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  • Essay / Honesty and Humor in the Canterbury Tales

    “Here begins the book of the Canterbury Tales…” The Canterbury Tales is full of intrigue and sheds light on the life and times of the Middle Ages. It was a time when hierarchy, feudalism and chivalry were in force. The story tells of twenty-nine individuals who go on a pilgrimage and meet by chance near the Tabard Inn. The host of the inn and narrator of the story asks everyone to tell two stories about the pilgrimage to Canterbury. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the prologue, Chaucer takes this opportunity “…to inform you of the state of each of these, as it appeared to me.” , and who they were, and what their degree was, and even how they were arranged at the inn…” In other words, Chaucer describes the personality and dress of each character with imagery and true honesty. Chaucer's ability to capture each character fairly and in a humorous manner, allows us to see the true light of each individual and creates an almost tangible image of each personality. There were twenty-nine characters, each so different from the others with individual strengths and flaws. Chaucer's honesty gives us the opportunity to see the character as a whole and bring out his full character and dynamics. By using humor, Chaucer points out the characters' flaws but does not show them as negatives, but rather as a fact. The reason is that the purpose of humor in Chaucer's poem is not to hurt others, but simply to illuminate and illustrate who and what they are. Highlighting Chaucer's ability to integrate humor and honesty, there are few descriptions of different characters who bring these traits. That being said, there are three particular individuals that the host describes in detail and with humor. These three individuals are the Squire, the Merchant and the Wife of Bath. Everyone is so different and unique, but shares the same humorous way of describing their flaws and not-so-direct mannerisms. To begin with, there is the young Squire, son of the knight. This character is young, handsome, strong and talented, but all his energies are focused on the attention of ladies. He's a real ladies' man. In the description, he is defined as "a lusty lover and bachelor." Chaucer describes in detail all of the squire's strengths, but he humorously brings out the negative aspect of how he uses these strengths. Rather than using them to help the people or his country like his father, he uses them to attract the attention of women, as he states: "...and carried it well into this small space in the hope of gaining thus the grace of his lady. " In other words, all the strengths and talents he possesses are used only to conquer women. Chaucer ends his description of the Squire with "It was so hot that he loved that, while the night told him its story, he slept no more than a nightingale." he is courteous and humble, willing and capable, and carved before his father at the table. This sentence is almost comical. This is the son of a prestigious and honorable knight whose strength and courtesy were used to fight for his lord, but his son, who "carves before his father at the same table", concentrates all his strength and everything he has from his father. to get his young daughter. Chaucer's ability to identify the negative in a more humorous way brought this point home. The next character who is described in the same humorous way is the merchant. He is described as someone who is very well dressed. He has “a forked beard, surrounded by a.'