Chivalry in Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay -- essays papers

Chivalry in Chaucers Canterbury Tales In his Canterbury Tales, Chaucer fully explicates the cultural standard known as curteisye through satire. In the 14th century curteisye embodied sophistication and an education in cut international culture. The legends of chilvalric knights, conversing in the language of courtly write out, matured during this later gothic period. Chaucer himself matured in the Kings Court, and he reveled in his cultural status, but he also retained an anecdotal humor active curteisye. One essential only peruse his Tales to discern these sentiments. In the General Prologue, he meticulously describes the Prioress, satirically examining her impeccable hedge manners. In the Millers Tale Chaucer juxtaposes courtly love with animalistic lust, and in various other instances he mentions curteisye, or at least alludes to it, with typesetters caseistic Chaucerian irony. These numerous references provide the reader with a signally rich image of the cultu re and class structure of late fourteenth century England.Wel coude she carye a morsel, and wel keepe / That no drope ne fille upon hir brest. / In curteisye was driven ful muchel hir lest.(General Prologue, 130-2) Here, in the description of the Prioress, Chaucer mocks her etiquette by so specifically describing it, and in doing so he also mocks her conception of sophistication. For Chaucer, sophistication represented more than table manners and Frenssh of Stratford at the Bowe.(General Prologue, 124,5) Curteisye required an intimate, first hand knowledge and subsist with French culture. This Prioress had learned her French in an English convent school, but the equivalent to Chaucers travels in France. Chaucer creates the feeling that the narr... ...tion of courtly flirtation. Usually when a character speaks in courtly language, the author biases his word choice to French, since French was the perfunctory language of the Court and people associated with the Court spoke French -derived English on a daily basis. Chaucer avoids that practice here and selects words based in Germanic-derived English, or Anglo-Saxon. Words like ich, wille, and spille and others persisted from Old English, and Chaucers use of them through Nicholas gives the enactment a decidedly rough tone, corresponding to Nicholas sensual actions. Nicholas language talent have been courtly, but his intentions were definitely not as delicate as French.Chaucer utilized satire throughout the Canterbury Tales, and he illustrated as much about his culture, and especially curteisye, with his satire as he did with the stories and characters themselves.