"The Nun's Tales"

The Nun's Tales:

There is a detailed description about the nun Prioress in the General Prologue. Chaucer makes the reader see 2 types of people. On one hand, the nun who gives much importance to minor things. On the other hand, the Knight who gives much importance to things that really matter.

In the desciprion of the nun Prioress, everything that Chaucer says about her means the opposite.

She is called Madame Egantine. Chaucer describes the nun with all the characteristics that a nun should not have. She was: 

• Modest, well educated and with good manners.
• Tender feelings and a strong love for God and his creations.
• She spoke French.
• Superb

All of these characteristics show how the nun was focused on things that should not be important for a nun.

The nun's actions in the tale are cautious and splendid. Her manners are unique and praticed with perfection.

The description of her beauty reflects how she was from her inside. ( Her nose well-shaped, her eyes bright as glass, she had a fine forehead".

The author talks about her fne forehead with sarcasm because he is telling us how this small characteristic, were reflected so well in the nun. Perfection meaning the opposite.

She had tender feelings for example for a mouse or dogs. " She had a few small dogs that she fed with roast meat, milk or fine bread". This illustrates how soft she was, and also that she gave great importance to little things rather than great importance to big ones.

The Knight gaves importance to great things, which fought for bif reasons.

The Knight would never give better food to some dogs rather that to the people who needed it. On the other hand the nun gave great importance and attention to her dog, or a mouse that was bleeding, rather than to people.