Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales
Chaucer Medieval England ca AD 700-1500
Mode of Production
Regime of Knowledge
Mode of Subjectivity
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Feudalism
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Platonic Philosophy
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Communal
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Subsistence Agriculture
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Absolute Truth
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Hierarchical
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Production for Local Consumption
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Roman Catholic Theism
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Extended Family
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Philosophical Idealism
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Tied to Local Community
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Aristotelian-Christian Traditionalism
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Obligation between Manorial Lord and Serf
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Small-Craft Shop Industry No Large-Scale International Trade
Medieval Language
Chaucer wrote in the Middle English, the English language as it was spoken during the period of the Norman Conquest of 1066 and before the beginning of modern English in 1485. In the decades after the conquest, Norman French was the language of the English court and aristocracy, while English was disparaged as the language of peasants. Chaucer’s choice to write the Tales in English was a bold choice!
Video of the history: http://www.english.ilstu.edu/Strickland/webcasts/english4.htm
Chaucer In Feudal Society Economic system was based on agriculture, with local production and consumption of staple crops In The Canterbury Tales, this system of economic production is beginning to change. We are introduced to a wide range of characters representing different economic activities—farmer, miller, carpenter, textile manufacturer, merchant, lawyer, physician, cook, etc., as well as “warrior” (the Knight)
Chaucer Medieval England ca AD 700-1500
Form of Government
Characteristic Art Forms
Aristocratic Feudalism Evolving Toward Centralized Divine-Right Monarchy
Religion
Hero-Warrior Epic Didactic Art Aristocratic Patronage
Parallel Secular/Clerical Feudal Organization
Church-Sponsored Art
Confederations of strong Dukes/Counts under relatively weak Kings
Anonymous Artists
Celtic Paganism Gradually Replaced by Christianity Unified Catholicism Persecution of Jews Crusades to Recover “Holy Lands” from Islamic Control
Chaucer ď Ž
Chaucer and his pilgrims can not be divided up into good or bad, positive or negative people. That is not Chaucer’s point, he is trying to mimic people, society, create mimesis by a representation of different parts of society.
Chaucer In Feudal Society Social rank was determined by birth status This is implicitly, if gently, challenged in The Canterbury Tales, as the Miller tells a tale that implicitly ridicules the values expressed in the Knight’s Tale, and the Wife of Bath tells a tale that explicitly criticizes the idea that aristocrats are more “gentle,” or better Christians, than common people. In the society of The Canterbury Tales Christianity is taken for granted, but religious institutions are very flawed. Thus, Chaucer’s critical take on the church.
Explanation of Feudal Society and its development to modernity: http://www.english.ilstu.edu/strickland/webcasts/econhis1.htm
Chaucer Late 1300s: a period of social crisis and change – The Plague killed 1/3 of the population between 1348 and 1350
Chaucer
Late 1300s: a period of social crisis and change – – – – – – –
The Plague killed roughly half the population by 1375 Hundred Years War Power struggles among the ruling class Rising economic power of merchant class Growth of towns and cities Political power still rests with the aristocracy Catholic Church continues to challenge political power of Crown (1170: St. Thomas Becket murdered by servants of Henry II)
Chaucer
Canterbury Tales can be considered “estates satire” Three “Estates” in European feudal society – – –
Peasants work (agricultural labor) Clergy pray Nobles fight (and rule)
Canterbury Tales presents an elaborate critique and complication of this representation of the social order Below
is a web address of a reading and brief overview of The Prologue by Dr. Strictland at Illinois State University. http://www.english.ilstu.edu/Strickland/110/wbc110b9.wmv
