Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper

In Francis Blessington s Paradise Lost: A Student s Companion to the Poem, it states that there are a few criteria to make a work great. It s placement in a recognizable literary context or tradition, the text s complexity, the originality or the revolutionary form, its memorability and its ability to act as a stimulus for audiences at all times. This canon of British Literature represents a history or tradition of human thought and action. The tradition includes events and experiences that allow the reader to relate in some form to the written word. There are many examples of this tradition that we will see is the main theme of this text. The idea that we are on a voyage or journey is something that everyone can relate with. In a way each of us are on our own pilgrimage through life. Along the way we share in the common experiences and wonder at the uniqueness of each individual. Geoffrey Chaucer, in The Canterbury Tales, symbolizes man’s long journey through life. Through this we can gain a sense of where the human race has been and why this text deserves to be called a masterpiece. The Canterbury Tales is about a large unrelated group of people traveling together. However, one of the aspects that make this particular journey so unique is the diversity within the group. Knights, religious leaders, blue-collar workers, and single women all interact openly with each other. Their only connection is their common destination. This is common in life also. Many times during the course of life we are thrown together with people we have never met and have little in common with. Yet the nature of man causes us to embrace companionship when given the opportunity. The pilgrims going to Canterbury had no reason to join together other than the enjoyment one obtains from experiencing life with others. As a way of passing time while they went on their journey each individual would tell a story. This idea came from the host, who was the owner of the inn. He recognized that “confort ne mirth is noon to ride by the waye domb as stoon”(99). To avoid this the host proposed a contest where each pilgrim would tell two stories along the way. The pilgrim with the best story would win a “soper at oure aller cost” at the inn on their return from Canterbury (99). The main action, thus, centers on the individual tales each pilgrim presents. This behavior is natural in man. Humans enjoy sharing their passed experiences to others. The concept of a journey to a particular place is also an occurrence that we as humans can relate too. The pilgrims desired to see “the holy blisful maryr” who “hath holpen whan that they were sike” (81). This refers to Thomas A. Becket, a former archbishop, who was murdered at the cathedral in Canterbury two centuries before Chaucer’s time. These pilgrims had come from “every shires ende” to Southwerke, a suburb of London about 70 miles from Canterbury. This location would have been a common stopover for all pilgrims coming from anywhere north or west of London. This quest to see new and famous sites is common in today’s society also. Millions of people travel to see new lands and historical sites. This is another common theme that allows modern readers to relate to Chaucer’s pilgrims. Another tradition. Another thing that relates us to this text is the fact that we are all in on a voyage. Reading literature in itself is a voyage especially in an atmosphere such as college where you are on a voyage of self-discovery and definition. You incorporate the culture and learning you do and, in turn, increase your knowledge and continue on your own personal journey. Canterbury Tales is a perfect metaphor for this voyage, because not only is it a physical voyage — it is also a discovery of these things — traditions relating to culture and of self-definition.

The tradition of self-definition is also seen in Chaucer’s character, The Wife of Bath. Here she attempts to define herself through the control she has in her marriages and in her interpretation of church doctrine. For example, God’s command to “increase and multiply” is for the Wife interpreted and entrenched in non-reproductive connotations. Through her actions and interpretations she attempts to define herself. The Wife of Bath reflects a culture that is a dominantly patriarchal society, non-inclusive of women. Through the description of her life, marriage can be viewed as mostly a business arrangement, though in this case she controlled the arrangement. Her desire for this control over her marriages was motivated primarily by her lack of control in the financial arena. Through this character we get a glimpse of women’s roles and consequently the roles of men. The expectation of the era to be dutiful and subservient is in conflict with the Wife’s own desire to have control over her husband(s). Another culture innuendo reflected through the Wife of Bath is the fact that the customs of the era included multiple marriages at the first sign of womanhood, in essence, again a contract. The Canterbury Tales reflects many aspects of my own life. The large caravan of travelers remind me of my college experiences. College is just one leg in a long journey through life. On this journey I, like the pilgrims, am visiting new places and experiencing unique people. The great majority of my friends at school were from all over BC. I am from Nanaimo where everybody knows everybody, so it was a change for me to meet so many other people from Vancouver. This is similar to the 29 pilgrims who were all going to Canterbury, but just happened by chance to be staying in the same inn. Also the diversity in interests and personalities of the pilgrims is similar to my experiences at college. I have become friends with people from all walks of life during my time at school. I think this has happened largely for the same reason the band of pilgrims joined together. Life is more enjoyable when people can appreciate it together. Also the sharing of old stories is a device my friends and I have used in an attempt to enjoy life more fully. Many times we have stayed up well into the night telling our own stories not unlike those from the Wife of Bath; not about marriage but rather topics such as sex, conquests, lust, and money. Which leads to another point. This idea of attachment to others partly explains why the pilgrims and I are able to achieve harmony with our acquaintances. We are not willing to hold our friends up to close inspection because of a fear they will fail to meet our standards. The alternative to friendship for us is a long lonely journey by ourselves. Although disagreements are unavoidable, they rarely extend into long term problems. I can see the faults in my friends at school but, like Chaucer the pilgrim, am unable to pass moral judgement on them. Therefore, I accept less than I otherwise might in exchange for friendship and camaraderie. The Canterbury Tales deserves its place in the canon of British Literature. It accurately describes the journey we are all on. While on this journey we share our experiences through shared stories. Also we become more tolerant of values different than our own. This enables us at the end of the journey to see life differently than we otherwise might.