"But al thyng which that shineth as the gold Nis nat gold, as that I have herd it told;" (962-963) Neither the Canon (a priestly administrator of a cathedral) nor his Yeoman are mentioned in Chaucer's "General Prologue." Instead, they ride quickly from the previous town and meet up with the traveling group of storytellers at … Continue reading Trickery and Alchemy in the Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale
Schindler’s List
Schindler's List (1993) Director: Steven Spielberg “Power is when we have every justification to kill, and we don’t.” ★★★★★ Schindler's List is a beautiful but harrowing and sobering holocaust film shot almost entirely in black and white. Amazingly, Spielberg was unsure about the project, and he tried several times to pass the film to other directors … Continue reading Schindler’s List
Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby (2004) Director: Clint Eastwood ★★★☆☆ I enjoy watching a good Clint Eastwood film, but Million Dollar Baby is merely a decent movie, despite winning Best Picture from the Academy that year. Hillary Swank delivers a terrific performance, but otherwise I tend to believe the struggling boxer theme is tired and overdone in … Continue reading Million Dollar Baby
Authorship in the Second Nun’s Tale
The "Second Nun's Tale" begins with a warning about the vice of idleness ("English idleness"). Her tale is about "Seint Cecilie" (Saint Cecilia) and it is intended to cure the problem of idleness. A tale of martyrdom is intended not simply to be entertaining, but to inspire a call to life. The prologue to her … Continue reading Authorship in the Second Nun’s Tale
“The latter ende of joye is wo” On The Dangerous Significance of Poetry in the Nun’s Priest’s Tale
The Knight interrupts the "Monk's Tale" under the accusation that it is far too depressing - no more of this!- he says. The Knight prefers the opposite of endless pitiful tragedies, the Knight desires a tale of "joye and greet solas" (2774). The Host agrees with the Knight: a good tale must include some form … Continue reading “The latter ende of joye is wo” On The Dangerous Significance of Poetry in the Nun’s Priest’s Tale
Further Thoughts on Aristotle’s Politics
Aristotle's treatise on politics is the essential work on political philosophy from classical antiquity. Since the death of Socrates, philosophy had to learn to conceal itself from the wayward opinions of the majority. People are biased and occasionally these biases are directed at people in an unenlightened way. Each age and political regime carries certain … Continue reading Further Thoughts on Aristotle’s Politics
