Chaucer- quotes

Question 1

The General Prologue - merchant’s description

Answer 1

“Upon his heed a Flaundrissh bever hat, his boots clasped faire and fetisly”
Merchant is described to be wearing very fashionable clothing which shows he cares a lot about his appearance and creates a facade of wealth.

Question 2

The General Prologue - merchant’s description

Answer 2

“So estatly was he of his governance
With his bargains and with his chevissaunce.”
The Merchant was good at concealing the fact that he is in debt and acts so dignified nobody would have guessed.
Debt is a sign of poor judgement in business, alludes to his poor judgement in people too.

Question 3

The General Prologue- merchant’s description

Answer 3

” This worthy man full wel his wit bisette:”
“For sothe he was a worthy man with Alle,
But, sooth to seyn, I noot how men him calle”
The repetition of worthy makes it seem suspicious and although Chaucer the pilgrim claims that the Merchant is a good man he doesn’t know his name so it suggests he does not know the Merchant well at all. The Merchant is untrustworthy and secretive.

Question 4

Merchant’s prologue- marriage

Answer 4

” Weping and wailing, care and other sorwe”
Hyperbole in the merchant’s description of his marriage is instantly made clear in his use of long vowel sounds “weping and wailing”, makes his pain phonetically palapable.

Question 5

Merchant’s Prologue- wife is worse than the devil

Answer 5

“For though the feend to hire coupled were, She wolde him overmacche, I dare wel swere.”
Hyperbolic language makes the merchant’s critical view of marriage unequivocal and beings to raise suspicions in the minds of the audience as his views of his wife is so lacking in nuance.

Question 6

Page 15- “she is a shrew at al.”

Answer 6

Monosyllabic- reduces the woman’s identity to someone who is loud and opinionated.

Question 7

Page 15- I wolde never eft comen in the snare

Question 8

Page 15- we wedded men live in sorrow and care

Question 9

A worthy knight that born was of Pavie

Question 10

Followed ay his bodily delit

Question 11

Live under this hooly bond

Question 12

Wedlock is so easy and so clene

Question 13

Thanne is a wyf the fruit of his tresor

Question 14

Yong wife and a feir. Engendren him and heir

Question 15

For who Kan be so buxom as a wyf?

Question 16

A trewe servant dooth moore diligence

Question 17

A wyf is Goddes yifte verraily

Question 18

Mariage is a full greet sacrement

Question 19

His paradis terrestre and his disport

Question 20

Thou art so murye and eek so vertuous

Answer 20

Example of ‘apostrophe’- talking directly to marriage

Question 21

Love Wel thy wyf, as Crist loved his chirche

Question 22

I am hoor and oold

Answer 22

Long vowel sounds emphasises his age

Question 23

My body folily despended

Question 24

Tendre of age. Shapeth for my Mariage

Question 25

To whom I may be wedded hastily

Question 26

Ye shullen rather swich a thing espyen

Question 27

Deere, manere, yeer

Answer 27

Triple rhyme- January emphasizing what is important to him

Question 28

Bet than old boef is the tender veel

Question 29

But bene-straw and greet forage

Question 30

A yonge thing may men gye, right as men may warm wex with hands plye

Question 31

Yet were me levere hounds had me eaten, than that myn heritage sholde falle in straugne hand

Question 32

And bolsmy tree is nether dryer ne deed

Question 33

Myn herte and Alle my lymes been as green as laurer though the year is for to sene

Question 34

Placebo- dooth now in this matiere right as yow leste for finally I holde it for the best.

Question 35

Tooke a mirrour/ sette it in a commune market-place

Answer 35

Mirror- only cares about the external appearance of his wife.
Lack of power is emphasised by the lack of perspective
Transaction -women seen as objects that can be bought.

Question 36

For love is blind alday and may nat see

Answer 36

January refuses to that a young women would not be happy to marry him

Question 37

Hir fresshe beautee and hir age tendre

Answer 37

‘Fresh’ linked to food
‘Tendre’ linked to age

Question 38

Al were it so she were of smal degree

Answer 38

May’s only motivation is for money

Question 39

Made Al siker yogh with holinesse

Answer 39

January has trapped may with religion

Question 40

whan tendre youth hath wedded stouping age

Answer 40

Juxtaposition of young and old