Today’s Agenda:
1) For the next ten minutes, I want you to journal on the following topic:
a. What is your concept of love? What does the word mean? Are there different kinds of love, and, if so, what are they? Provide examples. Also, consider this: what role do you think the concept of love plays in your culture? Is it widely discussed or not? If it is, why is it, do you think? If it is not, why not, do you think?
2) Group Discussion: (5-7 minutes)
a. The concept of love is generally an extremely awkward topic in our culture. People tend to be more comfortable talking about less important or personal things. However, to the best of your ability, I would like you to discuss the following topic: How are concepts of love represented in your culture? Where do you see it represented? How is it represented? Most importantly, why do you think it is represented in this way?
3) Class Discussion: (5-7)
4) The Knight’s Tale: What do you remember? What has stuck with you?
5) Mini-lecture:
- Several classes ago, I told you that the major struggle of this period was an ongoing attempt to reconcile the teachings of the ancient world (the Greek and Roman) with the rapidly expanding commerce of medieval Europe.
- We saw this in Dante when he turned to Virgil as a guide to explore the Christian universe.
- We have a very similar situation in the Knights tale. The story Knight is set in an ancient Greek city, ruled by Roman Gods, and it contains an extremely English royal system (King, Queen, Princes). Not only that, but the structure of this story is French — it is what is called a Romance. The Knight’s tale is truly a smashup of cultures.
- This is best shown late in the story when Arcite and Palamon joust, an activity that did not gain widespread popularity until the 12th century. And if one needs further proof that this story represents an extremely weird mixing of cultures and traditions, I would point you to the end of the text, to the final word, which is AMEN. The only place one sees Amen situated like this is in the Christian Bible, or at the end of prayers dedicated to the Christian God. One would certainly not find the word begin used in a Roman or Greek text.
- In a Christian context, the use of AMEN at the end turns the entire story into a prayer – a VERY weird idea at the time. You many know that, in a Christian context, prayer’s are considered communications with God or with the divine. For example, the Hail Mary or the Lord’s Pray, as well as the Act of Contrition are all prayers for communicating with the divine in a Christian context.
Well, okay – it is one thing to understand that the text represents a mixing of cultures, but now we also need to think about WHY Chaucer would mix these stories up.
It wasn’t that he was too stupid to tell the difference. Chaucer knew the Bible well enough to have translated it, and while he makes fun of the Scholar, he certainly knew Aristotle (Greek) as well basic Roman history. He was also well versed in the limits and shape of his own culture, enough to know that it was different than the Greek and Roman worlds.
So why did he do this?
Remember that, last time, I said that there were two ideas rattling around in Chauce’s head: the idea of the Wheel of Fortune and the very basis of what was to become Humanism? Well, he found a way to reconcile these ideas in this story, and I will now explain to you how he did that.
Humanism asks that we become open to the possibility that other subjects other than an institutionalized understanding of God could very well sit in the center of the wheel of fortune. That is to say, some of the subjects we have been associating with life outside the wheel might actually be better situated at the center of the wheel.
Now, one of the best and most disruptive forces in many people’s lives is the force of love. Love can put you in any of these slots very quickly.
In The Knight’s Tale, Chaucer has written a wonderful story in which, I would argue, LOVE has been placed next to God (but has not replaced God) within the center of the Wheel.
This may seem contradictory to you, as in the story is it obvious that it is by their infatuation with love and endless purist of it that Arcite and Palamon nearly ruin their respective lives.
And this is true. But notice the problem comes when they pursue Love without attempting to have that love protected of defended by a Divine force. As we see in the part IV, as Arcite and Palamon and Emily pray to their respective Gods, the issue of their love is taken up by the Supernatural, and is resolved for them.
So one of the messages here appears to be that love is best pursued and acquired when it is endorsed or determined by a Divine Entities. One might say, okay – that makes sense, but wouldn’t that also imply that it just better to begin thinking about God anyway, and cut out the middle man – love – altogether?
Well, no – and this is where we need to remember that, which this story is being framed within a Christian Context, the Christian God is nowhere to be found here. We have minor Pagan Gods, Mars, Venus, Diana, who are ruled over by a major Roman God, Jupiter. And when the word “God” shows up, it is that major God who is being referenced, Jupiter.
Why not Christ? 
Christ is presumed, after all, by many Christians to have said something like the following:
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies!”
“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
So, one would presume that the Christian God was assumed to know something about love. Why is He not represented here? It would seem a logical choice.
So one of the implications here is that Love, while love may be best pursued through an understanding of God – that the God best fit to resolve such issues is not the Christian God, which is a fairly shocking thing to say, when one considers that Jesus, which the Christian Context, was not only the Prince of Peace, but also the one who commanded his followers to “Love one another.” Chaucer, remember had translated the Bible — he knew all about this
So this is an extremely radical story, and I want you to understand it as such. It is also worth noting that, by this time, no one really would have taken the Pagan Gods seriously — so the question becomes, if the Christian God and Jesus are not the best gods to deal with love, and the Pagan gods not to be taken seriousness, then who is there to resolve the issue of love in our lives?
Homework: Read The Wife of Bath’s Prologue/ Wife of bath’s Tale, and create a focusued annotation for it.
[...] Friday, Jan 23 [...]
