“That he is a poet concerned with gender issues is obvious: almost every narrative in the Canterbury Tales deals with how the sexes relate to one another or envision one another” (Laskaya 1995: 11). Of course Laskaya talks about Geoffrey Chaucer and his famous work “The Canterbury Tales” from the 14th century, which is an unfinished collection of tales told by a group of pilgrims. Even though Laskaya accounts “The Canterbury Tales” as rich in gender issues, this work concentrates on four specific prologues and tales, the so called “Marriage Group”. The work in hand is supposed to discuss gender-specific aspects and gender-relations in the context of medieval society using the example of Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) Dominant Medieval Discourses on Gender
2.1) Masculinity
2.2) Femininity
2.3) Marriage
3) Gender and Marriage in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”
3.1) The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale
3.2) The Clerk’s Prologue and Tale
3.3) The Merchant’s Prologue and Tale
3.4) The Franklin’s Prologue and Tale
4) Conclusion
5) List of Literature
Research Objectives and Topics
This work aims to examine gender-specific aspects and gender relations within the context of 14th-century medieval society, utilizing the "Marriage Group" from Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" as a primary case study to explore Chaucer's own potential attitudes toward these themes.
- Analysis of dominant medieval discourses on masculinity and femininity.
- Exploration of marriage as a social, economic, and moral institution in the Middle Ages.
- Detailed investigation of the "Marriage Group" in Chaucer’s work.
- Comparison between medieval literary discourses and the characters portrayed in the tales.
- Evaluation of Chaucer's intent regarding traditional gender roles versus individual agency.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1) The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale
In her prologue, the Wife of Bath introduces her five husbands and discusses whether they were good husbands or not. Alysoun talks about their preferences and disadvantages and also about her own attitude towards their particular behavior. Furthermore, she spends much time on emphasizing her sexual lust and warranting it to the hearers, but she also explains to them how she uses her womanhood to control her husbands. In general, the Wife of Bath seems to embody the absolute negative conception of how a woman should behave and think according to the medieval tradition (cf. Biebel, in Beidler 1998: 64).
Her most obvious feature seems to be her openness towards sexual intercourse. At the beginning of her prologue she conducts a kind of argumentation why sexual lust is something legitimate and even refers to the God and the Bible: “Where kan ye seye, in any maner age, / That heighe God defended marriage / By expres word? I pray yow, telleth me. / Or where commanded he virginitee?” (Chaucer, in Mann: 213 ll. 59ff.). Furthermore, she argues that God created the sexual characteristics that perfectly not only in order to distinguish between man and woman and to relief oneself, but to make love to each other (cf. ibid.: 215 ll. 115ff.).
Summary of Chapters
1) Introduction: Defines the scope of the study focusing on the "Marriage Group" within the "Canterbury Tales" and outlines the research intention to analyze gender relations against medieval societal norms.
2) Dominant Medieval Discourses on Gender: Provides a theoretical framework covering the four main medieval discourses on masculinity, the general view on femininity, and the social function of marriage.
3) Gender and Marriage in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”: Serves as the main analytical part where the "Marriage Group" (Wife of Bath, Clerk, Merchant, and Franklin) is investigated regarding gender roles and relations.
4) Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, noting that Chaucer provides no homogenous view on gender but rather presents a nuanced, multifaceted critique of traditional roles through his varied characters.
5) List of Literature: Compiles the primary and secondary sources used for the analysis.
Keywords
Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, Marriage Group, Gender Roles, Medieval Masculinity, Medieval Femininity, Courtly Love, Heroic Masculinity, Alysoun, Griselda, May, Dorigen, Social Status, Patriarchal Discourse, Literary Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this publication?
The book examines how Geoffrey Chaucer incorporates gender relations and gender-specific behavior in his "Canterbury Tales," specifically focusing on the so-called "Marriage Group."
What are the primary thematic areas?
The central themes are the medieval discourses on masculinity and femininity, the social importance of marriage, and the representation of women as either obedient subjects or assertive individuals.
What is the main research question?
The work seeks to understand Chaucer's personal attitude toward gender relations and what he intended to display through the diverse character choices in his narratives.
Which methodology is applied in this study?
The author employs a literary and analytical approach, contrasting medieval historical and societal discourses with the fictional portrayals found in the specific prologues and tales of the "Marriage Group."
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body systematically analyzes four tales (The Wife of Bath’s, The Clerk’s, The Merchant’s, and The Franklin’s), exploring how they align with or depart from traditional medieval concepts of marriage and gender roles.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Chaucer, Marriage Group, Gender Roles, Courtly Love, Masculinity, and Femininity.
How is the Wife of Bath interpreted in this study?
Alysoun is depicted as a "prototype of a modern woman" who challenges medieval gender ideals, resists submission, and asserts control over her husbands through her openness and manipulation.
How does the Franklin’s Tale differ from the others?
The Franklin’s Tale is highlighted as the only one in the group that truly reflects the ideals of courtly love, focusing on mutual respect and service rather than economic motivation or power dynamics.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding Chaucer's intentions?
The author concludes that there is no clear evidence of Chaucer’s specific stance, suggesting that he likely used the tales to animate discussion and highlight both the functional and failed facets of medieval gender relations.
- Quote paper
- Deborah Heinen (Author), 2014, Gender and Marriage in Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales." The "Marriage Group", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/275861
