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4.Historical context and themes
Fairy tales mention the peasant uprising of
1381.
In 386 Chaucer became Comptroller of the
Customs and Justice of the peace and in 1389
Secretary of the royal affairs. It was during these
years that Choser began working on Canterbury
Tales.
The end of the 14th century was a turbulent period in English history. The
Catholic Church was in the middle of the Western Schism, and while it was still the
only Christian authority in Western Europe, it caused fierce controversy. An early
English religious movement, led by John Wycliffe, tells of Lollardi, in which a
distinctive incident involving pardons (indulgence dealers) is also mentioned.
Confession) who angrily claimed to meet at St Mary's Runcesval hospital in
England. Canterbury Tales, one of the first English literary works to mention the
Gulf, is a relatively new invention that allows the dissemination of a written word
never seen before in England. Political clashes, such as the Peasants 'Revolt of 1381
and the riots that culminated in the overthrow of King Richard II, further reveal the
complex unrest around Choser during the writing of "Tales". Many of his close
friends were executed, and he himself moved to Kent to avoid events in London.
While some readers want to interpret the characters of "Canterbury Tales" as
historical figures, other readers prefer to interpret its significance less verbatim.
After analysis of Chaucer's diction and historical context, his work seems to have
developed criticism of society during his lifetime. In a number of his definitions, his
comments may be seen as compliments, but statements through intelligent language
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ultimately criticize Hoji's actions. It is unclear whether Chaucer would like the
reader to associate his characters with real-life figures. Instead, Chaucer creates
fantastic characters to be a common representation of people in such areas of work.
With an understanding of medieval society, subtle satire can be identified in the
work.
The tales reflect the different views of the church in Choser England. After the
Black Death, many Europeans began to doubt the reputation of the established
church. Some turned to lolardia, while others took less extreme paths, initiating new
monastic orders or smaller actions exposing church violations in the behavior of
priests, false church remains, or abuse of indulgence. Several characters in the fairy
tales are religious figures, and the pilgrimage to Canterbury itself is religious in
nature (although its seasonal attractions in the preface are ironically explained),
making religion an important theme of the work.
Two characters whose roles concern the secular authority of the church - the
forgiver and the Summoner-are both portrayed as deeply corrupt, greedy, and
insulting. The shaucer-era pardons were people who were accused of abusing their
office in their own interests, with "indulgences" purchased from the church in order
to be forgiven for their sins. Chaucer's Pardoner openly admits that his practice has
been broken while dealing with his products. The conscripts were church officers
who brought the sinners out of the church and into the church court for other
punishments. Corrupt callers write false quotes and scare people into bribing to
protect their interests. Chaucer's Summoner he has been described as guilty of
specific types of sins that threaten to sue others, and has been hinted to have a
perverse relationship with The Pardoner. In” the tale of the Merciful", One of the
characters is a summoner who is shown working on the side of Satan, not God.
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Murder of Thomas Becket
Various types of church members are represented by a monk, a stable woman,
a nun priest, and a second nun. Monastic orders, driven by a desire to follow an
ascetic lifestyle isolated from the world, became increasingly involved in secular
matters under Chaucer. Monasteries often controlled large tracts of land, where they
made large sums of money, while farmers worked on their own. The second nun is
an example of what a nun is expected to be like: a pure example of her tale is about
a woman who brings people to church. On the other hand, a monk and Prioress,
although not as corrupt as a Summoner or Pardoner, are far below ideal for their
orders. Both are expensive dressed, show signs of luxury and flirtatious life, and
show a lack of spiritual depth. The prioress's Tale is the story of a Jewish murder of
a deeply pious and innocent Christian child, with anti-Jewish blood libel becoming
part of the English literary tradition. The story does not derive from Chaucer's works
and was well known in the 14th century.
The pilgrimage was a very important feature of medieval society. The final
shrine was Jerusalem, but Canterbury was a popular place in England. Pilgrims
travel to the cathedrals, where the monuments of the Saints are preserved, and it is
believed that such monuments have miraculous power. St. Thomas Becket,
Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed by the Knights of Henry II during a
disagreement between the church and the crown at Canterbury Cathedral. Miracles
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associated with his remains appeared soon after his death, and the cathedral became
a popular shrine. The pilgrimage in the work links all the stories together and, despite
its weaknesses, disagreements and diversity of opinions, can be seen as an
expression of the Christian pursuit of paradise.
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