In The Canterbury Tales AND

Current Political Cartoons

Satire

What is SATIRE?the use of humor and wit with a critical

attitude, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule for exposing or denouncing the faults of mankind’s activities and institutions (such as folly, stupidity, or vice).It usually involves a moral judgmentIt uses comedy or humorIt has an intended target It describes a folly or vice in detail

SATIRE in The Canterbury TalesFirst, you have to understand that The

Canterbury Tales (esp the Prologue) describes the classes of medieval society. It illustrates individuals from the three main “estates” (or social categories).The first estate – The Church (the people who

prayed…Friar, Monk, Pardoner, Parson)The second estate- The nobility (the people who

fought…Knight, Squire)The third estate- The peasantry (everyone

else…those who provided food for the people who fought or prayed).

FYI By later Middle Ages,

the division of the traditional estates was breaking down, and there is the rise of the mercantile class (merchants/upper middle class) and a new subdivision of the clergy, the “intellectuals” who were trained in literature and writing (The Clerk).

ESTATES SATIREThe Tales is an example of Estates Satire

(satirize the abuses that occur within the three traditional estates…ESPECIALLY the clergy).Refer back to our Pilgrim chart to see which

characters were described SARCASTICALLY.

Question: What is Chaucer’s attitude toward the church? What is being satirized? What is Chaucer “speaking out” against?