Few Different Types Of Love Chaucer example essay topic

Different types of Love in The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is not only a novel about pilgrim's journey for five days from Southwark to Canterbury, but it is also a picture of love, despite the fact that it takes place in the fourteenth century and in England, far from modern society. The Pilgrims do a great job in revealing the English life at all levels of society. Chaucer relates love to different levels of society. Chaucer explains different types of love through the stories in each tale. Courtly love, true love, and vanity love are just few different types of love Chaucer reveals in The Canterbury Tales. In the "Franklin's Tale", Geoffrey Chaucer paints a picture of a marriage in the tradition of courtly love.

As Dorgan and Arveragus relationship reveals, a couple fulfilling the practices to courtly love rendering the possibility of genuine love. Marriage becomes a pretense to maintain courtly position because love provides the opportunity to demonstrate virtue. "Arveragus and Dorgan his wife In sovereign happiness pursued their life, No discord in their love was ever seen, He cherished her as though she were a queen, And she stayed true as she had been before; Of these two lovers you will get no more" (Chaucer 431). The characters' true devotion to the relationship becomes secondary to the appearance of practicing the virtues of truth and honor. Chaucer states the romance of true love doesn't have to be two spouses but it can be material things. He reveals this love in the Squire's Tale.

Candace picked up the falcon and spoke to it, a power she had gained from the ring the knight had given her. The falcon told her a tale of a handsome tersely as treasonous and false as he was beautiful. Yet the tersely fell in love with a kite as well as with the falcon, but could not choose between the two (Chaucer 405-406). Every time terce let thinks of the kite that he loves so much, the strong love reminds him of the falcon, who has been injured physically. It helps him fulfill his need and his duties. Chaucer paints a bleak picture of the potential for love and relationships in a world between secular and roles.

Vanity love, worthlessness love is also described in the Miller's Tale. "Now, gentlemen, this gallant Nicholas One day began to romp and make a pass At this young woman, in a mood of play, Her husband being out, down Olney way. Students are sly, and giving way to whim, He made a grab and caught her by the quit And said, 'Unless I have my will of you I'll die of secret love - O, darling, do!' Then held her haunches hard and gave a cry ' O love-me-all-at-once or I shall die!' (Chaucer 91). In the tale's conclusion, the romantic protagonists are a foolish young man, a cunning student, and a cuckolded husband, not the interchangeable and indistinguishable knights and there appears to be no passionate love either.

Geoffrey Chaucer provides a mirror of the love in the differences in the society in the fourteenth century. Although the present world is far more modern and advanced, people can still recognize the importance of love and its touch that love conquers all. Love is a bountiful and beautiful thing and it should be cherished. Chaucer reveals this to the readers. Chaucer also reveals to readers that people are generally in the same mind set of love. Unless, love conquers all, Chaucer states that no matter what level of age in society, people struggle with the same difficulties in love and marriage.