Analysis Of The Shipman In The Canterbury Tales - 1116 Words

In the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes his pilgrimage to Canterbury by using several different pilgrims. The shipman is one of these pilgrims on this trip, and he is known as one of the most brutal pilgrims on this pilgrimage. The shipman is one of the best travellers because he goes all over Spain and Britain because of his job; he works as a commercial shipman that trades among the mercantile class. He is known as an unsavory type, who has no feelings for law or conscience, as he will throw someone overboard for disobeying him. The shipman is one of the best at his job because of his brutality and bitterness. In the Shipman’s tale, he tells a story about a merchant, his wife, and a monk. The merchant and monk are great friends,†¦show more content†¦The merchant seems obligated to do what the monk wants because social ranking during this time period controlled the behavior between individuals. The merchant feels obligated to give the monk what he wants, and sees it as a â€Å"great pleasure/ Thus are they knit with eternal alliance† because of the social status during these times (Chaucer 39-40). Power and position are the social rankings, these determine how people will treat others according to their status, position, and power. Joseph Dane sees the same concept going on, â€Å"the merchant appreciates the monk’s kindness, thus respecting his rank and being obligated to serve his requests† (Dane 1). It is also shown that the monk possesses a rank after above the merchant by saying that he is â€Å"knighted,† implying that this position contains a power that can surpass a rich merchant, that already has some control over the village and the people of it. This shows the theme by emphasizing on the fact that social positions change behaviors towards people, leading to the merchant loaning the monk a hundred francs, when he did not loan it to even his own wife. Dane also states that â€Å"social ranking impacts th e power that comes with position† (Dane 1). This elaborates on the fact that the monk is getting special privileges from the merchant, like taking loans just because his social rank/position is higher. TheShow MoreRelated Summary and Analysis of The Shipmans Tale (The Canterbury Tales)928 Words   |  4 PagesSummary and Analysis of The Shipmans Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Introduction to the Shipmans Tale: The Host asks the priest to tell a tale, but the Shipman interrupts, insisting that he will tell the next tale. He says that he will not tell a tale of physics or law or philosophy, but rather a more modest story. The Shipmans Tale: A merchant at St. Denis foolishly took a desirable woman for a wife who drained his income by demanding clothes and other fine array to make her appearRead MoreSub--Chaucer art of characterization as found in prologue of Canterbury by marufa sultana.2939 Words   |  12 Pagesundertaking a journey to the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The group is assembling as Chaucer arrives and, as he observes the group and interacts with some of them, he decides that he will join their party. From his vantage point as anonymous Narrator, Chaucer describes the scene and the pilgrims as they arrive. In the prologue, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is about the pilgrimage of many different characters to Canterbury. Chaucer writes about the characters personalities andRead More Contradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay3897 Words   |  16 PagesContradictions in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales There is no question that contradictory values make up a major component of The Canterbury Tales. Fate vs. Fortuna, knowledge vs. experience and love vs. hate all embody Chaucers famous work. These contrasting themes are an integral part of the complexity and sophistication of the book, as they provide for an ironic dichotomy to the creative plot development and undermine the superficial assumptions that might be made. The combination of completelyRead More Summary and Analysis of The Man of Laws Tale Essay1913 Words   |  8 PagesSummary and Analysis of The Man of Laws Tale Fragment II The Words of the Host to the Company and Prologue to the Man of Laws Tale: The host speaks to the rest of the travelers, telling them that they can regain lost property but not lost time. The host suggests that the lawyer tell the next tale, and he agrees to do so, for he does not intend to break his promises. He says that we ought to keep the laws we give to others. He even refers to Chaucer, who works ignorantly and writes poorly