CHAUCER’S REALISM

Introduction:

Chaucer is temperamentally a realist. The prologue display (shows) his

keen interest in the world and its activities. He possesses catholicity and
tolerance which is the key not of realism. It is his tolerance which enables him to
be impartial and objective in his presentation of life. Further more Chaucer has a
sharp, right and a penetrating insight in order to detect different aspects of this
bewildering world.

Real Photography:

Some people think that Chaucer has succeeded in photographing reality.

Their opinion might be true but this is not the whole truth. Chaucer, being an
artist, is never content with photographic transcription of life. His portraits are not
bare photographs but paintings. He gives us appearance of a character but at the
same time he modifies, emphasizes and exaggerates to expose the inner self
(nature) of his characters. In fact, he exhibits the pilgrim’s oddities (Strange
habits) and mannerism in such a way that he presents life-like portraits in the
prologue. The portrait of the Wife of Bath reveals that she desires to see and be
seen.

Real Picture of 14th Century:

The design of the pilgrimage helps in the realistic presentation of life. In

the 14th century many of the pilgrims regarded the journey as the occasion for
merry-making, pleasure-seeking music and vulgarity. Chaucer’s pilgrims are also
in a holiday mood and they show themselves in their true colours. They are quite
informal and relaxed. They are self-revealing and their daily lives, their thoughts
their prejudices and professional bias come out in their conversation and
behaviour. Chaucer, being a realist, has exposed that the pilgrimage was not
actuated by religious motives.

Religious Values and Characters:

Chaucer’s age was marked by corruption of religion and protest against

the corruption, degeneration and immorality of the churchmen. Chaucer also
exposes the evils of the churchmen by presenting the portraits of the Prioress,
the Friar, the monk, the Franklin etc. He does not criticize the religious characters
rather he is ironical and humourous in tone. The reason behind this is that he
knows that people are both good and bad by nature and that religious evils arise
out of human weaknesses. On the other hand Chaucer shows great reverence
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for those who are true to their profession and fellow beings. For example
Chaucer is not ironical towards the Parson, the Plowman, the oxford clerk etc.

Picture of average humanity:

Being a realist, Chaucer’s principal object is to present an exact picture of

average humanity. He shows what good and what was evil in ecclesiastical as
well as secular world. The pilgrims of the prologue represent a cross-section of
the 14th century England. On the one hand, the knight stands for the highest in
social order and on the other hand, the Plowman stands for the lowest in the
hierarchy (Social Order). In between is the entire English society from every walk
of life.

Different classes:

The war-like classes are represented by the Knight, the Squire and the
Yeoman. The liberal professions are represented by a doctor, a man of law and
the oxford clerk. The agricultural classes are represented by Plowman, the Miller
etc. The secular clergy is represented by the pardoner and the Summoner.

Hobbies and Activities:

The prologue also tells us a lot about the food, the hobbies and the mode
of dress during his age. His characters are food of rich and delicious food-
roasted swan, partridges, sharp and pungent sauces and strong wine. Keeping
grey hounds, hunting and breeding fish were their favourite pastimes and
hobbies. In dressing they adopted new fashions. Their dresses were very costly
and were made of fine fur and velvet available in their country. Most of their
clothes were embroidered.

Power of Observation:

The extraordinary fidelity of his portraits and Chaucer’s careful and minute
observation is another characteristic of his realism. For example, he gives us the
full length portrait of the Friar in one line “Fat as a whole” and “walked as a
swan”. The description of the Prioress shows the poet’s power of minute and
amused observation:
“At mete was she wel tauht with all;
She lette no morsel from her lippes fall
No wette her fingers in her sauce depe
Wet could she carie a morsel and wel kepe
That no drope ne fell upon her breast.”

Picture of trade and commerce:

Chaucer also presents a truthful picture of trade and commerce in his

poetry. In the 14th century, the new industries of silk glass-making and brass were
 3

becoming quite popular. Chaucer’s Merchant is the representive of the

merchants. He always talks about increase in his income and knows well how to
make money in the market place.

Conclusion:

Keeping in view the above analysis we can say that Chaucer had the
innate instinct to catch within his purview the soul of his generation in its varied
aspects. By making use of the Seeing Eye, the retentive memory and wise
judgment. He has given us a truthful and vivid picture of his society not in
fragments but completely.

________________________________________

knowledge also. He takes the care of his personality but does not forget how to
treat the others honourably.

Lovely nature:

The squire is a young person. That is why his nature is lovely. He always
dries do get the attention of his lady. For this purpose, he wears attractive dress,
adopts charming personality and seems as fresh as the month of May. Chaucer
gives the interpretation of may to show the vigour of his life because may is
called a vigorous month because of spring and hotness. He seems like a
nightingale because all the day be sings beautiful songs and even at night he
sleeps with an open eye. It shows that he used to sing at night also.

Part in wars:

The squire is the son to knight and because of his brought, we find the
spirit of chivalry in him. He has the power to defeat his enemy. He has
participated many wars. He has joined the campaign in Flanders, Artois and
Picardy and his participation won fame for him.

