"The Monk's Tale" is another experimentation in form -this time the formal subject is biography. In a certain light, the tale is a parody of Bocaccio's Concerning the Falls of Illustrious Men, or even Plutarch's Lives. After the conclusion of the previous tale (i.e. the pilgrim named Chaucer's second tale) the Host exclaims that he … Continue reading Seventeen Tragic Biographies in The Monk’s Tale
Great Books Project
The Story Behind “Auld Lang Syne”
The words for "Auld Lang Syne" come from a Robert "Rabbie" Burns Scottish poem written in 1788, though he claimed to have written it down from an elderly man -an "old song" of "olden times." It is a song of nostalgic memories. The poem's title may be translated into English as "old long since" or … Continue reading The Story Behind “Auld Lang Syne”
Political Theology in the Bible: An Exegesis
The account of human life described and, at times, advocated throughout the Bible is a radically different vision from political philosophy offered to us in the writings of Plato and Aristotle. In the Bible, an infinitely distant God creates the world and then places humans in it. He is an artisan and a poet -He … Continue reading Political Theology in the Bible: An Exegesis
Deprivation and Excess in The Tale of Sir Thopas and The Tale of Melibee
Chaucer, the pilgrim, is the only member of the group who is allowed to present a second tale on the way to Canterbury. He delivers his second tale following the failure of his minstrel song, "The Tale of Sir Thopas." The second tale is told in prose form. It is about a rich man named … Continue reading Deprivation and Excess in The Tale of Sir Thopas and The Tale of Melibee
On Chaucerian Irony in the Tale of Sir Thopas
Chaucer describes the whole group as "sobre" after the previous tale of martyrdom told by the Prioress. Then the Host starts joking and for the first time he looks down at the narrator -the fictional character of Chaucer, who is an unusually quiet and observant person. He is an intellectual: maladroit, moody, somber, soft, and … Continue reading On Chaucerian Irony in the Tale of Sir Thopas
A Hollow Story of Martyrdom In The Prioress’s Tale
In the "General Prologue" the nun, or "Prioress," is described as simple and coy. Her name is "madame Eglentyne" and her greatest oath is by "Saint Loy," or Saint Eligius, the patron saint of goldsmiths, metalworkers, and coin collectors. Perhaps the Prioress cares deeply for transient physical valuables. At any rate, she speaks French very … Continue reading A Hollow Story of Martyrdom In The Prioress’s Tale