Chaucer Canterbury Tales Characters: – – –
Narrator (“Chaucer”) Host (Harry Bailey) Knight Squire Yeoman
– Prioress Second Nun Three Priests
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Monk Friar Merchant Clerk (student) Man of Law Franklin
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Guildsmen Cook Shipman Physician Wife of Bath Parson Plowman Manciple Reeve Miller Summoner Pardoner
Chaucer: Critical Commentary on Religion Canterbury Tales Clerical Characters: – – –
Narrator (“Chaucer”) Host (Harry Bailey) Knight Squire Yeoman
– Prioress Second Nun Three Priests
– – – – – –
Monk Friar Merchant Clerk (student) Man of Law Franklin
– – – – – – – – – – – –
Guildsmen Cook Shipman Physician Wife of Bath Parson Plowman Manciple Reeve Miller Summoner Pardoner
Canterbury Tales General Prologue: The Knight
Canterbury Tales General Prologue: The Monk
Canterbury Tales General Prologue: Friar
Canterbury Tales General Prologue: The Wife of Bath
Canterbury Tales General Prologue: The Wife of Bath
Canterbury Tales Knight’s Tale A chivalric romance: Palamon and Arcite, two knights imprisoned in Athens, see Emilye, a beautiful lady from their cell They instantly fall in love with her They quarrel over who has the right to her After seven years, Arcite is freed, on condition that he leave Athens; he does, but returns in disguise Palamon escapes, sees Arcite, and they fight Duke Theseus discovers them fighting, and proposes a battle for Emilye Arcite wins the battle, but then dies in an accident; as he dies, he asks that Emilye marry Palamon
Canterbury Tales Miller’s Tale A fabliau (ribald story) Parodies the Knight’s tale Nicholas and Absalon (two students) both fall in love with Alisoun, a sexy young girl Alisoun is already married to John, an old man Nicholas tricks John into sleeping in the attic (in preparation for a second Noah’s flood), leaving Alisoun alone in bed Absalon comes to the window and asks for a kiss … and is tricked Absalon returns with a hot poker, brands Nicholas Nicholas cries “Water” causing John to cut the ropes of his “Ark” which falls from the rafters
Canterbury Tales Wife of Bath’s Prologue Exemplum-A brief story used to make a point in an argument or to illustrate a moral truth First
married at 12 to a wealthy old man Has been married five times, and has grown rich herself Enjoys sex, but does not like to be controlled by men Her name—”Alison”—suggests a connection with the “Alisoun” of the Miller’s Tale, and she also mentions a “gossip” named “Alisoun” Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance from that of the Knight’s Tale Her “prologue” is a debate with clerical “auctoritee” (“authority”) Wife of Bath responds to Christian misogyny tradition of St. Jerome St. Jerome (ca 320-420) wrote “On Marriage and Virginity,” associating women with evil and prescribing celibacy for priesthood
Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Experience of Woe in Marriage The Wife of Bath says that she has lots of experience about the “wo” that is in marriage, so she is entitled to talk about it
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"Experience, though noon auctoritee Were in this world, were right ynogh to me To speke of wo that is in mariage; For, lordynges, sith I twelf yeer was of age, Thonked be God, that is eterne on lyve, Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve
Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Jesus at the Wedding Feast at Cana ď Ž
People tell her that a woman should only be married once, because Jesus only went once to a wedding (the wedding at Cana, in the Gospel of St. John, 2:1)
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But me was toold, certeyn, nat longe agoon is, That sith that Crist ne wente nevere but onis To weddyng in the Cane of Galilee, That by the same ensample, taughte he me, That I ne sholde wedded be but ones.
Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well Jesus spoke to a woman who had been married five times at the well in Samaria; Wife of Bath misunderstands his implicit criticism of cohabitation ď Ž
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Herkne eek, lo, which a sharpe word for the nones, Biside a welle Jhesus, God and Man, Spak in repreeve of the Samaritan. "Thou hast yhad fyve housbondes," quod he, "And thilke man the which that hath now thee Is noght thyn housbonde;" thus seyde he certeyn. What that he mente ther by, I kan nat seyn; But that I axe, why that the fifthe man Was noon housbonde to the Samaritan?