Individual and type character:

Chaucer’s art lies in his striking the delicate balance between the
individual and the
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Q. No.1. Chaucer’s method of characterization. OR

Chaucer’s technique of characterization.

As a delineator of characters, Chaucer stands supreme. Only Shakespeare

seems to have surpassed him in English literature about 200 years later. It is
because of his technique of bringing so many characters together (by conceiving
a pilgrimage) and also because of his ability to fathom depths of human nature,
in all its ________ and hues that Chaucer is said _______ be not only the father
of English literature but also the father of English drama, novel and short story
etc. He gives us a picture of the contemporary society and the picture is
extremely attractive because of the various colours, indicative of the
contemporary trend to dress up gaily and attractively. Some of the shades in the
picture may not be that fascinating but they are nevertheless, essential parts of
the picture. His narration is animated because of his skill in sketching the liveliest
of characters anybody has ever managed to give us. The techniques is dramatic
and interesting (____ whan that April with his ______ soote, - The drong____ of
March hath perched to the roote, -

His typical characters are no less remarkable for their individual

traits. They belong to a cross-section of society, representing a certain
occupational group, but are noticeable for something exceptionally individual
about them. At times we have the feeling that they are individuals and at others
they seem to represent a class. But most often they look like typical as well as
individual characters, at one and the same time. (The knight Full worthy was he
in his lords were, - And thereto hadde he iden). The peculiarities of each
character -- their eccentric nature, curious manners and physical deformities
attract the attention of the reader. (His nose tretys, his eyesn greye and glass, -
Her mor_____ful small, and therto softe and read, - Bt silcerly she hadde a fair
forhead: - It was almost a spanne brood, I trowe, Embrouded was he as it were a
meede A1 full of freshe flowers, reade.) The dress or the outwardly details – of
the different individuals happen to show different aspects of their characters. One
thing that strikes the reader is the casual manner of describing the various
individuals. In a casual manner, he gives us a variety of detail but casualness.
(does not seem to be without ______). He refers to one feature of his characters
and then given some other information or detail. (The prioress) Then all of a
sudden he takes up the first forgotten point and dilates on it with a telling effect
upon the reader. He even manages to shock the reader at times. “The Wife of
Bath” is a “good wife” and a “worthy woman” in the beginning but later we come
to know that she is neither good nor worthy.(She was a worthy woman all her
lyre, - housbondes at Chirche dore she hadde fine – without other – compaignye
 5

in youthe, - But therof nedeth not to speke as nowthe.). This is also true of the
Monk and the Pardoner). The device of caricature has also been resorted to
by Chaucer, in the sketching of the characters of the Miller, the wife of Bath
and the Prioress (Miller 559-562). There are a lot many details that make the
Summoner a very obviously caricatured character. He does not always seem to
be giving us a catalogue of visual descriptions. He rather mingles details of
appearance and dress with those of occupation, habits and past engagements.
In the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, the characters, beautifully sketched with
brilliant individual traits, are yet, clearly recognizable type with all their vices and
virtues commonly attributed to the persons of their class.

Chaucer gives us details of appearance, dress, habits etc. in a fluent,

casual manner without giving s any clue as to their relation to each other or their
relative value. It is up to the reader to make his own assessment guided by
the narrator’s skill in timing and placing a particular character. The dresses
which Chaucer’s characters in the prologue wear indicate not only their
occupations but some of the items do also help us to understand them. It is
particularly true of the characters whose dresses Chaucer describes in a detailed
manner e.g. the Knight, the Squire and the Prioress. But Chaucer does not
stick to one technique while portraying various characters. The technique
varies from character to character. Different and ______ techniques are
employed in projecting _____ characters of the Knight, The Parson, _____ Clerk
and the Ploughman. He seems serious while commenting on the appearance,
habits and ideals of the Knight. His character has been idealized and the Knight
seems to embody medieval ideals of chivalry, tolerance, good reputation and
modesty. Incidentally these details seem to suit the important and respectable
social status that the Knight enjoys. Chaucer does not seem to be very
serious while describing the Squire. He mixes kindly satire with typical
statements and possibly individual traits while sketching the Squire and also the
Prioress. The satire becomes more serious while he draws the character of the
Nun, whose person he ridicules and whose habits and vanity he satarises. The
Nun belongs to the ecclesiastical class but each quality that she possesses is
that of the heroine of a romance. She certainly does not seem to be a daughter
of the church but very much a worldly woman. Satire seems to have been used
as a tool in the delineation of most of the ecclesiastical characters. Though it
changes form serious in case of the Monk to pungent in case of the rogues like
the Summoner, the Pardoner and the Friar. Satire at times also shades into
humour and this is evident in the character of the Prioress, the Squire, the Man of
Law and the Manciple. The tone also becomes serious, indicative of moral
disapproval too, in the sketches of the Friar, the summoner and the Pardoner.
But one thing that strikes a careful reader most of the time is the realistic,
 6

beautifully welded with the typical. This we see in the characters of the Man of
the Law, the Merchant, Cook and Shipman. Thus Chaucer manages to variegate
his picture by giving us general accounts of some of the characters in the
ophrastian_________ manner and also switching over to the realistic at one time
and the ideal _________ the other. Satire and humour are no ___ griping
whenever he wields them ____ the manner of a skilful painter. He makes
dexterous use of his brush and artistically applies various pigments.

