The Canterbury Tales Comparative Essay - 887 Words

Franchesca Mrs. Thomas AP Literature and Composition A Knight Nobler Than a Monk The Canterbury Tales, written at the end of the fourteenth century, is a frame story written by Geoffrey Chaucer. In the novel, the narrator joins a diverse group of twenty-nine pilgrims who are traveling from Southwark to the shrine of the martyr Saint Thomas’a Becket. While the pilgrims are gathered at the inn, Chaucer observes the pilgrims and records a descriptive account of twenty-seven of the pilgrims, which include a knight and a monk. When reading The Canterbury Tales, the reader quickly discovers that this group of traveling pilgrims are extremely different from each other. The Knight and the Monk are two characters that differ in almost every†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"And though so much distinguished, he was wise/ and in his bearing modest as a maid† (70-71). The Knight is admired by all because of his protection and respect for them. Contrastingly, the Monk’s actions did not prove to be as noble as those of the Kni ght. As mentioned previously, a monk is bound to vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The Monk finds these virtues to be worthless and does not live by the rules and regulations that he was expected to follow. â€Å"The rule of good St. Benet or St. Maur/ as old and strict he tended to ignore† (177-178). Instead, he indulges himself in his worldly desires, such as wearing fine clothing and traveling around the country to hunt. Although the Monk’s title make him out to be a holy and honorable man, his actions prove otherwise. In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Chaucer manages to capture human nature in its various forms. Each pilgrim is their own person and each have unique characteristics that make them different from each other. This point is evident in the different descriptions of the people along with the tales that each of them tell. In the final analysis, the Knight and the Monk are two characters that are very different in many aspects such as the narrator’s opinion of them, their appearance, and most importantly, their actions. Although the Monk displays undesirable traits such as corruptness and distrustfulness, the Knight displays desirable traits such as respectfulness andShow MoreRelated The Historical Significance of Dantes Divine Comedy Essay2452 Words   |  10 Pagesrealized integration of life with art. More than being merely great poetry, or a chronicle of contemporary events, which it also is, the `Comedy is a study of human nature by a man quite experienced with it. The main argument I will make in this essay is that Dantes `Comedy is chiefly a work of historical significance because in it lies the essence of human life across all boundaries of time and place. I feel that such a reading is justified, nay invited, by Dante himself when he says; OhRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pagesenemies of Egypt. These figures were sent to the boundary forts and when Egypt was attacked the appropriate image was shattered in an act of sympathetic magic. The Hebrews were greatly influenced by Egypt and a similar idea lies behind the fictional tale of the Rabbi of Prague who created the Golem, a clay figure brought to life by Qabalistic spells and magic letters. We cannot be sure that the image making in the Picatrix was derived from Egypt as the execration texts are entirely different in method