Humour, introspection and allegory aside, The Canterbury Tales alone constitute one of the greatest social commentaries in the history of the English language. Chaucer uses a collection of prologues and tales to explore questions that lie at the very heart of medieval life. His work as a civil servant brought him into contact with all levels of society and, as a result, this chameleon author courageously tested the waters of social tolerance with his stories of church corruption, courtly love, trade secrets and relationships between men and women. women. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Chaucer's depiction of the medieval "ying and yang" of the gender interface is a recurring theme. His descriptions of courtly love, interactions within marriage, and male domination culminating in the crime of rape are three examples that illustrate Chaucer's desire to explore the influence of human nature on gender inequality . When reviewing the General Prologue and the thirteen tales studied this term, rape is an integral part of no less than four of the works. Therefore, I chose to analyze the depiction of rape in the General Prologue and the tales of The Summoner, The Reeve, The Wife of Bath, and The Franklin. Chaucer's carefully crafted narratives use rape to highlight the weaknesses of male human nature and, "kindness" aside, Chaucer proves that moral corruption and degradation are inherent at all levels of society. Gender inequality, a norm in 14th-century England, was the accepted social accommodation of possession; Nonetheless, Chaucer clearly intends rape to be seen as the selfish male desire to use sexuality as a tool of empowerment and “maistrye.” It would be of limited value to examine the crime of rape in the 14th century without first discussing its significance. of virginity or “maidenhede”. The medieval Church's advocacy of virginity and celibacy represents one facet of the medieval aesthetic ideal. There was a very real belief in "the perfect maiden, the perfect wife," and although St. Jerome, in his fourth-century Epistle Against Jovinium, recognized that marriage was an acceptable outlet for sexuality, he asserted that virginity was the “higher state”. '. The issue of rape seriously compromised the image of perfection and, therefore, “in medieval moral theology, theologians debated the subjective culpability of the rape victim. While the general principle was that unwitting victims of rape remain morally virgins, the early Church fathers also considered the morality of suicide to preserve virginity in the face of the threat of rape” (Hallissy, 51). The Canterbury Tales opens with the General Prologue. This short story not only establishes the rules of the "storytelling competition", but presents the characters by "degree", their physical characteristics and their reputation. Chaucer creates structural irony using the literary device of the “naive hero,” while Geoffrey assumes the role of the obtuse narrator-journalist. As part of this role, he is able to share information and character traits about his fellow pilgrims, which prove to be both illuminating and damning. A close reading of the General Prologue gives us our first indication that all is not well in medieval society. Chaucer presents Huberd as “A BROTHER there was, a Wantowne and a Merye” (GP, 208). The word “wantowne” can betranslated as "pleasure-loving", but after considering the brother's inappropriate attentions to women, the alternative translation "lascivious" might be more appropriate. The “naive” Geoffrey notes that the brother has a neck as white as a fleur-de-lis (GP, 238), which was considered by 14th century physiognomists to be a sign of lust. Using juxtapositional irony, Chaucer darkens the profile by noting: “He was therefore strong as a champion” (GP, 239). Not only is the brother a coward, but he is as strong as a fighting champion. The implication is clear; sex by force. The Summoner, in his story, reinforces the Friar's lecherous reputation when he describes the Friar's visit to the home of a sick man. Entering the house, he hugs the woman “tightly” and, giving her the usual kiss of peace, he “warbles like a sparwe” (ST, 1804). The sparrow, another medieval symbol of lust, has entered the house. Geoffroy, the narrator, notes the brother that he had organized many marriages of young women at his own expense. For his order, he held a noble position. (GP, 212-214) This double meaning, or reference to the "noble position", would indicate that the brother was a valued supporter of his order, but the second meaning, more sexually graphic, would not have been lost, even to the the most naive readers. So why is he so keen to organize the marriage of young women at his own expense? It must be assumed that the result of his seduction was directly responsible for the necessity of marriage. Given her position in society and her male “maistrye”, the “large number” of women indicates a worrying trend. Like the wax of his “peyre des tables” (ST, 1741), his history and his conscience are erased once the girls marry. Despite twinkling eyes and an endearing lisp, it seems unlikely that young ladies would choose to have unprotected sex with an experienced, licensed, overweight beggar. For starters, there would be no possibility of marriage to the brother, and