SerranoNotes-+Chaucer+-+Theme

“General Prologue’: There are many themes in the “General Prologue”, however some are more apparent than other. One theme that sticks out the most is the idea that many people from different cultures come together, to travel with each other. These pilgrims would generally never travel together, yet they over come differences. The stories they tell illustrate their cultural differences and helps the reader associate with each character.

“Miller’s Tale”: Much like the “General Prologue”, there is a major theme of cultural differences in “The Miller’s Tale”. In this tale we see am extreme difference between the Knight’s culture and the Miller’s culture. The Miller’s story is much more humorous and rude, while the Knight’s story is respectable and heroic. We learn the Miller has no reverence or patience in his culture by his interruption of the friar’s story.

The use of anachronistic love in “The Miller’s Tale” assumes that the Miller is much more prone to an ironic disappointing love. The culture the Miller is from is not used to traditional fairy tale love, but more realistic and depressing love.

“Knight’s Tale”: In the “Knights Tale” two men fall in love over one woman. The two men fight to decide the victor and in the end one mad wins the woman. This love story is called courtly love; a traditional romantic love. The use of courtly love in the tale helps explain the culture of the Knight. Unlike the Miller, the Knight experiences fairy tale love where a man over comes a conflict to succeed in a heroic love. The Knight come from a more respectable background and thus he is treated with more respect by his friends and lovers.