Canterbury Tales

Canterbury Tales

1. The Squire

   • Themes of over-indulgence and love in its different forms.
     • Over-indulgence is foregrounded throughout most of the text, due to the greatly excessive detail the Squire goes into describing almost everything. A clear example of this is his description of the feast, going into pages of detail to describe something so mundane.
     • Love in its different forms is a theme found throughout the tale. At the beginning of the tale, it can be found in the form of courtly and chivalrous love, with the mysterious Knight gifting Canace the ring and other gifts to the remainder of the royal family, in an attempt to show Canace and her family how noble and chivalrous he is. Later in the tale, when Canace finds the Falcon, two different types of love can be found: the affectionate and sympathetic love Canace has for the suffering falcon and the falcons sensual love she felt for her husband.
   • Represents youth, naivety and lack of experience. Similar to the Millers tale, the Squires tale gives contrast to the Knights tale.
     • The Squire is almost treated as a child, particularly when he is appraised and has his tale cut short by the Franklin, similar in the way people tell children they did an exceptional job, when in reality they just want them to stop what they are doing.
     • It is apparent that the Squire isn't experienced, in story-telling as well as life in general. This is apparent in his idealistic and overly optimistic view on most things, also portraying him as naïve to the workings of the world
   • QUOTES:
     • "But I will do my best. I will not disobey your order. I will tell you a story. But don't think any worse of me if I mess up. My intentions are good, in any case."
     • "I could not begin to describe her beauty to you all. It is beyond my abilities. I would not be able to stammer the words. My English is insufficient. It would take an excellent orator, knowing all the arts of his trade, even to attempt to portray Canacee. But I am no orator. I am a poor squire.

2. The Knight

   • Themes of idealism in relation to masculinity and platonic love and chivalry and honor.
     • Platonic love is a theme foregrounded in the story towards the end, where Arcita approves of Palamon with his dying words, in an act of brotherly love and ultimate respect for his cousin, who had technically lost the battle.
     • Chivalry and honour is a theme found at every point of the tale. Whether it be the King and his treatment of the grieving widows, Arcita and Palamons acceptance of their punishment after escape from prison or their undying respect for one another, even in battle, chivalry and honour is prevalent throughout the entirety of the tale. This is an obvious reflection of the Knight and his ideals, valuing chivalry and honour over all else.
   • Represents masculinity, chivalry and the higher class.
     • Masculinity portrayed by the violence, chivalry and stereotypically manly protagonists found in his tale, all reflections of his values as a knight.
     • Chivalry portrayed by the treatment of women in the story, in particular, the respect they showed to Emily and the lengths they went to for her love.
     • Represents the upper class due to the mild and well mannered story, contrasting crude and vulgar tales such as the Miller.
   • QUOTES:
     • "He (Theseus) also issued a proclamation in which he stated that no one had been defeated or disgraced. It had been a noble tournament, an affair of honour to all concerned, subject only to the whim of fate."
     • "My dear cousin Palamon, is with us. For a long time there was strife and anger between us. We fought each other for the right to claim you. But I pray to Jupiter now to give me the power to portray him properly; to depict, that is to say, his truth and honour; to celebrate his wisdom and humility; to applaud his nobility of character; to describe his noble lineage. He is a servant, too, in the causes of love. So by the great gods I recommend him to you, Emily, to be your lover and your husband.

3. The Miller

   • QUOTES:
     • So there we are. That is how the young scholar got to fuck the young wife, despite all the Carpenter's precautions. How Absolon kissed her arse. How Nicolas had a sore bum. And that, pilgrims, is the end of my story. God save us all! Then the Miller fell off his horse.
   • Represents the lower class in an incredibly stereotypical way, offering contrast to the Knights tale.
     • The Miller can be viewed as a nearly over-exaggerated, stereotypical representation of the lower class. This is done mainly through contrast to the Knights tale, as the Miller takes a cruder, humorous approach to weaving his tale, very far from the Knights honourable tale. The Millers tale also focuses on a cast of commoners, rather then the rich and noble.
   • Themes of lust and how tempting it is and women being the downfall of man.
     • Theme of lust and how tempting it is particularly prevalent in Nick persuading Alison into cheating on John and their exploits. This can also be seen when Absolon gives into his lust and is fooled by Allison and John.
     • A theme of women bringing misfortune to men is prevalent throughout the story, as Alison is portrayed as the source of all the events in the story. This reflects the religious values of medieval society, due to Alison's relation to the biblical figure, Eve. This tale clearly positions the reader to view Alison as the villain, however, a resistant reading of this tale offers a different perspective, where Alison is a victim of her circumstances. This is particularly evident in the way John treats her, acting as if she is his property and locking her away, giving her no agency, which reflects the views medieval society had on women.