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How The Rhyme Scheme Used In The Canterbury Tales

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The church in England in the fourteenth century was a dominating presence in the life of nearly every citizen. Though the church presented certain advantageous and exploitive opportunities for some, the presence of religion was to others much more burdensome. Chaucer expresses the interruptive aspect of the church through the various characters and situations he creates within his writing. In the General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer utilizes rhyme scheme and detailed imagery of both physical traits and personality traits in his description of the Prioress and the Pardoner to satirize the fourteenth-century practice of sending individuals who lack any ecclesiastical tendencies to work in the church. While the Pardoner represents …show more content…
He carefully follows the rhyme scheme of rhyming couplets and does not allow any exceptions throughout the entirety of the Prioress’ introductory section. From the first two lines, ending with “coy” and “Loy,” to the last two lines, which end with “she” and “thre,” each pair of lines, or couplets, follows the pattern without exception (119-20, 163-64). Once the pattern is established, it is expected that the pattern will be followed throughout the entire length of the section containing that specific pattern. Chaucer’s refusal to deter from that pattern reflects the expectation that was placed on the Prioress when it was determined that she would be a woman of the church. Despite other details given of the Prioress indicating a lack of religious devotion, she remains in the position that is expected of her, just as Chaucer’s rhyme scheme remains loyal to itself throughout its …show more content…
By arranging the rhyme scheme used in the Pardoner’s section of the General Prologue in the exact same manner of that used to introduce the Prioress, Chaucer creates a connection between the two characters which highlights the irony of the Pardoner’s character. While the consistency of the rhyming couplets in the Prioress’ section demonstrated a commitment to social expectations within the religious community, the same pattern in the Pardoner’s description links him to the Prioress despite their opposing approaches to ecclesiastical life.
The structural commonality between the two characters in spite of the personal differences demonstrates Chaucer’s intentions of irony. While Norman Knox’s article “The Satiric Pattern of The Canterbury Tales” discusses the possibility of the whole of The Canterbury Tales as a work of satire, Knox also acknowledges that The Canterbury Tales, in their current state, “are a collection of bits and pieces” (47). If using Knox’s logic, then, that The Canterbury Tales “do indeed seem to be satiric,” it must also be true then that the bits and pieces which comprise the work as a whole are satiric works within

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