Canterbury Tales
Corruption, in the clergy or otherwise, ran rampant in the middle ages. This was clearly seen in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. He used either blunt or subtle criticism in his analysis of three characters in particular. Chaucer took a satirical approach, using irony, understatements, and sarcasm to describe these characters and his tone ranged from blatant hatred of the Friar, ambivalence toward the Skipper, and absolute respect for the Knight. Using blunt criticism, Chaucer expressed absolute hatred for the Friar. Chaucer’s diction, or word choice, left no question of what he feels for the Friar. In the author’s description of the Friar, he will do anything, legal or illegal, moral or immoral, for his personal benefit. Instead of living a life of helping, begging, and preaching to others, the Friar lives a corrupt life of indulgences and moneymaking schemes. Anyone who was willing to pay for penance received absolution from the Friar with no question. The people receiving penance did not even need to be sorry for their sins, as long as they had a sufficient amount of money to pay. This showed that the Friar was not a devoted man of the clergy, but a sinner lookin
Chaucer used no satire in the description of the knight. Everything he said was genuine and respectful toward the knight. Through physical characterization, Chaucer portrayed the knight as down to earth. The knight felt no need to wear fancy clothes or try to display an image that was not true. He had fine horses; however, he felt no need to dress them extravagantly. This showed that the Knight did not care what other people thought of him and he lived his life according to his beliefs of what was right. The Knight is respected and revered among his countrymen. He is very experienced and he has fought in many places. There was no sarcasm in Chaucer’s analysis of the knight. Respectfully, Chaucer said that the Knight followed chivalry, truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy. Chaucer shows much admiration through his respectful tone. Chaucer expressed much ambivalence toward the Skipper. Chaucer used subtle sarcasm in the description of the him. The Skipper had spent all of his life on the sea and did not have experience on a horse. He was also a very skilled and experience seaman. Chaucer said that he had been through many storms and because of his experience and he knew all the havens and could escape. Chaucer respects the Skipper for the effort he put toward riding the horse and making it through the journey even though he h
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Approximate Word count = 929
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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