Geoffrey Chaucer Group at eNotes

how does Chaucer's Attitude towards the Monk differ if at all from the...

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:46:19 PST

how does Chaucer's Attitude towards the Monk differ if at all from the attitude toward the Friar? explain

After the Norman Conquest of 1066 in which William the Conqueror of...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:20:26 PST

After the Norman Conquest of 1066 in which William the Conqueror of Normandy (part of France) and his Norman noblemen eradicated Harold of Hastings and the Saxon nobles, French became the official language in England. All written works were put in French including literature. (For instance, the Arthurian Legends are in French). Then, Geoffrey Chaucer, whose last name is the French form of the word shoemaker, came along in the second half...

Please discuss the contributions of Chaucer as the architect of Modern...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:59:17 PST

Please discuss the contributions of Chaucer as the architect of Modern English.

who were the 6 characters in the canterbury tales that worked in the...

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 16:44:04 PST

who were the 6 characters in the canterbury tales that worked in the catholic church and what made the church a corrupted one

This is a huge question - and people have written whole books in order...

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:28:58 PST

This is a huge question - and people have written whole books in order to answer it. I can provide you with the main points though: Chaucer considerably expanded the word-stock of English, being one of the first poets in the language to utilise its tremendous variety, bringing in words from a variety of languages which were converging with English during the Middle Ages. Chaucer's "first instances" of words include words from Greek,...

What is Geoffrey Chaucer's influence on English and English literature?

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:12:52 PST

What is Geoffrey Chaucer's influence on English and English literature?

I think Chaucer had multiple purposes in writing the Canterbury Tales,...

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 22:20:42 PST

I think Chaucer had multiple purposes in writing the Canterbury Tales, some of which we will never know! He clearly was disenchanted with the Catholic church and uses a lot of satire in his tales, definitely. One way many authors "got away" with criticizing the church was through satire, which involves poking fun at serious subjects. Chaucer is no exception. I do not believe that he had very specific purposes but that he...

Absolutely! He may not be saying that they are "liars" in...

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:20:46 PST

Absolutely! He may not be saying that they are "liars" in particular, but he absolutely thinks of them as corrupt and deceptive.Take all the members of the clergy on the trip. The ONLY one he approves of is the Parson. He also approves of the Plowman (a farmer, not a clergyman, but he IS the Parson's brother. Kuddos to their parents). All others have some hint of deception or not following the rules.Nun--seems flirtatious...

In Chaucer's time, corruption in the Catholic Church was quite prevalent...

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:14:58 PST

In Chaucer's time, corruption in the Catholic Church was quite prevalent as the practice of selling indulgences became one of deception and greed. Also, because the second son of aristocrats would not inherit the property and wealth of his father, many times he would enter the next highest level of society, the religious life, simply for the social level rather than in answer to a vocation.Chaucer satirizes this religious hypocrisy in such...

Chaucer is writing about the deception in all groups of people. He...

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:14:47 PST

Chaucer is writing about the deception in all groups of people. He also tries to show the hypocrisy of people and the way they justify their behavior through the way they interpret their faith and the Scriptures. "The Pardoner is the most cynical Christian, condemning the very behaviors that he indulges in and trying to sell salvation by way of the counterfeit icons and the signed certificates from the pope he carries with him. It was...

Chaucer definitely has a negative view of religious leaders, and...

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 09:14:14 PST

Chaucer definitely has a negative view of religious leaders, and characterizes them as hypocrite in "The Canterbury Tales". When Chaucer speaks of the Monk in the prologue, who is supposed to be a humble servant of the church living in poverty, he is described as wearing "fine gray fur, the finest in the land" (186). This is Chaucer's criticism on the opulence of the church. The Friar is also describes as someone who...

In the "Canterbury Tales" do you think that Chaucer was trying to point...

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 08:20:12 PST

In the "Canterbury Tales" do you think that Chaucer was trying to point how religious leaders are liars?