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
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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
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
What Is A Eulogy? Ethos, Pathos, and Logos In Pericles’s Funeral Oration Speech
Thucydides offers one-hundred and forty-one speeches in his monumental history of the Peloponnesian War, yet the early eulogy offered by Pericles (in Book II) is surely the most famous. The word "eulogy" comes down to us from the Greek word eulogia meaning to offer praise, or even high praise. Pericles delivers his famous eulogy, the … Continue reading What Is A Eulogy? Ethos, Pathos, and Logos In Pericles’s Funeral Oration Speech
The Principle of Exchange in The Shipman’s Tale
The Shipman is a western man, perhaps hailing from Dartmouth (as Chaucer suggests in the "General Prologue"). He is a modest man, riding a cart horse, and wearing a wool cloth with a dagger around his neck. He is a "good felawe." On his way to the pilgrimage had stolen a good deal of wine … Continue reading The Principle of Exchange in The Shipman’s Tale
History Contra Poetics in The Physician’s Tale
There is no introduction to "The Physician's Tale." We begin en media res. The tale cites as its source Titius Livius ("Livy") the great Roman historian, though Chaucer likely borrowed sections from The Romance of the Rose which he also partially translated. Unlike other tales, "The Physician's Tale" is not about unrequited love or the … Continue reading History Contra Poetics in The Physician’s Tale
