Essay1308 Words   |  6 Pagescornerstone of literature for centuries. Character presentation can attain any work fame or shame. Geoffrey Chaucer, a pioneer of English Literature’s works carried mass appeal. His best known works appealed to those of all walks of life. Chaucer’s work resulted in mass appeal because it used many forms of characterization to present the characters to the reader. 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Websters New World Dictionary says that satire is the use of ridicule, sarcasm, etc. to attack vices, follies, etc. Using that definition, I think that all of the pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales are satirized to some extent; some of the satirizations are more subtle than others. The Knight is one of the pilgrims that is more subtly satirized. Chaucer satirizes knightsRead MoreWomen In Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales1288 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"The Canterbury Tales† is a collection of stories written between 1387 and 1400 about a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England) and on their way, they tell stories to each other about their lives and experiences. The stories constitute a critique of English society at the time, and particularly of the Church, while women seem to be presented in a different way than they are in other contemporary works. The aim of this essay is to present