Canterbury tales - Essay Example

A literary analysis of Canterbury tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a masterpiece of literature that uses a moderated version of the English language. The book is the center of humor with several lines of poetry used in the narration. The storyline of the book develops through scenes where different people gather in preparation for a pilgrimage. The gathering entails various groups of people who aim to receive blessings from an English martyr. Events take a turn in the story as the crowd walks to the pilgrimage.

A host engages the people in tale narration with an intention to award the winning story teller. Eventually, the story ends with few narrations than the agreed one hundred and twenty. As a result, Chaucer a character in the story renounces secular tales told of the journey. The character also describes other stories including the Canterbury account as immoral.Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer has several characters that include the pilgrims and additional characters listed in the course of storytelling.

Some characters play an important role to the entire narrations. The characters include Chaucer, who plays the role of the narrator in the story. The Knight is another character in the story described as the first wayfarer. Other notable figures include Bath’s wife who is represented as an expert woman in the narrations. The Pardoner is also part of the description that reprieves penance for the sheer exchange of church donations (Lynch 211). The list of characters is endless to include the monk, the prioress, and the frair among others.

The narration Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer has several themes and symbols used. A major theme in the story is the courtly love evident during the explanation of the landowner. The description of the theme elaborates the landowner’s belief when he evaluates his role in the society. The company is a relevant term that describes the relationship theme and sense of togetherness evident in the story. Several pilgrims finish their narration by wishing well for the other travelers. Additionally, corruption is a significant theme displayed in the story on various occasions.

The historical period of the Catholic doctrine explains a wealthy community around Catholic churches (Lynch 176). The narration illustrates the theme on several occasions when churchmen accept bribes as tokens of appreciations.The symbols used in the play include the spring season is evident in the story illustrating a rebirth process. Geoffrey Chaucer explains the spring season through writing about the birds chirping and flowers blossoming. The description of the characters clothing is an important symbol in the story that explains people’s characters as narrated.

Additionally, Geoffrey Chaucer presents two styles of poems in his writing techniques. As such, the general setting of the story is in ancient time due to the language used. The author also uses various tones during narration to address his audience. Various stylistic features used include satire, comical effects, and elevated approaches. A significant pattern used for the narrative also includes first person and constant past tense.Work CitedLynch, Jack. The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press, 2011. Print.