Week 11 Flashcards

1
Q

How does The Pardoner’s Take exemplify the theme Radix Malorum est Cupiditas stated at the beginning of The Pardoner’s Prologue?

A

The three gamblers die because of their greed (cupiditas) = they embody greed.

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2
Q

Allegory in The Pardoner’s Tale

A
  1. Personification
  2. The old man
  3. Shared Christian doctrine
  4. The beatific vision of God
  5. Blasphemous murder scene
    • consumption of bread and wine (= last supper, Eucharist)
    • Stabbing of youngest rascal (= Christ on cross)
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3
Q

By means of allegory, what does the consumption of bread and wine represent in The Pardoner’s Tale?

A

Last supper, Eucharist

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4
Q

By means of allegory, what does the stabbing of the youngest rascal represent?

A

Stabbing of Christ on cross.

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5
Q

Exemplum

A

Concrete example that illustrates abstract point made before, and needs to be generalised (e.g. Stilboun).

Or a little story that illustrates a general truth. However, it is not a genre.

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6
Q

Allegory

A

Signifies something else, needs to be translated (e.g. heap of gold), and relies on doctrine shared by author and audience.

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7
Q

On which two levels does allegory exist?

A
  1. Literal = what figure does in narrative, e.g. crooked path
  2. Symbolic = what figure stands for, outside narrative, e.g. sin
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8
Q

What is allegory a technique for?

A
  1. Training lawyers (saying one thing and meaning another)
  2. Reading and interpreting Bible (different levels of meaning in Holy Spirit)
  3. Reading and interpreting literary texts
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9
Q

In medieval literature, what are external references needed to understand sentence?

A
  1. Letter: linguistic construction
  2. Sense: literal, surface meaning
  3. Sentence: deeper, ‘spiritual’ meaning
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10
Q

In medieval literature, external references can be…

A
  1. Imagery, figurative language (fabliau)
  2. Symbolism (romances)
  3. Allegory (stock allegorical symbols)
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11
Q

How does the medieval world think of allegorical interpretation?

A

Everything must make sense as it expresses God’s plan

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12
Q

Four levels of scriptural interrogation of Holy Scripture

A
  1. Literal level: teaches what happened
  2. Allegorical level: teaches what to believe
  3. Moral (tropological) level: teaches how to act and live (present)
  4. Analogical level: teaches what to hope for (future)
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13
Q

How is ‘greed’ implemented in Chaucer’s work?

A
  1. Theme for Pardoner’s exemplum
  2. Sin committed by Pardoner
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14
Q

What does Chaucer criticise in The Pardoner’s Tale?

A

Clergy

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15
Q

How is allegory used as a literary tool in the Pardoner and his Tale?

A

Textual interpretation and instruction.

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16
Q

Use of ‘lo’

A
  1. To attract/direct audience attention (same as behold!)
  2. To mark a rhetorical statement with a general truth with relevance beyond context of the story
  3. Marks beginning and end of a text.
  4. Whenspeaker cites an authority/introduces them.
17
Q

Use of ‘well’ and what is it not in ME?

A
  1. Beginning new topic
  2. Mitigate face-threatening act by reducing force of confrontation

Not in ME:
1. Pause filler
2. Qualifier, speakers fails to supply complete answer

18
Q

Addressing women informal

A
  1. First name only
  2. Often softened with endearing terms > o my criseyde
  3. Courtly use > indicates shift in relationship
19
Q

Addressing women formal

A
  1. “Dame” (+ first name), respectful and socially desirable
  2. “Lady” + professional name (e.g. my lady prioresse)

Most formal:
Madame, gives greatest social distance, viewed as index of social status.

20
Q

What did the formality of the form of address depend on?

A
  1. Age
  2. Social position
  3. Degree of formality/politeness
21
Q

Formal ways to address a man

A

Formal
Professional name without sir (Frankelyn)
Used in confrontational instance, smaller social distance.

Very formal
Title + surname
Sir + professional name

22
Q

What is cupiditas?

A

Anti-cresative love = greed

23
Q

Allegory vs. Exemplum

A

Exemplum teaches the point, needs to be generalised, and allegory needs to be ‘translated’ by the reader.

24
Q

Exampla in the Pardoner’s Tale

A

Three men: greed, betrayal
Death as a thief: inevitability of death
Old man: unchangeable nature of aging