Jan 31, 2019 - "The General Prologue"
“The General Prologue” by Geoffrey Chaucer is an Anglo-Norman literary work that has aspects in the work that would deem it a type of satire. This work is about a group of people who are on a pilgrimage and, with each individual, Chaucer points out that person’s flaws or sins in some way. Early on in this work, Chaucer speaks of a knight from the Crusades who embodies chivalry and bravery. Chaucer specifically discusses the knight’s attire and appearance, “But for to tellen you of his array, His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.” (195). This passage is telling that this supposedly amazing and chivalrous knight is dressed rather poorly and not with much color or ornaments; the knight did not truly showcase what he should look like. Another individual Chaucer brings up is a Prioresse, which is similar to a nun, who he mocks for her almost inability to be able to be brave. Although Chaucer does appreciate her beauty, which is odd because she is a religious woman, he makes these remarks that show she has inabilities, “She would weepe if that she saw a mous Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.” (197). This remark about the religious woman indicates some feelings about women during the Anglo-Norman literary period. Although women are not as diminished as they were in the Anglo-Saxon period, they are given more credit for what they do in society, such as being a religious folk, but are still categorized as enjoyable to look at or being cowardly compared to the men in this period. Another woman that Chaucer appears to be creating a mockery of is a wife that he talks about in this work. He says that “She was a worthy womman al hir live: Housbounds at chirche dore she hadde five…” (205). Here, Chaucer speaks of this wife as a good and holy woman but also suggests that she is having affairs with various men. This fact is almost eliciting humor from the irony of the wife’s lifestyle. These are just a few of the people that Chaucer points out ironic and misleading information about on this pilgrimage. This work appears to be meant for the purpose to illustrate that people in that time put on a facade to seem better than they actually were in their daily lives.
Greenblatt, Stephen. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: the Major Authors. W.W. Norton & Company, 2013.
This blog provides a really good analysis of the reading! You took quotes and explained them thoroughly, showing you have a good understanding of the reading.
ReplyDelete"This work appears to be meant for the purpose to illustrate that people in that time put on a facade to seem better than they actually were in their daily lives." I completely agree! This seemed especially true about the characters introduced later in the Prologue. The General Prologue was saturated with irony about characters and their figurative social class expectations, and I think you captured that well!
ReplyDeleteNice analysis of Chaucer's work. The language is somewhat difficult to read (at least it was for me), but once "translated" in a sense, the story that will unfold becomes simple and clear. I liked the emphasis you put on the hypocrisies Chaucer points out in the various characters he presents. The fashion in which he presents his punchlines is brilliant, especially in the form of poetry. He creates these caricatures in order to knock them down, but also to establish a point, which is the magic of his satire.
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