Introduction
Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English poetry, is one of the first English short story-tellers and the greatest humorists in English literature. He is considered realist as he depicts the accurately unbiased and neutral picture of his society. His “The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales” comes out mainly in the form of satire, irony and humour. He is very much witted and sharp and his interest lies in portraying the characters rather than in exposing. His object is to point life as he sees it, to hold up the mirror to society, and, as has justly been said, “a mirror has no tendency, it reflects, but it does not, or should not, distort”. Chaucer has shown hatred for none of his characters but as humanist has portrayed them genially as Legouis and Cazamian remark “of all writers of genius Chaucer is one with whom it is easiest to have a sense of comradeship.”
Definitions of Satire
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the great English lexicographer Samuel Johnson defines satire as “a poem in which wickedness or folly is censured.” It can be seen in many English poems such as The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, Absolom and Achitophel by Dryden, The Rape of the Lock by Pope, and The Paradise Lost by John Milton. In all poems, mentioned poets have criticized the impiety and immorality of their subject. Chaucer has depicted depravity of the members of his society. Milton has harshly exposed the sinfulness of the characters of his poem.
Explaining about satire, Thrall, et al describe it as “a literary manner which blends a critical attitude with humour and wit to the end that human institutions or humanity may be improved.”. Chaucer’s attempt in illustrating the characters of knight or prioress or monk in the prologue provides others the chance of laughing at them with the purpose of their correction. The Rape of The Lock exhibits Pope’s approach of humiliating the follies of his characters i.e. the theft of lock of heroin Blenda and then war between two noble families, is very thoughtful effort for their improvement. More humour is added by comparing it to the world of the classical gods.
Conferring satire, it is mentioned in Encyclopaedia Britannica that the satire is a verbal caricature that shows a deliberately distorted image of a person, institution or a society. Milton’s portrayal of heaven and hell with the related characters is really exaggerated for immense effects. Dryden’s most important satirical poem, Absalom and Achitophel, concerning the royal court of the monarch, Charles II and the political intrigues surrounding his illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth depicts distorted image of monarchy.
Satire is a bitter form of criticism in the way that it has a definite moral purpose. The satirist directly hits the fouls and corruptions of his subject. He intentionally separates our sympathies from those whom he describes and ends by finding anger and hatred overpower his sense of the ridiculing.
Examples of Satire in the Prologue
One of the corrupt pilgrims is the Monk. He is fond of hunting, he keeps a large number of fine horses in his stable, he finds the rules of monastic discipline to be old and therefore out of date thus he disregards the rules that govern monasteries. Chaucer is referencing the book of rules when he states:
” But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre;
And I seyde his opinioun was good. ”
The poet really doesn’t agree with the Monk’s opinion that the rules are outdated. He is using sarcasm to make his point that the Monk chooses not to follow the rules because they hamper his lifestyle of hunting, owning possessions, and eating fine foods.
Chaucer likewise uses the Pardoner to satirize the hypocrisy of the Church’s selling of pleasures for the forgiveness of sins, a practice in which giving a certain amount of money to the Church could wipe out sins even sins a person has not yet committed. The Pardoner always begins his “preche” by telling worshippers that the love of money is the root of all evil and the preche he utters in order to get the money he wants from them.
“For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,
He moste preche, and wel affile his tonge
To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude;
Therefore he song the murierly and loude.”
Another member of the Church Chaucer satirizes is the Friar. Friars were not allowed to deliver judgment for profit, so this is another way he is a corrupt member of the Church. It shows that Friar allows sinners to pay him for forgiveness when they are deeply depressed for their sins. This kind of behaviour represents friar as a beggar as Chaucer states about him:
” He was the beste beggere in his hous; ”
This statement has double meaning. The Friar is a successful beggar because he makes such a good living begging from the wealthy people in his district. Instead of helping the poor, he uses this income for himself. In this way he is also a “fine” beggar as it helps him to own expensive clothes and luxuries.
Chaucer exaggeratingly satirizes the Prioress’s sentimentality and pretensions of being from a higher class. The awkward thing that she does for it is that she speaks French in English manner as Chaucer states;
“And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,
For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.”
Her extreme gentleness is out of genuine sensibility as she pretends to be very tender and delicate according to the following verses:
“She was so charitable and so pitous
She wolde wepe if that she saugh a mous
Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
Of smale houndes hadde she, that she fedde”
But the tale told by her is quite opposite to this personality depiction in which a Jew cuts the throat of a Christian boy and throws him into a cesspool. One can imagine how harsh and cruel this story is.
Definitions of Irony
While explaining irony, the famous philosopher of nineteenth century, James Robert Boyd describes “The expression of strong reproof or censure, under the appearance of praise.” It is quite true and is most obvious when we come across verbal ironies. For instance in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy says of Elizabeth Bennet that she is not “handsome enough to tempt me” but falls in love with her.
Thrall, et al describe irony as “a figure of speech in which the actual intent is expressed in words which carry the opposite meaning” such as if somebody has stepped out in a flooding situation and is saying, “What a nice weather we have!” Othello is a great example of it when Othello resolves to murder his loving and innocent wife because of the secret sinful scheme of Iago.
An American critic, W. Ginsberg has defined irony as “the figure that joins negation and plentitude together” Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows that Juliet is imitating to be dead but Romeo does not know and thinks she is really dead.
Irony is a method of humorous or sarcastic expression in which the intended meaning of the words used is the direct opposite of their usual sense. It is also the state of ignorance in argument. It speaks a gross exaggeration or a falsehood, knowing it to be exaggerated or false, but announcing it as serious truth. Listening to it, intelligent men think, “That cannot be true. He cannot possibly mean that.” They realise that the speaker means the reverse of what he says.