Chaucer makes use of the knowledge of physiognomy, that is judging

the character of a person from the features of his face. The narrow eyes and the
pimples of the Summoner reveal his lusty temperament. Is habit of eating garlic
and onions also points in the same direction. Similarly the gaped teeth of the wife
of Bath also, probably, point to her loose character ______ “Housbondes at
chirche dore she hadde five, Withouten oother compaignye in youthe”. He is not
content with regarding face as the index of mind but implies that dress too is the
index of the character of a person to some extent. But Chaucer does all this in an
objective, disinterested manner. He does try to portray the psychological make-
up of his characters but his penetration not like that of modern writers Conrade
and Hardy.

The Innkeeper’s presence serves _______ a link between the prologue

and the tales. The Innkeeper, it has now been established through research, is
not Chaucer but a person named Herybelly, well known in his days because he
was also the member of the parliament in 1376. Chaucer’s criticism of life in the
prologue implies, in the most part, a criticism of the contemporary church officials
and functionaries. His mild, social satire, pungent only occasionally, is directed
towards them. He makes the reader see exactly what each character is in
relation to what each character ought to be and we can even guess what
has been left unsaid. Most characters in the prologue seem to be of a
universal nature. They are individual and typical but also universal in the sense
that we encounter similar characters at _____ferent place even today. We come
______ corrupt religious heads following Mammon (of wealth), the god of greed,
rather than that of scriptures (holy book). They have similar hopes, aspirations,
longings and frustrations. And they reveal themselves in most cases through their
own speeches and actions. We meet them even today – wearing different
dresses and having different names. But their attributes (traits) remain the same.
The doctor with mercenary (who works for money) motives still exploits the
patients. The corrupt clergy, interested more in this world than in the hereafter
(life after death), are still found abundantly. The Parson – like innocence and
nobleness is still found around us, though not that frequently. The scholars have
been poor all through the ages and the same is true of the scholars even today.
 7

The dishonest merchants and shipmen can still be encountered in the persons of
modern day bus conductors. There is a profusion of Wives of Bath around us.
Squire – like soldiers interested in pursuing women rather than the enemy are
present today _____ than ever before. These characters give us the true picture
of the contemporary life and are master-pieces of truth and reality. They are
modern, realistic and universal.

 Use of contrast.

 Chaucer’s Complex Characters

 Dramatic method of characterization.

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CHAUCER’S REALISM

Realism is an elastic and elusive term but it is most frequently thought of

as concerned with exploring the humdrum, dreary and often disappointing side of
day-to-day existence, sometimes illuminated by a stoical heroism. As a
descriptive label it is best used for writers who show explicit concern for
conveying an authentic impression of actuality, either by their narrative style or by
their serious approach to their subject matter. It is generally believed that a play-
wright or a poet trying to give us an authentic image of the actual, will not feel
inclined to idealize the subject matter. It may also become difficult for a non-
literary person to credit such a writer with the title of an artist in the belief that the
writer has not brought into play his imaginative and creative faculties. But
Chaucer is a realist with a difference. Keeping close to the humorous spirit of the
age, he does modify, suppress, exaggerate and emphasize things and events.
His primary concern is entertain the reader, and exaggerating or toning down
certain hues, is carr_____ out with the same and in view.

He has definitely conceived a plan that seems to resemble the plot of a

good play, and the overall whole, though apparently consisting of discordant
elements, becomes a harmonious one. He has brought into play his artistic
imagination to ___________ and ___________ his plan in an artistic manner.

No great writer, worth the name, can be deemed to have accomplished

the goal without first observing the phenomena around minutely. But Chaucer
seems to have been blessed with an exceptionally keen observation. His field of
observation is so vast and comprehensive and his innate instinct to catch and
delineate the soul of contemporary life is so curious that nothing escapes his
anxious eye. He is a realist by temperament. He has given us an indepth study of
the contemporary life. He had the _______________ to observe and retain and
also select and represent things that would inform as well as delight the reader.
His copious experience of life, gained when he happened to be working in his
father’s wine shop and later on in the court and abroad, provided him with the
opportunity to see life in its vaster and richer perspective. But his observation of
life is tainted with sympathy and tolerance, his spirit being catholic and Christian.

He did write in the formal and conventional mould in early stages but was
later on able to disentangle poetry from the clutches of conventionalism and
formalism, wherein the emphasis was not on what existed but rather on what was
proper according to convention.
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To give us an authentic picture of the 14 th century England, Chaucer did

not mind withdrawing himself away some-times almost completely from his
narrative.

