Love and Marriage in Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales

Love and Marriage in Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales Love and Marriage Insanities Making sense out of love and marriage ideals is not an easy task, especially as human actions in emotional circumstances do not follow any logic. It is a fact that has been proven consistently over time, across cultures and is also corroborated by many of the stories within Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales. In particular, The Knights Tale and The Millers Tale, that take place in two different social settings, make fun of conventional beliefs about love and marriage in the context of values such as bravery, street smartness, morality, and faithfulness. Through their plots, the narrators styles, and the contrast they set up between cherished and practiced values, the two tales highlight that human behavior in romantic situations is often unpredictable, crazy and colored by ones social class, confirming that there is no such thing as a model love or marriage. Although The Knights Tale plot is set in the halo of honor, chivalry and courtesy, the storys events and the characters actions show the silliness in how they treat love. As an example, the two cousins, Arcite and Palamon, are ready to kill each other for a woman neither of them has talked to. After escaping from the prison, Palamon discovers Arcites love for Emily and angrily challenges Arcite to a fight. Arcite responds, And I denounce all covenants that stand / Or are alleged, between you and me / remember love is free / And I will love her! I defy your might. (Chaucer 46) It is ironic that Arcite, who as a knight should keep his word and follow principles, is willing to break his earlier oath not to come in the way of his cousins love pursuit. Arcite justifies breaking his vow because as a free person he is not constrained whom he loves. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get Emily and doesnt care how strong Palamon is. Even though people can behave irrationally in matters involving love, both Palamon and Arcite are being stupid in this instance. Neither of them knows what Emily thinks. Isnt it exemplary love a two-way relationship? Whom are they courting and quarreling about? Are they willing to go to the extremes of killing each other for a woman who at this moment doesnt represent anything other than an image, symbol or trophy that theyve seen from a distance? What makes this even more bizarre is that Emily doesnt even want to get married. She prays to Goddess Diana, That I would be virgin all my life, / And would be neither mistress, no, nor wife. / of thy company, / A huntress walk the woodlands wild. (Chaucer 65) Emily doesnt like a mans company, prefers hunting and doesnt want to marry or bear children. This exposes the foolishness of what Arcite and Palamon were up to, even though they supposedly follow all the ideals of aristocratic class such as bravery, honor, bond and courtly love. The Knights Tale depiction of love is strongly influenced by its narrator, a knight, and his worldview. In the Prologue, the narrator is introduced as someone who followed chivalry, Truth, honour, generousness and courtesy. (Chaucer 4) Since in a knights world, bravery and physical fights resolve disputes, it is no wonder that in his story, a tournament clash is the best way to settle the rivalry between Emilys two suitors. She is no better than a trophy to be won in a contest. The King Theseus treats Emily, in the traditions of the aristocratic class, as a gift to win peace and harmony. Even though she apparently doesnt have any say, her suitors try to woo her with flowery language as per their traditions, customs and code of conduct. As an example, Arcite, while in prison, describes his feelings towards Emily to Palamon, And with a deep and piteous sigh he said: / The freshness of her beauty strikes me dead / Unless I at least see her day by day, / I am but dead (Chaucer 33) Arcit e is using fancy language to say that hell die if he doesnt the object of his love every day. Although the story represents love in flowery terms and as a bravery contest, reflecting the narrators perspective, the plot and characters actions speak of the irrational twists and turns in romantic pursuits. In contrast to the polished language and high-minded principles of the knights world, The Millers Tale depicts romantic situations in vulgar and comical tones, and in the process, makes fun of conventional dos and donts about love and marriage. As an example, the way Alison handles her two suitors, Nicholas and Absalon, is not only hilarious but also a not so subtle middle-class snub of the upper-class imposed view about love. When Alisons husband leaves for work, Nicholas tries to woo her with aggressive sexual advances. In response, she reacts, Swearing shed love him, with a solemn promise / To be at his disposal / When she could spy an opportunity. (Chaucer 91) She is so attracted to the street-smart Nicholas that she has no problems in being at his disposal. She just wants to wait for the right opportunity when it is safe for her to cheat on her husband. In stark contrast to falling for the physical advances of Nicholas, Alison refuses the dignified courtship of the parish clerk Absalon. Not only does she spurn his affection, she does so by tricking him to kiss her genitals. After this trickery, Teehee! she laughed, and clapped the, window to; / Off went poor Absalon sadly through the dark. (Chaucer 103) Alisons contrasting responses, towards her suitors, highlight the qualities, a middle-class girl like her, admires the most: street smartness, boldness and physical attraction represented by Nicholas. On the other hand, she humiliates Absalon, making a mockery of his gentlemanly approaches and sweet words. Further, by being part of an extra-marital affair, she is being unfaithful to her husband. She also participates in Nicholass scheme to deceive her naive husband, that ends up making him a laughing-stock of the town. When John fell from the boat and no one listened to him, Alison and Nicholas told the town people, That he was mad, Some sort of nonsense about Nowels Flood All started laughing at this lunacy. (Chaucer 105) This episode, in addition to her i nfidelity, was Alisons payback for her marriage with the much older carpenter and his extraordinary protective nature. Maybe, she was married to him because he was rich, a practice that was common in arranged marriages in the medieval middle class. The Millers Tale narrators drunkenness and middle-class perspective shapes his story in direct, crude, and vulgar terms. In the Prologue, he proudly states that One shouldnt be too inquisitive in life / Either about Gods secrets or ones wife. /Gods plenty all you could desire / better not enquire. (Chaucer 88) Through these words, the narrator expresses his view that men shouldnt care about their wives or Gods private affairs. There are lots of women in this world to choose from and men shouldnt ask about the rest. Maybe the narrator has loose morals. Or, his middle-class outlook conditions him to talk frankly about subjects like physical sex and infidelity. In the narrators real world, instant gratification is more practical than high-minded principles or morals. Its also an environment that rewards street smartness and land grab mindset of Nicholas and looks down upon the poetic verbiage of Absalon. In any case, the narrators choice of words and the substance of his tale sets up a significant contrast with the polished language and plot of the Knights Tale. Although the two tales, set in different social contexts, are influenced by their narrators style and language, both stories spotlight that there is no universal standard one can use to judge human actions in love and marriage. The Knights Tale, despite its depictions of idolized values such as honor, bravery, and courteousness, boils love down to essentially a competition instead of a two-way relationship. The Millers Tale, despite its vulgarity and crudeness, presents the day-to-day happenings in love and marriage in ordinary folks lives, in stark contrast to the ivory tower world of the aristocratic class. Both stories, however, confirm that human behavior in love and marriage circumstances is often moody, irrational and erratic. It is, therefore, foolish to make predictions about human behavior in such matters where ones heart rules the brain.

