Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is a literary masterpiece that is replete with a lot of main themes on the pangs of courtly love, the company kept by a person, questioned the religious role of the Church, contrasting their rich, elite lifestyles with that of their flock, the poor peasants, who were drowned in misery and poverty.
Further Explanation:
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales gives us a detailed understanding of the life and society of medieval England. The character of the Plowman, who works hard in the fields, is said to exhibit dramatic irony in the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer’s sense of humor has a subtlety and innocence about them and does not carry any undertones of criticism. He only brings out the flaws of the corrupted elements in society to give his readers a taste of his humor but does not engage in publicly shaming them or overtly criticizing them.
Chaucer’s portrayal of the Plowman is an ordinary, honest, hard-working fellow, who provides for his family and is undeterred by the hardships of life and poverty. He does some of the most menial jobs that are available in the Medieval World, however, he undertakes his job as a part of his service to God and his commitment to upholding the sanctity of his religious values. The honest character of the Plowman is used as a contrast to highlight the corruption that existed among his not so honest society members, especially the miller and the Reeve. We can say that he idolizes his brother the Parish, who cares for his people, and does not think of the hardships that they have to endure for day to survival. The irony lies in the fact that the poor live in extreme poverty, despite having earned by honest labor, while the rich would be often corrupt, and exploit them.
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Answer Details:
Grade: High School
Chapter: The Canterbury Tales
Subject: English
Keywords:
Plowman, honesty, God-fearing, poverty, labor, menial jobs, irony, corruption, literary humor, abject criticism.