free booknotes online

Help / FAQ




<- Previous Page | First Page | Next Page ->
Free Study Guide-The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer-Free BookNotes
Table of Contents | Printable Version | Barron's Booknotes

THEMES

The Canterbury Tales has several overlapping Themes, which not only enrich the bookÂ’s texture but also lend it some kind of coherence and unity. Most of these Themes are abstract and cannot be stated as singular propositions. Nearly all the subjects of ChaucerÂ’s most serious contemplation can be found in his magnificent epic. The major Themes are: critique of the church, the problem of predestination and foreknowledge, Themes of the inherent corruptness of human nature and decline of moral values, the problem of the position of women and marriage relationships, Themes of honor and truth, and Themes of Christian virtue and chivalry.


MOOD

The prevailing mood of The Canterbury Tales is obviously that of comedy. The most prominent aspect of the book is the amazing magnitude of the range of its representation of medieval society. The poem aims at wholeness and presents an amalgam of all the Themes and conventions of contemporary medieval literature.
The tales thus range from:

Courtly Romance
KnightÂ’s Tale
Sergeant at LawÂ’s Tale
SquireÂ’s Tale
Breton Lay - FranklinÂ’s Tale
Fabliaux - MillerÂ’s Tale, ReeveÂ’s Tale, MerchantÂ’s Tale
SaintÂ’s Legend - Second NunÂ’s Tale

Tragedy
MonkÂ’s Tale
Exemplum - PardonerÂ’s Tale

Sermon
ParsonÂ’s Tale
Tale of Melibee

Beast Fable
Nun's PriestÂ’s Tale.

As such the poem has a wide range of tone and mood.

The "General Prologue" serves as a kind of sample of what will follow. The serious ideals of chivalry, religion, and agricultural labor which operate in the portraits of the Knight, Parson and Plowman, provide a sober and solemn tone, while the comic, ironic and satiric portraits of the Prioress, Monk, Merchant, and others provide the predominant comic tone. There are frequent abrupt shifts of mood and tone from the ludicrous to the sublime, from a note of sincere appraisal to outright mockery, from scathing criticism of social corruption and moral depravity to light- hearted gibes at a certain innocuous inanity. This contributes to the charm and humor of the work. The main body of the tales also operates on a similar principle. Serious, grave and sober tales are offset by comic ones.

Table of Contents | Printable Version | Barron's Booknotes


<- Previous Page | First Page | Next Page ->
Free Study Guide-The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer-Free BookNotes

Google
Web
PinkMonkey

Google
  Web PinkMonkey.com   

All Contents Copyright © PinkMonkey.com
All rights reserved. Further Distribution Is Strictly Prohibited.


About Us
 | Advertising | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Home Page
This page was last updated: 11/12/2023 12:15:09 AM