Natural environment Essay

It has been long debated the importance of nature verses nurture. It is hard to prove one from the other since it is shown for them both to play major roles in the development of a child to an adult. I believe that my personality is a combination of both nature and nurture but I think that I am +more nurtured. There are so many behaviors that I have developed from the environment I grew up. I have learnt to respect all people from being influenced at school and by my parents. I have also been trained to be responsible of things such as doing my work. I learnt that if I am not responsible and don’t do my work, then I must pay bad consequences. I have also learnt from experiences that if I do what I am supposed to do, I may be rewarded for good things done. My environment has influenced me in many ways to act upon certain things automatically. Things like looking both ways before crossing the street, or other things that appear to be common sense are learnt from nurture. I have gone through many experiences in which I have learnt different lessons. These lessons have taught me how to act in my life. I know that I am very different person than my mom or my dad. I don’t have very much in common with either of them. Although we do share some of the same aspects, I feel that I am more different from them than alike. I have developed the majority of my social skills from my friends and not my parents. Most of my social life revolves around my friends, who have influenced me a lot of the decisions I make and in the way I act. I don’t socialize with my parents nearly as much as I do with my peers. I don’t think I know my parents well enough to say if I am like them when they are around their friends or not. The nature and nurture of a person can vary greatly. Sometimes there are certain things that are hard to decide whether they are inherited or learnt. I might share some qualities with my parents, but they could just be characteristics that I learnt in my life that my parents also learnt in their lives too and were not inherited. I believe that genes indicate the potential for one’s behavior and personality, and that the environment helps create the extent as to how that behavior is carried out.

