English Lit Essay
Geoffrey Chaucer
Prologue To The Canterbury Tales
Authenticity, it seems, is Chaucer's favorite personality trait. He praises
those who don't hold back but let real personality flow. Most of the pilgrims have good
points, and Chaucer points the good out, but he looks up to the Knight, Franklin,
Serjeant at Law, and the Doctor.
During the Medieval period the Knight was seen as a great power second only to
the lord of the manor and the King. Because he held no land, the Knight rarely had any
real power. Military power was his strong point. He could command troops of men into
battle without a second thought. The Knight was wherever the action was " When we
took Alexandria, he was there./He often sat at table in the chair/Of honor,
above all nations, when in Prussia" (lines:51-53). The Knight was a class above the rest.
He followed Chivalry " There was a Knight, a most distinguished man,/Who from
the day on which he first began/To ride abroad had followed chivalry,/Truth, honor,
generousness and courtesy." (lines:43-46). He was humbly dressed "Speaking of his
equipment, he possessed/Fine horses, but he was not gaily dressed." (lines:69-70).
The Knight is an all round good guy, protecting the innocent and fighting for what's
right.
For a Franklin who has some title to his name it would be hard to give up even
the slightest amount of wealth. The Franklin was different. He gave without the
slightest thought of himself. "As noted as St. Julian was for bounty/He made his
household free to all the county" (lines:343-344). As a figure head in the feudal
system the Franklin was a fairly rich person and one who would be pretty greedy. Not
this Franklin. He was generous and giving. Thinking of others before himself.
Over time lawyers have gotten a bad name. The Serjeant at the Law broke the
mold of the bad lawyer. He made no mistakes "No one could pinch a comma from his
screeds" (line:330). His knowledge about the law and the things that happen in it were
unbelievable "He knew of every judgement, case and crime/Ever recorded since King
William's Time" (lines:327-328). With all this knowledge the Serjeant was a wealthy
man. He had the money to buy nice clothing, but "He wore a homely parti-coloured
coat/Girt with a silken belt of pin-stripe stuff;" (lines:332-333). The Serjeant was
misleading man "Though there was nowhere one so busy as he,/He was less busy that he
seemed to be." (lines:325-326). Chaucer found that the Serjeant was a wealthy,
smart, and down to earth man.
The Doctor "No one alive could talk as well as he did/On points of medicine and
surgery" (lines:416-417). A well versed man who knew about stars and astronomy as
well as about medicine and surgery. Medieval doctors relied on horoscopes as much as
drugs and knowledge about the ailment. Chaucer was impressed with his wisdom. The
doctor was looked up to as a great man who knew about medicine and surgery and about
how to treat patients. In perspective the Doctor didn't just take care of others but
he took care of himself "In his own diet he observed some measure;/There were no
superfluities for pleasure,/Only digestive, nutritives and such." (lines:433-435).
Chaucer not only had a high regard for the Doctor but he thought, "He was a perfect
practicing physician" (line:426).
If Chaucer liked you, he wrote very highly about you and what your occupation
was. If you were disliked at all, then Chaucer wrote about all of your faults. He didn't
just write about them, he went into great detail and forced you to bear your soul. He
can be a mean spirted writer but at the same time he is witty, and that takes away
some of the sting of getting stung with hurtful words. If you are laughing at yourself
it hurts less. It is a pity that Chaucer did not finish writing all of his intended works,
they would have been spectacular.
Timothy Houghton Lit.12
Bak 2 moor wrtin wrk
