The Canterbury Tales An Analysis Of Medieval Life By...

Canterbury Tales: An Analysis of Medieval Life by Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales is strongly considered one of the greatest works in medieval literature. An admirer of Chaucer, and the author of Chaucer and the Fifteenth Century, H.S. Bennett describes Chaucer’s unique style as, â€Å"No detail was too small for him to observe, and from it he could frequently draw, or suggest, conclusions which would have escaped many.† While The Canterbury Tales was originally intended to be an epic poem consisting of over 120 short stories, Chaucer’s death came much sooner and he was only able to finish 24. Even with a small fraction of his original goal completed, Chaucer’s unique sense of language and ability to identify and establish common stereotypes was second to none. The three characters I choose, The Knight, The Pardoner and The Parson all exemplify Bennett’s quote and demonstrate Chaucer’s incredible ability to express every detail, whil e adding humor and irony. Chaucer uses The Knight to represent the highest social class during the medieval era, the aristocrats and nobility. The Knight also highlights the ideals that every noble man strived to follow, along with being a Christian such as possessing prowess, fidelity, reputation, generosity and refinement. He also possesses a humble and kind personality, which allows him to become well admired by The Host and the narrator. Throughout the Prologue and in between stories The Knight always seems to possess aShow MoreRelatedThe Caterbury Tales, Carmina Burana and The Book of Taliesin722 Words   |  3 Pagesfrom the collapse of the Roman empire in the fifth century to the period of the Renaissance in the fifteenth century. The medieval life may, at first, appear to be bleak, harsh, and dreary. But in actuality, it was a time of Kings, immense battles, disease and religious influence. 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