He seems resolved to give us a true picture – nothing but the truth – even
at the expense of self-effacement had to adopt a technique that see _____ to
herald elements that were to _______ found later on in the 16 th century ______
and also in novel after that it is his realistic approach to life that made him
delineate life objectively and give us characters and situations that even great
play-wrights like Shakespeare seem to have benefited from. It is also because of
his realistic approach that some would call him a dramatist before drama was
born. He conceived a plan wherein he managed to bring together characters
from various walks of life and the goal was to give us an authentic image of the
life of his day. Keeping himself in the background, he makes his characters
speak and act in a way as would reveal their reality.

If he was a dramatist, he was so only because he wanted to give us a

valid picture. The different elements of the picture represent a few selected
trends, occupations and personal prejudices but rather all the elements that were
to be found in the contemporary life. His selection has been very artistically done
and we find him moving the kaleidoscope frequently but all the individual pictures
would help us have a glimpse of the 14th century British society.

Chaucer’s pilgrims do not seem to be inspired with religious motives. This

too, is a very realistic account. The tales narrated by the Wife of Bath, The Miller,
The Pardoner and The Summoner are so vulgar as would make us disbelieve
their being on a holy journey.

The tales give us a true picture and also exhibit their oddities and
mannerism. Almost all the classes including the ecclesiastical, the feudal, the
professional, the industrial and the commercial have been adequately
represented. Chaucer seems realistic in his account when we find him
performing the role of a social historian though, perhaps, doing so inadvertently
we can easily discern_____ initiation of new trends ad also seeds of religious
unrest and protest against corruption. The corruption rempan____ in the religious
class is to be found in the degeneration and immorality of people associated with
the church. We also discern the waning of the religious zeal and sprouting out of
skepticism. And all this has been done in a dramatic manner by giving us the
individual, generic and universal traits of various characters. Life has got to be
viewed as a whole and this is what Chaucer seems to have done since
Canterbury Tales display an organic artistic unity. He seems to believe that a
comprehensive picture with realism and verisimilitude (realism) will help him
 10

incorporate unity in his Prologue and Tales. The picture turns out to be aq
harmonious whole, the characters being full of life and the picture vital and
pulsating.

Contemporary life has been sketched with all its dynamic aspects, the
picture keeps changing and the pilgrims keep moving towards their destination.
As they move, so does our knowledge of the various pilgrims who speak of
almost every thing that has befallen them till date, they even discuss their
financial positions, love affairs and private feuds.

Life seems to be full of action and we even get a peep at their inner
psyche, at their loyalties and intrigues. The 14 th century British life, as delineated
by Chaucer, does not seem to have been affected much by national conquests
and set backs. To sum up, it could quite safely be said that Chaucer’s picture of
his age is extremely realistic i.e. the characters created may not be the ones he
shook hands with in actual life, but they certainly resemble people that he had
met and observed in real life. Every effort in the prologue seems to have been
directed towards this end, that is, showing us a mirror where we could have a
glimpse of the contemporary life. All his techniques like those used by he latter
play-wright the novelists, have been employed to_______ his contemporaries
see their faces in mirror. By so doing he also provided the coming generations an
opportunity to know what their ancestors were like in the 14 th century or generally
speaking what human beings were like in a part of the world that is Britain. All
credit goes to Chaucer for having accomplished his goal remarkably well. Almost
all the readers feel entertained and the discerning ones also find food for thought
in the prologue and also in the tales. They also find instruction in them.
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CHAUCER AS A MODERN POET

Chaucer can very conveniently be deemed modern poet, with his feet
firmly grounded in the medieval-age. He is a modern poet because he has
recorded the changing socio-political trends of his age most aptly. His was a
period of transition. The moral and religious issues of his day were being looked
upon in a manner markedly different from the way they had been regarded up to
his day. The medieval society seems crumbling with the emergence of a new
class of traders and merchants. The reader can not help noticing the fact that
Chaucer has skillfully amalgamated the concept of pilgrimage with the concept of
democracy and equality. Her is modern in the way that he regards all the pilgrims
– though sinners – equal as human beings. The contemporary, medieval concept
was that all sinners need redemption. For the first time in Chaucer’s narration of
a sacred rite i.e. proceeding on a pilgrimage of the holy places, we notice a shift
from a ________ ecclesiastical rendering of the pilgrimage to a happy excursion.
The pilgrimage ______ a social get-together wherein we __________ the spirit of
transition.

Chaucer is a medieval poet in the sense that his patriotism does not
degenerate into materialism. Though very much an English, living in the 14 th
century, his writings contain mention of anger or spite against France. This gives
us the clue that war in those days was fought less for the love of the land and
more for personal glory, in a spirit of adventure France being a Christian country
was regarded by Chaucer a part of Christendom. Little wonder he regards
France a part of Christian dogma and that accounts for the absence of any
comments against France. From the social point of view too, Chaucer is a
modern. The structure of society in his days was feudalistic. Society was divided
into three classes, the upper most, or the nobility being the most privileged. But
the forces _____ evolution were not to be curbed and _____ disappearance of
the labouring class as a result of black death gave birth to the strong class of the
farmers, who wanted to enjoy the privileges available to the nobles. The mass
migration of the people from the rural areas to urban areas in search of better
wages gave a big jolt to the social fabric. People now became conscious of the
fact that they were equal not as sinners but as human beings. The slogan
vehemently raised by Jack Tyler that:

When Adam delved (dig, cultivate) and Eve span

Who was then a gentleman,

caught the attention of the people and shook the very foundations of feudalism.
That is probably why, in Chaucer we find the emergence of a new world out of
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the middle ages. The delineation of changing trends and attitudes is the work of a
writer who can rightly be labeled a modern.

