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Humor in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
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Humor in Chaucer’s famous Canterbury Tales
Humor was used in the medieval time period to express one's ideas and thoughts. Geoffrey Chaucer also used humor in The Canterbury Tales in different instances. In The Nun's Priest Tale and The Miller's Tale I will show you how he uses humor to describe characters, his use of language and the actual events that take place. In the Nun's Priest Tale there is a rooster named Chaunticleer. His name suggests a fine knight or noble prince. The description of a rooster as a noble prince in courtly love romances is ridiculous and maybe this is what keeps us from taking him too seriously in this story. Nicholas, a clerk or scholar, from The Miller's Tale also has an ironic name. His name suggests St. Nicholas from plays about a mysterious guest at the home of evil hosts. In the story, however, it's the other way around. In Chaunticleer's description Chaucer uses a contrasting humor. The rooster acts as a noble knight or prince when in reality he is only a barnyard animal. The description of the barnyard animals brings an undercut from the courtly love that occurs throughout the tale. This reminds you to think that Chaunticleer and Pertelote are only animals which brings about a hilarious effect. With Nicholas, a lowly clerk, portraying a higher class gentleman when in essence he just wants a sexual pursuit and the meaning of his name uses an ironic humor to show he is an idiot. With John, the carpenter, Alison, his wife, and Absalom, the...
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