Chaucer's context Flashcards
Give context on WOB as a proto-feminist.
WOB’s prologue is far longer than any other pilgrim of the 23, allowing her to develop the richest backstory. However, considering the stereotype of the “nagging” woman, this may serve to hinder the depth of female characters by mocking femininity and criticising WOB’s masculine attributes to mock women in power. To summarise, it may not be convincing to view Chaucer as a proto feminist as WOB becomes a figure of mockery.
The theme of rape in WOB’s tale may indicate proto feminism- potential comparison between the sexual commodification of the maiden and the intellectual capital of the Queen? The tale equates sexual and intellectual property as is shown in a patriarchy.
Alternatively, the equation of sexual and intellectual property/ power is matched in matriarchy and patriarchy as the character of the Queen is as tyrannical as any male ruler, suggesting the WOB is most convincingly mocked by Chaucer the author as her only power is gained through imitation of male sources; power is not organic to women.
Could Chaucer be considered a proto-feminist?
E- length of WOB’s prologue- dynamic character means Chaucer may be considered a proto feminist by giving depth and character development to his female characters.
I1- Chaucer may be considered a proto feminist as WOB has a richly developed backstory and power over her male audience. (Overcoming of all husbands ultimately including Jankin may show power of women).
I1- interruption by Pardoner- WOB’s discursive power is undermined by her male audience, turning WOB into a figure of fun and mockery rather than a richly developed character. Chaucer is not a proto feminist as WOB’s character is mocked and destabilised.
MC- 2. Chaucer the pilgrim shows disdain for WOB’s assertion of power over her husbands and uses methods which are prototypically masculine (sexuality, deceit, pejoration/ degradation through terms of endearment) meaning femininity and power are mutually exclusive, and masculinity is forbidden from women.
Give feminist literary influence on Chaucer.
Le Roman de la Rose- WOB’s character is largely based on the character of La Vieille, both becoming symbols for female sexuality.
Petrarch De Patientia Griseldis- Griselda’s endurance of a cruel husband is subverted by WOB’s story of Jankyn and her tale. Allusion is made to Griselda in the Knight’s tale, suggesting WOB directly dispels her contemporary male writers, perhaps suggesting Chaucer’s emerging protofeminism.
Boccaccio, De Casibus Virorum Illustrium- discussion of Pagan goddess (Fortune).
Margery Kemp- confessional form, female experiential authority filtered by male involvement (scribe)- viewing Chaucer as proto feminist through this lens also depicts him using metafiction, ironizing the role he plays in the creation of the WOB.
Give evidence for and against Chaucer as a proto-feminist.
WOB’s prologue is far longer than any other pilgrim of the 23, allowing her to develop the richest backstory. However, considering the stereotype of the “nagging” woman, this may serve to hinder the depth of female characters by mocking femininity and criticising WOB’s masculine attributes to mock women in power. To summarise, it may not be convincing to view Chaucer as a proto feminist as WOB becomes a figure of mockery.
The theme of rape in WOB’s tale may indicate proto feminism- potential comparison between the sexual commodification of the maiden and the intellectual capital of the Queen? The tale equates sexual and intellectual property as is shown in a patriarchy.
Alternatively, the equation of sexual and intellectual property/ power is matched in matriarchy and patriarchy as the character of the Queen is as tyrannical as any male ruler, suggesting the WOB is most convincingly mocked by Chaucer the author as her only power is gained through imitation of male sources; power is not organic to women.
Justice- WOB introduces the theme of rape and justice in her tale. Could this be Chaucer mocking a proto-feminist response to rape, a crime he was accused of, as the tale comes from the perspective of a woman with a high sex drive and interest in sexual dominion? Or is this storytelling a mode of repentance?
Chaucer equally mocks his other characters, such as the corrupt pardoner and the friar, meaning WOB is not alone in being drawn into a caricature. While this does not necessitate his proto feminism, it doesn’t confirm his antifeminist identity as WOB is not mocked precisely for being a woman.
Give literary influences on the WOB as a proto-feminist.
Le Roman de la Rose- WOB’s character is largely based on the character of La Vieille, both becoming symbols for female sexuality.
Petrarch De Patientia Griseldis- Griselda’s endurance of a cruel husband is subverted by WOB’s story of Jankyn and her tale. Allusion is made to Griselda in the Knight’s tale, suggesting WOB directly dispels her contemporary male writers, perhaps suggesting Chaucer’s emerging protofeminism.
Boccaccio, De Casibus Virorum Illustrium- discussion of Pagan goddess (Fortune).
Margery Kemp- confessional form, female experiential authority filtered by male involvement (scribe)- viewing Chaucer as proto feminist through this lens also depicts him using metafiction, ironizing the role he plays in the creation of the WOB.
Can Chaucer be considered a proto-feminist?
E- length of WOB’s prologue- dynamic character means Chaucer may be considered a proto feminist by giving depth and character development to his female characters.
I1- Chaucer may be considered a proto feminist as WOB has a richly developed backstory and power over her male audience. (Overcoming of all husbands ultimately including Jankin may show power of women).
I1- interruption by Pardoner- WOB’s discursive power is undermined by her male audience, turning WOB into a figure of fun and mockery rather than a richly developed character. Chaucer is not a proto feminist as WOB’s character is mocked and destabilised.
MC- 2. Chaucer the pilgrim shows disdain for WOB’s assertion of power over her husbands and uses methods which are prototypically masculine (sexuality, deceit, pejoration/ degradation through terms of endearment) meaning femininity and power are mutually exclusive, and masculinity is forbidden from women.
Give context concerning class in Chaucer’s time.
Feudal system- lower classes are more populous than the restricted upper class.