Gospel of St. John: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well 5: Then cometh he [Jesus] to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6: Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7: There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8: (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9: Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10: Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11: The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12: Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Gospel of St. John: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well 13: Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15: The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16: Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17: The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19: The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20: Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Gospel of St. John 22: Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25: The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26: Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 27: And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28: The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29: Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30: Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
Wife of Bath’s Prologue: A man should leave his parents Wife of Bath invokes St. Paul’s statement that a man should leave his mother and father and join with his wife:
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God bad us for to wexe and multiplye; That gentil text kan I wel understonde. Eek wel I woot, he seyde, myn housbonde Sholde lete fader and mooder, and take to me; But of no nombre mencioun made he, Of bigamye or of octogamye, Why sholde men thanne speke of it vilainye
Wife of Bath’s Prologue “Wax and Multiply” Wife of Bath knows of no Biblical text that specifically determines the number of times a woman can marry, but she does know that the Bible tells us to “wax and multiply”
Genesis 1: 27-28: 27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Letter of St. Paul: Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Wife of Bath’s Prologue: King Solomon’s Wives Wife of Bath knows of no Biblical text against bigamy or “octagamy”
King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines; Alison wishes she could be “refreshed” only half as often as him
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Lo, heere the wise kyng, daun Salomon; I trowe he hadde wyves mo than oonAs, wolde God, it leveful were to me To be refresshed half so ofte as he! Which yifte of God hadde he, for alle hise wyvys! No man hath swich that in this world alyve is.
Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Sex Organs Were Made for Having Sex
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Telle me also, to what conclusion Were membres maad of generacion, And of so parfit wys a wight ywroght? Trusteth right wel, they were nat maad for noght. Glose whoso wole, and seye bothe up and doun, That they were maked for purgacioun Of uryne, and oure bothe thynges smale Were eek to knowe a femele from a male, And for noon oother cause, -- say ye no? The experience woot wel it is noght so. So that the clerkes be nat with me wrothe, I sey this, that they maked ben for bothe, This is to seye, for office, and for ese Of engendrure, ther we nat God displese.
Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Sex Organs Were Made for Having Sex 130
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Why sholde men elles in hir bookes sette That man shal yelde to his wyf hire dette? Now wherwith sholde he make his paiement, If he ne used his sely instrument? Thanne were they maad upon a creature To purge uryne, and eek for engendrure. But I seye noght that every wight is holde, That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde, To goon and usen hem in engendrure. Thanne sholde men take of chastitee no cure. Crist was a mayde, and shapen as a man, And many a seint, sith that the world bigan; Yet lyved they evere in parfit chastitee. I nyl envye no virginitee.
Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Sex Organs Were Made for Having Sex 140
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And many a seint, sith that the world bigan; Yet lyved they evere in parfit chastitee. I nyl envye no virginitee. Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed, And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed; And yet with barly-breed, mark telle kan, Oure lord jhesu refresshed many a man.
Canterbury Tales Wife of Bath’s Prologue Argument Wife of Bath twists St. Paul’s argument that it is “better to marry than to burn” Whan myn housbonde is fro the world ygon, Som Cristen man shal wedde me anon. 55 For thanne th'apostle seith that I am free, To wedde, a Goddes half, where it liketh me. He seith, that to be wedded is no synne, Bet is to be wedded than to brynne. ...
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Th’Apostle, whan he speketh of maidenhede, He saide that precept therof hadde he noon: Men may conseile a womman to be oon, But conseiling nis no comandement. He putte it in oure owene juggement.
Canterbury Tales Wife of Bath’s Prologue Argument Wife of Bath argues against St. Jerome, author of misogynistic text: St Jerome was 4th-century bishop who argued for celibacy of the priesthood on the basis of the wickedness of women. Here are some quotes from his “Letter to Eustochian”: “I will say it boldly, though God can do all things He cannot raise up a virgin when once she has fallen.” “Sampson was braver than a lion and tougher than a rock; alone and unprotected he pursued a thousand armed men; and yet, in Delilah's embrace, his resolution melted away. “ “David was a man after God's own heart, and his lips had often sung of the Holy One, the future Christ; and yet as he walked upon his housetop he was fascinated by Bathsheba's nudity, and added murder to adultery.”
Canterbury Tales Wife of Bath’s Prologue Argument From St. Jerome’s “Letter to Eustochian” continued: “I praise wedlock, I praise marriage, but it is because they give me virgins. I gather the rose from the thorns, the gold from the earth, the pearl from the shell. "Doth the plowman plow all day to sow?" Shall he not also enjoy the fruit of his labor? Wedlock is the more honored, the more what is born of it is loved. Why, mother, do you grudge your daughter her virginity? She has been reared on your milk, she has come from your womb, she has grown up in your bosom. Your watchful affection has kept her a virgin. Are you angry with her because she chooses to be a king's wife and not a soldier's? She has conferred on you a high privilege; you are now the motherin-law of God.”