Chaucer's Irony With Reference To The Shipman example essay topic

Pollard believes that the Cook is among the most disreputable pilgrims that Chaucer created. He claims that readers should not think of the Cook as a chef, able to manage and arrange a medieval banquet, but as a proprietor of an eating-house who is carried along in case of any deficiencies in the inns on their route to Canterbury. From this point of view, incongruity can be applied in the sense that how can a cook not have the skill of a chef and who is not be able to handle a dinner event. Chaucer's irony with reference to the Shipman is a bit subtle. He makes reference of a sailor who knows nothing about horses, "He rood upon a rounce, as he " (Hoy, p. 63). Chaucer describes an experienced sailor who has conquered many seas, "He knew alle the have nes, as they were, Fro Goot lond to the Cape of Fynystere, and every cry ke in Britaigne and in S payne" (Hoy, p. 65), and who was excellent at what he did on board his ship.

However, his behavior contrasts with his excellence as a sailor. He was a man who made his prisoners walk the plank, and he was also a smuggler and a pirate. Irony is incorporated in such a way that it highlights the fact that this experienced, ruthless sailor cannot tell the difference between a good and a bad horse, and needles to say does not really know how to ride one. The Shipman is an excellent sailor, but his behavior on board his ship is a subtle and ironic contrast with the excellence he demonstrates.

Chaucer in this case, once again makes use of incongruity in his writings. Finally with reference to the Merchant, Chaucer uses some verbal and gentle irony. He begins with a description of the Merchant in the following words: "A Merchant was ther with a forked be rd, In motte lee, and he on horse he sat; Upon his heed a Flaundryssh b ever hat; His bootes clasped faire and fetidly; His reasons he speak full, Sownynge always then crees of his". (Hoy, p. 71) He speaks of a well-groomed man who has become a profitable tradesman. However, after all those great characteristics are described, Chaucer goes on to show how people's appearances can be deceiving: "This worthy man full we his wit: Ther waste no wight that he was in de tte" (Pollard, p. 139). Being a merchant himself, Chaucer however would not be classified with the Merchant in the Prologue because he was in debt, in addition to claims suggesting that he made his profits by questionable and suspicious means.

(Pollard, p. 56) With character or figure such as the Merchant, Chaucer uses contrast to highlight certain aspects of the Merchant. For example, no one would ever suspect that a man who always talks of his great profits would be in debt. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is a satirical work that gives an extremely sarcastic solution to the problems that Ireland was having with poverty and overpopulation in the 1700's. He gives a series of unrealistic and simply absurd solutions to the problem that include the harsh treatment of children. The complete title of the work is "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burden to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Public". This can give you an idea on the bizarre insights that the author is going to give.

His all around solution is to fatten up the undernourished children and sell them into a meat market where they will be sold for food, thus solving the economic and population problems in Ireland. (Thompson, p. 62) Swift does this through a very sarcastic and brash style that was very new for the time that he wrote it. Swifts main purpose of A Modest Proposal was to show the absurdity of the insensible acts that were being carried out by the Irish government. This essay had nothing to do with actually solving the problems in the country. He was mainly attempting to show the people of Ireland that this was the equivalent to what the government was allowing to happen. The poor were getting poorer and the rich were getting richer.

Swift uses the word breeders to refer to women. He is basically saying that they were treated as someone that kept mankind going rather than a provider. Some of the speakers ideas could cause the reader to become disgusted with A Modest Proposal if they werent aware that Swift was making a mockery of Irelands political system.