Cultural and sporting events Essay

Cultural and sporting events both possess strengths in the area of promoting community within an environment. The atmosphere created by each is a key factor in the ability of these events to foster community spirit within a region. These activities also contribute to the building of communities in other areas, such as financial economic development. Yet, the ways in which these two types of events do this are vastly different. The exploration of these methods, the different atmospheres created, as well as their impact on the community will offer insight into the contribution that sporting and cultural events make to community and society as a whole. One of the major differences to be found between sporting and cultural events is in the dominant motive for the existence of each. Sporting events are generally driven by the profit motive, and as such are often spectator events. People come mainly to view the games and cheer for given teams. If however, such a team is doing badly on the regional or international scene, members of the community might lose interest in attending that particular event. The sense of community that arises as a result of sporting events is therefore vastly different from that which comes about as a result of a cultural event. During a sport event, supporters of two or more teams are usually present. This creates a strong divide between those who support one team and those who are in favour of its rival. The tension present between these teams, though usually kept under control, does have the potential to create hostility and thereby shatter the community spirit. However, where there is healthy rivalry present, community spirit can be promoted and solidified at the end of the event when respect for the victorious team is freely given by its rival and their supporters. Also, in such cases where an underdog team triumphs, newly found appreciation for that team has the potential of strengthening the ties between the different communities involved—locally, regionally and internationally. In contrast, cultural events are usually traditional and annual events with little tension derived from competition. They are not necessarily driven by the profit motive, and supporters are usually quite loyal in their attendance. Some examples of such cultural events are Independence Day functions (in some countries), coronation services, arts and theatre events such as ballets, symphonies, and oratorios. The community of attendants to such events usually exists in a much more relaxed state, and because of the common traditions that are usually the progenitors of such an event, the attendants at a cultural event are usually more inclined to agree, share, and talk about the occurrences at such events. They share and enjoy a common enjoyment as they experience similar emotions in conjunction with the events. The ability of cultural events to promote community can further be seen in such artistic and cultural projects that promote the lifestyle and origins of certain cultures that might have been marginalised in society. Aboriginal culture shows and other minority showcases have the potential of making visible certain aspects of ethnic/minority culture that might have been ignored in former times (Fraser, 2006). Members of the majority have the opportunity of showing interest in these cultural aspects of the lives of marginalised members of society, and this has the advantage of creating and solidifying relationships among different members of a diverse society. Sporting events also have the capacity to do this. Allowing diversity to infiltrate sporting events promotes social inclusion and a stronger sense of community. Because sporting events are primarily viewed events (as opposed to participatory events) the persons who form the teams have the opportunity to set an example of inclusion and tolerance and thereby promote such community-building practices in the wider regions to which spectators belong. In the final analysis, it might appear that the cultural activities and events do a bit more than sporting events to promote community, as they offer very little occasion for rivalry. However, the ability of sporting events to promote community through inclusion and the potential for increased respect should not be overlooked. Reference Fraser, J. (2006). â€Å"Indigenous artistes at the Woodford Folk. † Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Online. Retrieved on January 21, 2007 from http://www. abc. net. au/message/blackarts/culture/s1658207. htm

The American Dream By Thomas Jefferson - 1329 Words

â€Å"We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable; that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† (Thomas Jefferson). When America was granted their freedom no one thought that it would become the country it is today. However without the smart thinking of our forefathers we would never be the nation we are today. As a newly formed nation Thomas Jefferson advertised relocation to America via the declaration which stated America promised three important things, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those three promises have always remained true as America progressed and the†¦show more content†¦Many Americans were determined to recreate themselves in the new land and faith boosted their confidence. After the move west the U.S. population rapidly increased and their was an influx of jobs. In Horatio A lger’s Ragged Dick anything was a job the main character, Dick would even, â€Å"...devote half his day to blacking boots† (Alger). Dick’s hard work and confidence made him really start the dream, however he was rewarded by his good intentions as a result of his good faith. From the era in the novel and present day the dream has altered to capitalizing off opportunities. Which President Obama believes is the greatest thing about the U.S. he states, â€Å"We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Obama 2012). Winslow Homer was born in 1836, and grew up in a rural area of Cambridge Massachusetts and naturally fell in love with the great American outdoors. Homer’s early life was in an era of American history where literature and art were not as important because the main focus was an impending on a civil war. At the beginning of the war aged twenty five Homer accompanied general George B. McClellan with the union army and his paintings became more notable since he visualized his war experiences in paintings to show the American people (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). However post civil war especially later during the industrial revolution their was more leisure time and moreShow MoreRelatedEquality And The American Dream1068 Words   |  5 PagesEquality and the American Dream History has a way of repeating itself. The problem of inequality has lasted as long as man has throughout the course of time. People are thought to be brave when they stick up against inequality. On July 4, 1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote the most important document in the history of our nation. The Declaration of Independence was the official document that claimed that their new name the United States of America and they would succeed from unfair British control. 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