Chaucer’s modernism is also reflected in his abundantly evident realism.

We do not come across much realism in__________ medieval narrative before
Chaucer. The writings of his predecessors and even ______ of his well-known
contemporaries like Gowar and Langland display strict adherence to
conventionalism and formalism rather than realism.

It is not the ecclesiastical class alone that grips the most of his attention.
Instead his essential humanity asserts itself and Chaucer seems to accept the
world as it is, and the signs of transition can easily be discerned in the portraits of
the Knight and the Squire. The Knight’s portrait has a halo of romance and
Christian values around it whereas that of his son, the Squire, is indicative
____________ coming up of a new kind of ____________________ Chaucer’s
predecessors and even _______________________________ contemporaries
deliberately _________________________ and the rascal, as
_______________________________ a part and parcel
___________________________ _____________________________.

___________________________ all – the high and ________________ saint

and the villain – _______________ interesting. He seems to brook no
_____________ barriers and class distinctions. In ______ Prologue to the
Canterbury Tales, we find them all, grouped together as one jolly company. This
could also be regarded as a modern democratic note. The individual to Chaucer
seems important, whatever class of society he may belong to Medieval poetry
emphasizes common points among a class of people, that is why some would
use the word ‘Commonism’ to speak of medieval literature. Chaucer manages to
give us the universal through the individual. This lends charm to his narrative and
particularly to his character delineation wherein we encounter fullness of
concrete detail. He, therefore, is very much a part of his age and is true to his
time but does not lose sight of the eternal elements in human life. This is what
makes him great and this is what makes an intelligent reader bracket Chaucer
with Shakespeare. He seems curious to ferret out the universal through the
individual. Curiosity and interrogation are salient features of the renaissance
_____________. He yearns after truth and intends no __________________
reform. This also seems to be a preparation for his greater achievements in the
field of romantic poetry / Chaucer preserves medieval sentiments and even
appreciates them that is probably why he has been bracketed with Dante and
Petrarch. We do come across the picture of a good perish priest. Even the Knight
seems to embody quite a few of the ideal medieval characteristics but Chaucer
does direct his satire against the abuses of the day and even his ecclesiastical
 13

characters represent moral laxity of the religious class of Chaucer’s days.

Chaucer’s satire has no sting in it. It neither bites nor hurts. He seems to smile
sympathetically and his smile is indicative of his deep-rooted human sympathy. It
is generous and is born of a strong common sense.

As a representative of his age, he does comment on the contemporary

religion and clergy. The clergy in his days had become thoroughly corrupt
because of the __________ orders not to return benefices to ______ pope’s
representatives in Britain, the local church became rich and the officers of the
church indulged in all sorts of immoral practices. Even those became church
officers who should have been the last to be in this profession. Chaucer shows
no mercy for them and the character of the Parson serves as a yardstick to
judge, admire or condemn the corrupt church functionaries. Once again we may
remind ourselves that Chaucer was not an explicit moralist though he implies the
sting in his narrative. His interest in his characters is the interest of a modern
writer.

The holy pilgrimage provides the participants with an occasion for light-
hearted gossip. The tales and the prologue are not written merely for moral
glorification. Like a modern writer he means to entertain the reader and makes
his characters interesting through the use of his sense of humour. Chaucer does
not __________ between the earth and the sky but he keeps his feet on the
earth and _____ embraces the bitter realities of this _________. Unlike others
who came before him, Chaucer creates living creatures. He is modern because
he seems to relish character delineation. He creates character for the sake of
characters and, thus, unknowingly lays the foundation of modern fiction. His Wife
of Bath is a superb example of Chaucer’s humour and his ability to wield
imaginative faculties for the sake of entertainment. Some of the traits of this
character, her voice her facial expressions, habits and the manner of dressing
up, force us to regard her as a modern living creature. Chaucer enjoys dwelling
on the idiosyncrasies of individual characters but he gives us a variety of them.
He finds life interesting as a whole.

Chaucer views things from the point of view of a comic writer. This spirit is
the hallmark of his poetry which is marked by the humourous rather than high
seriousness. In the light of the above mentioned traits of Chaucer’s poetry. It
shouldn’t be difficult for a modern reader to discern the rudiments of modernity in
Chaucer’s work particularly his Canterbury Tales.

