The Abbess: Madame Eglantine Essay, Research Paper
The Prioress, Madame Eglantine
In the & # 8220 ; General Prologue & # 8221 ; of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer introduces the readers to pilgrims he meets in the town of Southwerk as he begins his pilgrim’s journey to Canterbury. The pilgrim I found to be most interesting was the Prioress. Chaucer tells the reader that she is a nun and her name is Madame Eglantine. Due to the power of the church at this clip in England, much is to be expected of the Prioress as a nun.
Chaucer goes into item in explicating her & # 8220 ; simple and demure & # 8221 ; ( 6 ) smiling and her ability to & # 8220 ; leet no morsel from hir lippes falle & # 8221 ; ( 8 ) . In making this, Chaucer shows great fear for her beauty and etiquette. From his description of her, one understands the importance of her place in society as a member of the church at a clip in history when the church was so powerful. It is besides credible that she would be doing the pilgrim’s journey to Canterbury, the topographic point where St. Thomas a Beckett became a sufferer, due to the spiritual deductions of his decease.
Besides giving more life and truth to her character is the mentioning of her name. Chaucer tells the reader that her name is Madame Eglantine. This is a manner in which Chaucer illustrates the importance of her character, as he neglects to advert the existent names of the other pilgrims. Chaucer & # 8217 ; s disclosure of her name is besides a manner for the reader to believe that she was an single that may really good hold lived and been present at the start of Chaucer & # 8217 ; s pilgrim’s journey to Canterbury, if it really occurred. Besides, by uncovering her name, Chaucer shows more respect towards her position as a nun and the church. Another manner he does this is by stating the reader that her name is & # 8220 ; Madame, & # 8221 ; a
rubric that includes ideas of regard and propriety.
& # 8220 ; And Al was scruples and tendre herte & # 8221 ; ( 8 ) . In this line of the narrative, Chaucer shows the reader how sweet and caring the Prioress is. He uses the illustration of the mouse in a trap and the decease of her Canis familiariss and how disquieted she would be by both these happenings to reenforce his belief of & # 8220 ; hir scruples & # 8221 ; ( 8 ) . I believe this account of her feelings to be a manner that Chaucer tries to do the reader regard her and possibly even respect the church more. This may be due to the power the church had over the people during this epoch in European history or to rock the sentiment of those whom were hostile towards the church or members of the hierarchy of the church.
From his physical description of her and the careful attending he pays to her proper etiquette at the dinner tabular array, Chaucer seems to be pulling a analogue between her proper manners and her careful attitudes and ways. Another manner he does this is by explicating her vocalizing of the & # 8220 ; service Godhead & # 8221 ; ( 6 ) . I believe this besides ties into her proper ways that Chaucer makes a great point of reenforcing line after line.
From his treatment and description of her, it seems really likely that Madame Eglantine was a existent individual and it is interesting that Chaucer elevates her to such a tableland that she seems so perfect and infallible. I believe he may hold depicted her this manner so that the reader would acquire a better regard of the church or he may hold done this so he would be accepted by the church and non be considered a heretic. In this regard I believe Chaucer does desire the reader to measure her and he may be utilizing her as a symbol of the church as a unflawed establishment that was compassionate, beautiful and perfect in its ways.
