Satire

1 Pages 331 Words

Webster’s Dictionary says that satire is “the use of ridicule and sarcasms to attack vices, follies, ect.” Using that definition, I think that all the Pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales have some sort of satire in them to some extent. Some are more subtle and some are more extreme and noticeable than others. The Knight is one of the pilgrims that Chaucer used more subtle satire with in the Prologue.
The first way satire is used in the Prologue is with the Knights character. Chaucer wanted to present a realistic knight, but he also wanted to give that knight some very real and obvious flaws on the way that knights were viewed in the 14th century. Chaucer described the realistic knight in the beginning of the Prologue as a “worthy man…Truth and honor, freedom and courtesy, full worthy was he in his Lord’s war…and honored for his worthiness.” This puts the reader at ease and makes the knight look somewhat noble in the beginning. Toward the end of the Prologue of the Knight Chaucer begins to describe the Knight in a less than honorable way writing that “…he was not gaily dressed… stained and dark with smudges…” A knight is someone who is always viewed in bright shining armor and Chaucer describes this knight as being sloppy.


When reading the Prologue you notice two different voices. In the Knights case the first voice is that of the narrator who is a naïve person that is ready to see good no matter how dirty or dishonorable the Knight is. The second voice is that of Chaucer. He is more worldly and sarcastic. It’s this voice that puts the satire in Canterbury Tales.
Satire is used very well and effectively through out Canterbury Tales. The perfect knight was always clean, courteous, and honorable without fault. Chaucer used satire to describe a knight that is definitely not ideal. He may be courteous but he isn’t clean by evidence of the dirtiness of his clothing....