_______ the hypocrisies and the vices of those _____belonging to the

court and those on the lowest rung of the social structure. Some critics maintain
that Chaucer was reticent and reserved by nature and silent by temperament.
They also maintain that he was gay by nature and presumably avoided ugly
 14

things like wars, revolts and epidemics. As for his being tight-lipped about the
court and the courtiers, diplomacy demanded that he should have been shrewd
enough not to comment on the controversial issues like the peasant’s revolt. Had
he done so, he might have offended those in the court and thus possibly
deprived himself of many a privilege. Moreover his purpose was to entertain
rather than to offend and as an artist he may have regarded the horrors of war
and social jolts that came in its wake, as ugly and unworthy of the sublime art of
poetry. Some say that he avoided commenting on the social and political vents of
the day for fear of inviting the exercise of the safely act’. He did enjoy some
freedom of expression_______. He did not like to lose that by __________ in
controversial issues. Chaucer’s ___________ is beautiful and his sense of
humour _________ it all the more lively. Satire and irony, though frequently
resorted to, do not subtract anything from the beauty of his picture. They rather
lend a touch of realism and life to what he narrates.
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_________CHAUCER
Humour, Irony and Satire in Chaucer.

Although Chaucer’s life was not without difficulties and frustrations, he

never allowed disappointments to take the better of him. Humour, we gather, was
in his very Psychological make-up and he remained pleasing to the very end,
never being bitter or cynical. His mental or temperamental traits account for his
gay personality which had a pronounced effect on his writings. It is said that ,
“Style is the man”, holds more true in case of Chaucer than it does in case of
anybody else. The Canterbury Tales do have tragic touches but humour
dominates and hides the tragic bits. That is probably why, some maintain that
Chaucer surpasses even Shakespeare in the humorous narration of his tales. It
is also on this very count that Chaucer is called the first and the greatest comic
poet in English literature. If he is adjudged the finest humourist of all times, it
seems quite appropriate to do so. His personality, his ability to observe and
comment on things in a veiled, sugar-coated manner, rather than express them
explicitly and bluntly, would attract any or every reader.

By nature Chaucer was pleasing and jovial and he retained this gaity to
the very end. However, he felt inclined to entertain and overcome the serious and
the grave if and when need arose. Endowed with the faculty of keen observation,
no abnormality or absurdity in life could escape his eye. Things that _______
appeared normal to undiscerning eye _____ seemed strange and ridiculous to
___________ The ability to identify or hold up ____ the absurd to ridicule, made
his _____ writings humorous and interesting.

(As a satirist Chaucer is different from other renowned English satirists like
Swift and Huxley. If Satire is devoid of humour, it borders on invective. So any
satirist worth the name has got to Sugar-coat his comments with irony and
humour. Humour conceals the sting and the bitterness of satire. But Chaucer’s
Satire is mild and sympathetic rather than corrosive or hateful. The moralist in
him is sermonizing by holding the absurd and the abnormal up to ridicule. He
does not seem to be an active moralist in spite of the fact that he is a satirist. His
method of driving home his message with the help of humour and irony, appeals
more to the reader than the dull sermon of a preacher. He does succeed in
teaching as well as delighting – Entertainment seemed to be the need of his time.
People had their difficulties – political, social and economic – that were the result
of unforeseen natural calamities like epidemics and tragedies caused by man like
war and social injustice. So from their men of letters they expected no direct
mention of things that were causing them persistent worry. They rather wanted
the writers to distract ____ delight them. This is why the Monk was ___evented
 16

from narrating the tragic falls of illustrious men and the Nun’s Priest was asked to
narrate a humorous and entertaining tale which he aptly did. So the general
inclination of the people was towards the comic. Chaucer borrowed his plan for
the Canterbury Tales from Bocaccio’s Decameron – a collection of humorous
tales. But Chaucer’s humour is different from Bocaccio, in its all-pervasive,
persistent nature. Bocaccio’s humour is fit-full and momentary, not constant. It
flashes only occasionally. But Chaucer’s humour colours almost every character
and every situation. Chaucer manages to make cock’s abduction at the hands of
the fox seem humorous. Again chanticleer and Pertelote, a pair of pheasants
addressed as Sir and Madam. Then there is the discussions of dreams, flattery,
womanhood and transitory joys of life etc. Coming from the mouths of a cock and
a hen, these things invoke humour. Almost all the characters in the Prologue
even that of the knight to a certain extent, have been invested with humour.
Chaucer makes us laugh even at his own expense when he says “my wit is short,
you may well understand”.

Humour in Chaucer has a great variety and is of different hues. It ranges

from mild good-natured humour to downright ribald ___________ . At times it is
so cloaked that _______ have to make a real effort to di__________ it, when he
says of the knight, “At ______ Mortal balite hadde he been fifteen _____ and
also when he says that he never lost any fight even when challenge by stronger
and braver opponents. This is humour through exaggeration of detail but so
finally clothed that we cannot be very sure of his mind. But he is openly joking
when he says “but for the teller you of his array, his horse was godde but he was
not gay”.

The Wife of Bath is called worthy through vain and deaf. She wanted to be
the first at Church altar and would dress up most fashionably, her wimple on
Sundays, we are told, weighed about ten pounds.

