Besides for his great poetic and literary merits, The Canterbury Tales Prologue is a wonderful commentary on English life in the Middle Ages. Dryden has rightly remarked that Chaucer must have been a man of the most sympathetic nature who could bring to the compass of his the canterbury tales the customs and moods of his day. His keen observation, extensive travel, vast knowledge, and varied experience in the service of the state enabled him to present such a vivid picture of human life and pattern. Perhaps it was his desire to display his vast knowledge that he conceived the idea of writing Tea canterbury tales.
Chaucer’s technique for portraying his characters lies in a cheerful originality, free from complications. In fact, Chaucer being the true storyteller of his time, brings reality before us in its most original form. He is an objective writer for whom things are best represented when they are in their original form. He is perhaps one of the first to abandon conventions that did not present the thing in its obvious beauty. Chaucer put the whole parade of mankind on display with most of it exposed and with little curtains thrown over it.
Chaucer has given a wide variety of professions in his time. The Knight and the Squire present knightly class. The Escribano, the Doctor in Physics and even the poet himself are the representatives of the enlightened and liberal class. Chaucer has spoken neither of the elite nor of the oppressed class of his time. He gives us a vivid picture of all those professions, which were embraced by the middle class. He is not ignorant of trade, manufacturing, and even agriculture. He has included all the professions of both the town and the village.
The important aspect that we get from his masterpiece of writing is the moral condition of that time. He has introduced a number of ecclesiastical and non-ecclesiastical characters and most of them are morally bankrupt. Friar, Monk, Summoner and Pardoner being church officials. They are expected to be ethical and religious, but it is only their appearance, inside they are money makers with the problems of others, they are mercenaries. Chaucer has presented them in a way that exposed their lack of discipline. The institution of the church, which gained great power in the Middle Ages, had become a place of extortion. Evil was not seen as a disease to be eradicated but as an opportunity to make money. The practice of granting large titles to the abbot when the vicar had an inadequate income was common. Many people left their ignored and half-savage peasantry to go to London or elsewhere as chapel priests; Monk’s Statement”Why should he study and make a forest of himself? gives the true picture of his inadequacy for his job.
Not only the religious authorities but also the various social sects of life reflect the same impression. Doctor of Physics, Lawyer, Manciple, Reeve and even Merchants are not sincere with their obligations. They wear the masks of virtue, but in practice they never give up the opportunity to profit from the sufferings of others. Chaucer has exposed the reality in a sweetened way, since he knew that it could generate hatred against humanity.
women in “The Canterbury Tales” they are Prioress and Wife of Bath who embody the spirit of rebellion against contemporary gender discrimination. Bath’s Wife is a domineering character who rebelled against men in general. The prioress does not obey the bishop’s commands, she keeps the pets and goes on a pilgrimage.
Chaucer’sthe canterbury talesIt provides extensive information on clothing, food and the different instruments common in those days. The gentleman’s doublet, the embroidered short dress of the Squire, the fur-lined sleeves of the Monk’s outfit, the wide headdress and the heavy kerchief of the Wife of Bath represent the fashion and style of use in those days. Roast swans, red wine, different types of fish were the popular food of the day.
It is interesting to see that his keen analysis of the characters with all their manners, idiosyncrasies, likes and dislikes makes them full of life and not just bloodless dolls. They are no longer ghosts of the mind because they are not Chaucer’s mouthpieces but a true reflection of his time. Along with the profiteering clerics there are various characters in “The Canterbury Tales” which are spokesmen for Christian doctrines and dogmas in the fourteenth century. Among these moral characters we find Parson, Clerk, Plowman, etc. who are poor in worldly material but rich in thoughts and deeds. Parson satisfies his conscience by being practical and not just theoretical; as he says
“If the gold rests, what will you do, Irene? Y
“A shitty shepherd and a clean sheep“
These affirmations justify the bad condition of the church and of the social ranks because it is natural that the inferiors or the poor give themselves up to crime if the aristocratic and ruling faculties are vicious. The state of morality was poor in the Middle Ages when rich and poor were all sinners and had to undergo penances that were easier for the rich in large amounts.
We can conclude that Chaucer without emendation or disguise interpreted the life of the 14th century through the experience of people and professions.
