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The Canterbury Tales is a good example of how the author, Geoffrey Chaucer, portrays his earthy zest for life through his characters. The Canterbury Tales consists of a prologue and a collection of tales which are told by the people traveling to Canterbury. The prologue describes the basic characters which are going to be introduced. It tells of each of the characters appearances, ways of being, and behavior. Chaucerian characteristics, or descriptions of an earthy zest for life, are evident in most of Chaucer's characters. A good example of a Chaucerian character is the Franklin. In the passage of the Franklin, Chaucerian characteristics are portrayed through the use of imagery, symbolism, literary devices such as similes, and sound devices such as alliteration, meter, and tone. Chaucerian is apparent throughout the Franklin passage and is portrayed by these three poetic techniques. The use of imagery in the Canterbury Tales help to make the poem more vivid and realistic to the reader. Imagery, which is used to set a mental picture in the reader's mind of what the author is describing, can help to make the character or setting seem more realistic. Lines 341 to 344 are an example of how Chaucer uses imagery to enhance the reader’s knowledge of the character. “A land owner, a Franklin, had appeared... A sanguine man, high colored and benign.” The description of the Franklin gives the reader an image of a happy, cheerful, and friendly man. The reader can begin to visualize how the Franklin may look and behave. The use of imagery portrays Chaucer’s earthy zest for life through his characters by giving the reader a better view of the character or place he is describing. Another poetic technique, symbolism, can help to make the poem more realistic to the reader. Symbolism is a person or place that represents something else. Chaucer uses symbols to help the reader understand what he is trying to say.
Approximate Word count = 1242
Approximate Pages = 5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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