“She was a worthy woman all her life, husbandies at church door she had
a five, withouten company in youthe” amounts to ribaldry. But Chaucer’s
essentially compassionate nature seems to interfere even here when he says
that we could laugh not only at her but also with her. Even the clerk’s description
is indicative of Chaucer’s slight humour. He is a book-work, divorced from the
reality of the world. The description of his person and that of his lean horse is
laughter-provoking. Chaucer does not seem to approve of his ascetic ways.
_____ between the lines, Chaucer implies that one should be practical as well as
theoretical. The Miller’s description is full of irony and pure humour. He is
described as a broad and thickly-built man with a red beard and broad shoulders.
Even the doctor’s portrait is full of ironic humour. He has his links with druggists
and chemists and is full of commercial greed. He made a lot of money during the
 17

days of Black Death. In case of the Miller we again come across a fine blend of
pure and ironical humour. The physical appearance of the Miller is amusing. He
has a wart on his nose with a tuft of hair. He has big and long nostrils and big
furnace like mouth. Irony is evident from Chaucer’s expression.

‘Thumbsof gold’ used to speak of Miller again, snacks of sheer

vituperation. The lawyer locks busdier than he actually is and can deal in selling
and buying land in the most legal and fair manner. Chaucer hints at his
cleverness though his knowledge of law remains unchallenged. Chaucer’s
mention of law remains unchallenged. Chaucer’s mention of the Franklin’s
Epicurean tastes is another example of pure humour i.e. humour for the sake of
humour. He had a sop of wine every morning and fish and neat were plenty in his
house - _________ . His table was permanently laid for ________ the
entertainment of friends who sh_________ his tastes. Even the wives of guilds
men_______ wished to be called madams and wanted their mantles to be
carried royally. They have their own cook, who again, is made the butt of
laughter. The description of manciple____ is again another mixture of ironic
humour. He is quite at home in making purchases whether cash or on credit and
can even outwit the law students. This is a direct hit at his cunning. The Reeve
keeps his accounts so well that no auditor can detect any lapse ______ his
deralings. He is dishonest but is so well aware of the cunning of others that
others are scared of him. To keep his master happy he even lends money to him
and is rewarded with a hood and a coat.

In the Pardoner’s Portrait again _____ come across satire wrapped up in

irony and humour. He keeps his bag full of pardons and is ever ready to oblige
those who can pay the price. He carries a pillow case and tells people its virgin’s
veil. And also has a piece of canvas, which he maintains is a piece from the sails
of Saint Peter’s boat. The simple people can easily be taken in by these “holy
reliques”. Thus Chancer exposes the pardoner to ridicule for his frauds.
Chaucer’s ____atire seems almost merciless in the character delineation of the
Summoner, and the Pardoner. The Summoner’s face is red and full of incurable
pimples – a probable implication being that it was God’s curse. He is lecherous
and has shallow knowledge. Only for a quart of wine he would permit a person to
keep a mistress for twelve months. Chaucer is openly being sarcastic when he
calls him a gentle rascal and a kind one. He tells people not to be afraid of the
excommunication by the archdeacon if only they could grease his palm. Hew is a
glutton. In spite of all the condemnation Chaucer does not sound spiteful or
savage, nor does he seem to be burning with natural ____________ and disgust
though his satire is extremely powerful.
 18

There is an undercurrent of Pathos in Chaucer’s humour. The situations

are so sketched that none can fail to recognize human frailties. Joy and pity go
together both being essential past of life. The clergy are no doubt ridiculed but
we do notice an undercurrent of pity and grief because they are the ones who
should serve as examples for the ordinary mortals. If they fall a prey to greed and
lust, what will ordinary mortals do. Again in the Nun’s Priest’s tale every
humorous situation has a lining of Pathos. Madam Pertelote imposes her
convictions on her husband though totally ign_______ of the subject. Such a
pretentious ________ attitude has a definite undercurrent of pathos. The pathetic
effect of Flat______ is also given a concentric treatment in Nun’s Priest’s tale.
The Wife of Bath who had five husbands at the church door besides other
paramours in her youth. This information though humorous makes us pity this
woman rather than laugh at her. She is a slur on the name of womanhood. The
description of the corrupt clergy, though humorously described, makes the reader
sad. Thus almost every humorous situation hides the piteous aspect.

Chaucer’s humour is not satirical in the sense of being hurtful. It is mild

and indirect, being cloaked in irony.
 19

CHAUCER AS A SOCIAL HISTORIAN

Since Chaucer’s work particularly his Prologue to the Canterbury Tales

and the tales themselves give us a picture of the 14 th century England, he has
often been called a social historian. But Chaucer, factually speaking, is not a
social historian in the strict sense of the word – neither is he a chronicler who
gives an account of events in roper time sequence. We can not call Chaucer a
conscious historian because the picture he gives us of the 14 th century England
and the English society is incomplete. He does not dwell on the upper and lower
classes but does give us a complete picture of the average humanity. It was so
because Chaucer was a court poet basically. He wrote for the entertainment of
the people in the court and had he satirized them or laughed at them, they,
instead of being entertained, would have indubitably felt offended. Being a
satirical humourist, he had to look for the ridiculous which stems from vanity and
condensed, is nevertheless extremely _______ comprehensive and accurate.
The picture _____ not be an exact duplicate of the _____mporary scene but is
realistic and _______ in literature we know is not simple ______ reality but
something that has the effect of reality. Things spoken of by a literary artist may
not have actually happened but their manner of presentation and their being
logical and probable, makes the reader believe that they might have happened. A
literary, creative artist must modify, suppress, emphasize, exaggerate and even
invent things. Chaucer being no exception, his picture of the 14 th century average
humanity, can conveniently be deemed realistic and convincing.

