One satirical device used to describe the Prioress is mock-heroic - the Host’s description of the prioress in the general prologue places her on a high pedestal
- She’s neat and tidy – wouldn’t let a crumb fall from her mouth
- She’s devoted to the Virgin Mary – wears all sorts of rosary
- She’s kind to those less fortunate – wouldn’t harm a mouse
But all of these descriptions were used purely for the purpose of revealing her flaws especially during the telling of her tale and during the introduction he gives to her tale in which he is highly sarcastic, and overtly polite. The difference in his manner of introduction to the Prioress’s tale compared with the Nun’s Priest’s Tale and the Monk’s tale, in which he ridicules their tales by saying “Your tales are boring all of us to death, and all this talk is a waste of breath”. Chaucer is in a more subtle way attacking the Prioress’s over-exaggerated sentimentality and sensibility. This can be prominently seen by his use of diction: “ politely as a girl” , “excuse me please” , “my dearest lady” etc.
In the prologue to her tale the Prioress offers a hymn of praise to the Virgin Mary. She extols Mary, the mother of Jesus and the "whitest Lily-flower." This hymn acts as a preview of the tale to follow as not only does the prologue aptly fit the Prioress’ character and position, but the story itself is centered on another hymn “O Alma Redemptoris” which gives praise to the Virgin Mary as well. The hymn also acts as an invocation in which the Prioress prays for help in narrating the greatness of the “blissful Queen”. However, through the hymn Chaucer emphasizes a major flaw in the nun’s personality: she yearns for motherhood and the innocence of childhood, two things which as a nun she should not be longing for. She exhibits motherly instincts in the way she cares for helpless
