Characters from The Canterbury Tales

Oxford Cleric- The clearest element of this man's character we receive from Chaucer is his 'one goal' or perhaps 'singular-mindedness' "His only care was study, and indeed/ He never spoke a word more than was need." However to contrast this negative quality, Chaucer provides us with the character's sincerity. The cleric truly desires logic, he is genuine in his love for learning. For whenever he borrowed money for books from his friends he "prayed for them most earnestly, returning / Thanks to them for his learning." The key element of satire provided in Chaucer's characterization of the logician is juxtaposition. The cleric is so focused on the things of life that really matter; he studies logic, Aristotle, and learning. However he cannot take care of the things that matter on a smaller (yet more practical) scale. "his horse was thinner than a rake" "The thread on his over coat was bare" "he was too unworldly to make search/ for secular employment"

The Knight- The knight is a truly surprising character for Chaucer. It is one of the few characters that Chaucer awards and does not demean the Knight's character with any clear satire.

In which ways does Sir Gawain and the Green Knight complicate the idea of Chivalry?

The text complicates the ideal of chivalry through the character of Sir Gawain. Gawain is a "God-fearing knight"(ll. 381) The poet flatters him with the highest praise as a knight; he gives him the five touchstones of a knight. "So these five sets of five were fixed in this knight,"(ll. 656). Not to mention Gawain was a good as the purest gold .... A notable. A knight. (ll. 633,639). However the poem shows that even this perfect knight fails. The green knight states "You're by far the most faultless fellow on earth", yet a few lines late he says "But a little thing more- it was loyalty that you lacked" (ll. 2363, 2366) It is clear that the perfect knight is unattainable.

"The frailty of his flesh is man's biggest fault"
(ll. 2435)

Fitt 1, and observations of poem's setting, characters, language, and meter

Fitt 1 begins by establishing itself upon the literary rock of Troy. The poem is credible-ized. The poet recounts England's flowing history. A setting of wonder and dread is introduced. The majestical mist which tantalizes Britain's atmosphere brings with it a marvelous melody hinted with tunes of foreboding. The poet draws his reader in, through the gates to the castle with seductive language. The poetry is gripping. Our storyteller unsheathes the sword of alliteration; the protruding sounds pop out the page. Alongside, the words demands attention; each carries with it a deep dimension of meaning. As a result, the reader finds himself lost carousing with Arthur's knights. It is Chritmastime and the poetic pace changes. 'Pace' had begun by smoothly and gently grazing past years of history. Now she takes a dive into the joyous hall, and now the pace is quickening and lively. Suddenly the pace halts, and enters in the Green knight. A man of stature and commanding physique. This brute calls out to the knights tempting them with a quest. He declares whosoever should smite his neck is a brave knight, but that knight must receive a similar blow in a year's time. The hall is silent, until kingly Arthur rises up to take this challenge. But good Gawain instead takes the quest, claiming that the court would rather risk loosing humble Gawain than their Majestic Master. Gawain takes the Green man's axe and swings through the fairy's green neck. The Green knight's head flies across the floor, and the monster retrieves it. The Fitt 1 comes to frightening close.

Why do we find so much imagery of eating in Canto's 32-34?

                 And then the hunger had more
Power than even sorrow had over me. (ll. 71-72; Canto XXXIII)

In these final Hell-ish moments, the reader experiences various horrific scenes and depictions of cannibalism. What inspired the poet to focus so graphically on the gnawing of flesh. The reader finds so much imagery of eating in Cantos 32-34 because the sin cannibalism breaks all the categories of sin. Dante's first sincontinence. These sinners lack the will to break desires of sin. The cannibalistic are incontinent, they simply cannot help themselves, so they give into the glutinousness of cannibalism. The second sin category are the sins of violence, and to be a cannibal is definitely to be violent. The final category is betrayal. When the cannibals eat each over they are betraying humanity. They are literally eating flesh, which is man's defining quality. They have in a sense betrayed who they are, not to mention the friend or the human they are gnashing upon.     
in category (stolen from Aristotle) is