Mama Sora
EH 241
Adam Crowley
January 20, 2009
Summary of The Canterbury Tales: Prologue
The Prologue in the Canterbury Tales is Chaucer’s way of bringing relevance to a series of tales depicting the individual journey of each character within a large group on a spiritual voyage. The prologue opens to the narrator describing a beautiful spring day, observing the correlation between the season and the start of pilgrimages. The narrator meets 29 individuals, all traveling together, despite the differences in wealth and social standing; he decides to embark on this excursion with the group.
This is not before in length describing each individual; both their physical attributes as well as their place within a societal hierarchy. He begins by describing those he views as the crème de la crème (highest of social standing). The Knight is the first acquaintance that the narrator speaks of. The Knight is describes as gentle, wise, and modest (in demeanor and appearance). “And in his bearing modes as a maid. He never yet a boorish thing had said…He was a true, a perfect gentle-knight. Speaking of his equipment he possessed…he was not gaily dressed…He wore a fustian tunic stained and dark With smudges where his armour had left mark;” (Chaucer 4).The narrator also speaks much of the many victories of war this Knight possesses, yet he makes sure we do not view this man as only a fighter, but wise and gentle.
We then meet the Knight’s entourage which include his son; The Squire; and a Yeoman (servant). The narrator calls the Squire, “a fine young Squire, A lover and cadet, a lad of fire…he was some twenty years of age…In stature he was of moderate length…With locks as curly as if they had been pressed…Singing he was or fluting all day” (Chaucer 5) The narrator describes the Squires looks, including his attire; his stature; and this is the only character he describes as artistic (liking song, dance, and poem). The narrator mainly describes the appearance of the Yeoman, he seems ornately dressed.
We then hear of the clergy members traveling with the party. First a nun, the Prioress named Madame Eglantyne, described as a tenderhearted sole with compassion for everyone of God’s creatures. Her grace and etiquette befitting a queen. With the clergy traveled another nun described only as the Prioress’ secretary. Then three Priests, monks described as “the finest sort Who rode the country, hunting was his sport” (Chaucer 7). Although he ranks the monk as the finest, he then contradicts himself by saying the monk does not follow the churchly ways. He hunts, this is behavior a servant of God should not partake in.
Skipping to the last man named, showing the difference in the societal hierarchy within the text, we have the “gentle Pardoner…had hair as yellow as wax. Hanging down smoothly like a hank of flax. In driblets fell his locks behind his head…he wore no hood upon his head, for fun…he had bulging eye balls…there was no pardoner of equal grace” (Chaucer 21). The narrator describes very vividly a man who appears to be the most unkempt of the group, but of pleasant mind and spirit. He tells how the pardoner was the beloved story teller and singer, easily winning silver from the crowd. Although he was born and bound to the title of plebian, he was accepted in this eclectic group.
In the prologue we get an understanding of how important social class was during the time these tales were written; as well as a taste for the judgment placed upon appearances (both of which are still common practice today). This sets the tone and serves as a bridge to the individual tales that follow. This prologue creates a relevance between characters who are so vastly different from one another, tying their tales together.
Mama Sora
EH 241
Adam Crowley
January 23, 2009
Summary of The Wife of Bath’s Tale
This tale opens with the Wife of Bath describing the world a woman during King Arthur’s day. Women used to fear incubi, which would rape and impregnate them, now they had to fear Knight’s and Friars that would rape them. In this particular a young Knight happens upon a beautiful young maiden, and overcome by both lust and desire rapes the young woman.
King Arthur’s court upon discovering this crime are appalled and the king orders the Knight to be sentenced to a swift execution, decapitation is ordered. However, the queen suggests that the Knight be given a choice to go on a journey of a year and a day, with the mission of discovering what every women’s desires from a man; or take his prior sentence. The Knight chooses the latter the two judgments and begins his journey
The Knight travels the land asking every woman he stumbles upon what she desires from a man. He is disheartened by the discovery that almost every woman gives him a different answer to this question. A year goes by and with the day in question approaching he heads, mourning the action that will shortly be taken. But, he crosses the path of an old haggard woman, who is very wise; he tells the old woman his plight. The old woman listens and agrees to save his life, but in turn he must grant the woman anything she desires; he happily agrees.
The two travel to the Kingdom to present the Queen with the answer she desires. The Knight recites the answer given to him by the old woman, “A woman wants the self-same sovereignty Over her husband as over her lover, And master him; he must not be above her. That is your greatest wish”. The queen and women of the court are pleased with this answer and agree to reward him with his life.
The old woman now having given the Knight the correct answer steps before the kingdom to request her reward; she wishes the Knight to take her as his wife. The Knight is appalled that this ugly old hag wishes to be his wife, he begs her to take all his belongings but allow him to keep his body. The old woman insists on becoming his wife, so keeping his end of the deal he marries her in a private ceremony. Later that night when he is bedding his new bride, he is clearly displeased, and wishing to please her husband the old woman asks why he is so sad.
The Knight tells that old woman she should know he is sad and embarrassed to be married to an old and very ugly woman who is of low-class. The old woman gives the knight a choice; you can have me as I am, old and ugly, but faithful and pleasing until the day I die; or you can have me young and beautiful, but selfish and adulterous. The Knight ponders the options and wisely tells the old woman to make the wisest decision that will honor them both. The old woman pleased that the Knight is giving her the very thing every woman desires from a man transforms; and because he gave her what she most desired he got a beautiful and faithful wife. They lived happy life together until death parted them.