As a literary artist he does not go by the practices in vogue in the 14 th

century. He creates no dream-worlds, gives no visions or allegorical or fanciful
staff. His characters, vividly portrayed as they are, belong to a period but their
lineaments are of universal significance. We are enlightened on many an aspect
of ______ectation - attributes to be found chiefly _____ the middle classes
rather than in the upper and lower middle classes. The middle class people are
full of vanity and affectation because they have their ambitions but not the
resources to be like those belonging to the higher stratum of society. The reason
for his skipping the lower classes was a tender and sympathetic heart. The poor
being miserable, deserved sympathy rather than satire and Chaucer Could not
ridicule their lapses for fear of making their lot still more miserable. He
concentrated on the middle class and the picture of this class within its range is
almost complete. We find a variety of individuals with a variety of occupations,
behaviour patterns, idiosyncrasies of the warriors, the rot in the class of the
clergy and other professions Chaucer describes their mannerisms, dress life
styles and hobbies most meticulous-asserted the spirit and temper of his age.
 20

The picture, though concentrated or ________, is nevertheless extremely

compressive and accurate. The picture may not be an exact duplicate of the
contemporary science but is realistic and realism in literature we know is not
simple reality but something that has the effect of reality. Things spoken of by a
literary artist may not have actually happened but their manner of presentation
and their being logical and probable makes the reader believe that they might
have happened. A literary, creative artist must modify, suppress, emphasize,
exaggerate and even invent things. Chaucer being no exception, his picture of
the 14th century average humanity, can conveniently be deemed realistic and
convincing.

As a literary artist he does not go by the practices in vogue in the 14 th

century. He creates no dream-worlds, given no visions or allegorical or fanciful
stuff. His characters, vividly portrayed as they are, belong to a period but their
lineaments are of universal significance. We are enlightened on many aspects of
the various individuals, with typical _____ and even universal traits, in a ri______
humorous manner – satire and irony being his chief weapons. His characters
give us three tiers of the contemporary society. They are firstly the agricultural
feudal class represented by the Knight, Squire, Yeoman, Franklin, Reeve, Miller
and the Ploughman, who though a minor cog in the machine, is still a part of the
feudalistic structure as he tills the land. The second tier is represented by
professional men like the Doctor, the Man of Law, the Manciple, the Merchant
and the Wife of Bath who too is a cloth maker, stands for the newly burgeoning
(coming up) urban society. This tier in time became the merchantile middle class.
Thirdly the eight pilgrims viz the Prioress, her chaplain, The Monk, the Friar, the
Clerk of Oxenford, the Parson, the Summoner and the Pardoner represent the
church. But all these characters belonging to various professional categories
throw ample light on the commercialism and the mercenary mentality of ____
14th century people. The Monk owns a _____lot of houses and is fond of riding
and hunting. He abhors austere religious injunctions and is averse to reading and
manual work. He is fond of eating a fat swan. The Friar believes in giving
absolution only if the sinner, concerned donates generously to his order. He
mixes up with the rich and the famous and avoids the poor and sick. The
Summoner and the Pardoner too, earn money through practices totally unworthy
of their class. And the Prioress has affected and vain manners. It can thus be
said that every rung in the hierarchy of the church and the state can easily be
identified and the vices and virtues – if any – of both can also be easily pointed
to.

It should not certainly be concluded that all was well with the medieval
world. It could (might) have been comparatively happier and simpler than our
 21

own age, but it was certainly not trouble free. The Black Death (i.e. the plague)
and the peasant’s revolt in 1381 gave big jolts to the contemporary British society
and almost shook the very foundations of the social fabric. But Chaucer does not
make direct references to such important historical events, through his
characters, through their appearance, habits, manners, aspirations and
frustrations reflect on the currents and the under-currents moving in the 14 th
century British society. Even the haberdasher, the carpenter and the dyer tell us
something about the ambitions of the lowly regarding their wish to climb higher.
They are all, collectively, members of a guild, organized to get their problems
solved.

Chaucer even enlightens us on the dress, the different professionals wore

and the food they were fond of eating. The Monk is fond of roasted swan, the
Franklin that of fated partridges and the Cook of the ale of London. And all these
things serve as dues to the characters of various individuals and their
psychology.

Finally it seems interesting as to why Chaucer preferred to keep mum on

the great events of his time and also
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