given that he was a lymytour, technically without income or assets, he would have been considered a bad bet for even the most unfortunate maiden. However, given the brother's propensity for frequenting inns and taverns, it is not unlikely that illicit opportunities would present themselves in the early hours of the morning. In conclusion, it must be considered that, by the nature of his work, linked to the authority of the Church, he would be authorized to enter most medieval homes in a “position of trust”. Although brothers usually traveled in pairs, the Summoner's Tale indicates that the brother was sent ahead to find a room at the inn, leaving him to pay an unchaperoned visit. The number of young women for whom he had apparently arranged marriages would indicate that this church beggar was at best an opportunist and, unfortunately although likely, an occasional rapist. The Reeve's Tale is a fabliaux. The conventions of fabliaux require the inclusion of pranks and sex, but it is the depiction of rape as a joke aimed not at women, but at the drunken miller, that invites scrutiny. This story includes not one rape but two. The rape of the girl occurs through a surprise attack while she sleeps, and the rape of the woman occurs through a false statement in the middle of the night. The employees justify their attack on women by their corruption of the laws of the land: "Certain laws shape us, For, John, there is a law which applies thus: That if a man agrees on a point, that on another he will be relieved.Our corme is stolen, sothly, it's na no,And we had a he fit al this day;Any syn that I have neen amendmentAgayn my los, I will have esement.ByGoddes sale, il sal neen autre bee! (RT, 4179-4187)The value given to women in the eyes of scholarly clerics is important here, because the “male-dominated institutions which have indeed “enchanted” men and women by accepting them as “natural” “the moral, physical and social inferiority socially imposed on women.” (Leicester, 238). In order to take revenge on the miller, the two clerks rape his wife and daughter. Women are not seen as human beings with individual rights, but as property or “personal property” (OED), to be stolen from the miller in revenge for his theft of grain. The value of the girl's presumed virginity is said to be equivalent to a sack of flour. In the morning, the girl and the clerk seem to get along well, but this does not prevent sexual intercourse between them. Force without consent constitutes rape, and the presumption of entitlement by the clerks creates the literary tension that animates the fabliaux. These acts of rape, whether crimes of opportunity, a prank, or outright revenge, were intended as acts of empowerment over the dishonest miller. The real damage might be better seen through the metaphor of a misplaced modifier. In their attempt to “fuck” the miller, the selfish clerks had “denigrated” the girl and broken the wife’s “herte.” The Wife of Bath's Tale paints a much darker picture of rape. A vigorous bachelor of King Arthur's court: that one day he rushed to Ryver, and it happened that, all alone at his birth, he sang a hym biforn of Mayde Walkynge, of which Mayde Anon, magre his head, by force, he rafted hirs maydenhed; (WBT 884-888) Chaucer reverses many aspects of medieval life in this tale. This tale not only depicts the cruel and violent act of rape, but refers to it as an act committed "alone as he was born"; that is, without the inhibited attitude, courtesy or decency expected of civilized or educated behavior. The introduction of a rapist knight disrupts courtly love and the concept of Arthurian “gentleness”. The convention of courtly love is one of romance, obedience, and male servitude, but this tale confirms that there is nothing courtly about rape. Furthermore, despite this young knight's high position in society, there is nothing noble about his actions. As the wise old witch reminds him towards the end of the tale, "He nys nat gentile, be he duke or erl, For the vileyns synful dedes make a cherl. For kindness nys but renown" Of thy auncesters, for hire a high bonus, which is a strange thing for you. Your kindness comes from God alone. Thanne comth oure voiry kindness of grace; It wasn't something that bothered us about our place. supernatural creature, is she a woman? Once the knight regains his freedom, he begs the old woman to release him from his marriage commitment, but the impact of his evil deed has become a life lesson. In an ironic reversal of his earlier crime, the knight implores the old woman: “Take all my possessions and let my body go.” » (WBT, 1061). He is free from death, but he has lost his freedom to choose. “After raping a young girl and stealing her most intimate bodily possessions, he suddenly finds himself confronted with a stark reminder of privacy and the value of bodily possessions: no possession is worth the slavery of your body. » (Shoaf, 100). Finally, this is not a story of rape in the 14th century. Rape, a crime of opportunity and selfish indulgence, constitutes the central point of the main plot; a fairy tale about the balance of power in relationships. Rape, the ultimate symbol of mental, social and physical inequality between the sexes, is represented in this tale by a man and a woman, a knight and a humble shepherdess,,, 36).