Black death saw the deconstruction of feudalism, decrease in population meant a new period in social change- increase in wages, literacy rates among women (new literate class of people), etc.
15th/ 16th century- English cloth dominated European markets.
The three estates determining class in medieval Christendom society were: The First Estate, also known as the oratores or those who pray, would be clergymen; The Second Estate, also known as the bellatores or those who fight, were the nobility; The Third Estate, also known as the laboratores, were the peasantry. The Canterbury Tales is often regarded as being an Estates satire, as Chaucer attributes each of his characters to one of these estates, critiquing each one on the values, stereotypes, and behaviours associated with that class. The two women in the Canterbury Tales (The Wife of Bath and the Prioress) represent the First and Third estate respectively, with the Prioress, as a nun, being a virgin, and the mercantile wife of Bath a widow and a labourer.
The Feudal system in Medieval society saw the regimented placement of all citizens in a specific class group. Feudalism saw every member of society aside from the King become a tenant, with the nobility placed beneath him, followed by the Knights, and finally the peasants. Peasants were the largest and lowest group in society, making up over 90% of the population, though they did not make up the same proportion of pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales. This may indicate Chaucer’s criticism of the pilgrims he details a criticism of the Feudal and Estate systems as entities and does not target individual societies within this.
The Black Death disturbed both the Feudal system and the estates system, meaning people from the mercantile classes, including women, were offered social mobility, as the cloth trade became more valuable in Europe and the population decrease saw job availability increase greatly. Another consequence of this was that prior to the outbreak of the plague, only nobility would be offered high church status. It was extremely rare for people of ascribed status to infiltrate another estate. Following the decrease in population, men of lower classes were now able to aspire to these positions of high clerical status.
Prior to the Black Death, Europe was severely overpopulated, with 90% of their population consisting of serfs and labourers. As the plague wore on, depopulation saw the once disposable labour of serfs and the peasantry become increasingly valuable, as lords could not feed their families without the taxes and income generated by the labour of his peasants. The loss of so much of the workforce and the subsequent new value of peasants also meant that they could afford to negotiate better pay or treatment.
The improved lot of the serf now gave new insecurities to the upper classes, who wished to dress more extravagantly to exaggerate the class gap between them and the lower classes who could now afford to dress in finer clothes than their previous rags and blankets. Despite this, the authority of the Feudal system remained broken, the nobility to no longer having the power and distance from the lower classes.
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales critiques the lack of social mobility available under the Estates system, through the exhibition of gentilesse in characters of a low social rank and the display of churlishness in those of noble rank.
Give religious context of Chaucer’s time.
14th century- omnipresence of ecclesiastical rites in rhythms of everyday life.
Lollards- disagreed with the corruption of the Catholic church, believed the Bible should be translated into English (vernacular English writing).
Give context of gentilesse and churlishness.
Gentillesse in medieval society was regarded as both social and moral- of nobility and moral conduct. The term gentilesse could be used to define both factors due to the reputation of the noble classes and how they were to submit themselves under God and exhibit moral dignity. Chaucer’s writing does not limit the quality of gentilesse to these noble classes- in fact, he often strips the upper class of this noble quality. The General Prologue and the interruptions of the Wife of Bath aim to strip the Pardoner and Friar of this gentilesse that may be afforded to them in wealth and status. He also works to attribute the quality of gentilesse to the poorer or less respected hag of the Wife’s tale and Griselda of the Clerk’s tale. They exhibit moral gentilesse in their submission to God and virtue, despite being themselves non-noble. The Pardoner and Friar’s interruptions demonstrate the “churlish” behaviour displayed by much of the upper class despite the expectations of their behaviour dictated by the gentilesse of their noble rank.
Churl or churlishness was a term that came to mean the opposite of gentilesse- the opposite of nobility and kindness. The term came to mean a common person or man of low rank during the 15th century, during the 16th century, the term came to mean uncivilised person or one inclined to loutish behaviour. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales offers a distinction between the social and moral aspects of gentilesse and churlishness in his formation of characters in the general prologue (for instance as the Franklin, a member of the second estate “[lives] for pleasure and [has] always done”), which re-emerges in the Wife of Bath’s Tale. In this way, Chaucer’s distinct overtone of critiquing social immobility which runs throughout the Tales becomes confused with the Wife’s own message of womanly masterdom.
Give context about other pilgrims.
The pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales are on a pilgrimage to visit the shrine of St Thomas Beckett, a Christian martyr. Up to 100, 000 pilgrims are thought to have visited the shrine each year.
WOB has the longest prologue of any of the 23 pilgrims by far, meaning she has the most developed backstory. Whoever tells the best story was to win a meal paid for by the rest of the group (link this to ideas on poverty and wealth with storytelling, but also WOB’s clear wealth (rich clothing). Does this facilitate questioning of her sincerity?).
The Man of the Law’s epilogue may indicate that WOB’s tale was not originally ascribed to her, but the Shipman’s tale. The Shipman’s tale details a merchant, his wife, and her lover- a monk. The story depicts the monk borrowing money from the merchant to give to the wife to repay her debt before the wife sleeps with him as thanks. Upon discovering the money paid to the wife, the merchant confronts her and she blames the monk saying she believed it payment for his long stay. She then repays the debt to the merchant in bed. This explicitly criticises the clergy, but also affords power to the wife over the merchant and the monk.
WOB’s prologue is far longer than any other pilgrim of the 23, allowing her to develop the richest backstory. However, considering the stereotype of the “nagging” woman, this may serve to hinder the depth of female characters by mocking femininity and criticising WOB’s masculine attributes to mock women in power. To summarise, it may not be convincing to view Chaucer as a proto feminist as WOB becomes a figure of mockery.
Give context on marriage in the medieval period.
Marriage was an economic construct- it was rare that
