Satire on Sir Walter Scott and Chaucer
Satire is a keen literary tool, one that Geoffrey Chaucer used liberally when he wrote his Canterbury Tales as well as Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. Webster's New World Dictionary says that satire is "the use of ridicule, sarcasm, etc. to attack vices, follies, etc." These two pieces of literature could be considered the greatest pieces of British Literature during the Middle Ages. They both exercise Satire, Ideals, Prejudices, and Stereotypes, which are used in today's writings and used commonly in the world today. Everyday people criticize and ridicule others for their faults and problems which is one topic that Chaucer and Scott wrote about. I will most of all be concentrating on Satire because it is one that that I see the most used whether it be in school, public, or in my own home.The Knight's Tale in the Canterbury Tales satirizes the knight slightly. Chaucer satirizes knights and chivalry in two different ways: in the prologue and in the Knight's Tale. The first way in the prologue is with the pilgrim Knight's character. Chaucer wanted to present a realistic knight, but he also wanted to give the Knight some very real, and obvious flaws, as a sort of social commentary on the way that knight's were perceived in the 14th
is no clear winner. By writing this parody, Chaucer is trying to convey the idea that a lot of the ideals of chivalry are a bit silly. And, as all of the different tales reflect back on the characters of the pilgrims who tell them, the ideas in the Knight's Tale can be reflected back on the Knight. Sir Walter Scott wrote mostly about the same in his novel. His characters are corrupt except for an honest few. Even though Ivanhoe has someone he is involved with he shows his chivalry when he fights for Rebecca while she is being put to death. He risked his life for a damsel in distress. He follows the codes of chivalry and showed the same values that Chaucer's characters had in his tales. Others showed their chivalry; for example Robin Hood fought for Ivanhoe and for a good cause with his men as well as Kind Richard's return and his fighting for Ivanhoe. If it wasn't for both of them Ivanhoe would have lost the battle to take over the castle. There is a lot of criticism between the Normans and Saxons. They have this hatred for each other similar to the Jew-German or Black-white groups. King Richard's brother King John is corrupt and not honorable. He steals the thrown while his brother is out in the Crusades and takes advantage of the power. Making him dishonorable is a way that Sir Walter Scott satirizes him. Honor is the main point that needs to be addressed when talking about the Knight. It was one of the most important values attributed to knights by the general public. . "Honor is both inner goodness and social reputation;
Some common words found in the essay are:
Knight's Tale, Chaucer's Knight, Walter Scott, Middle Ages, Palamon Arcite, Robin Hood, World Dictionary, Prejudices Stereotypes, Canterbury Tales, King John, knight's tale, knight knight, 14th century, ideal knight, sir walter, 14th century knight, century knight, chaucer satirizes, scott wrote, chaucer's knight, honorable fault, sir walter scott, knight 14th century,
Approximate Word count = 1045
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
