Chaucer Fuss - The Pardoner's Tale

"The Pardoner's Tale" departs from previous themes explored in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales through examining the extent men will go for riches and notoriety.

I remember reading this story in an English Literature class. It was the one and only segment of The Canterbury Tales that my class tackled. Perhaps the instructor wanted to teach us the downfalls of greediness and thinking only of ourselves... or perhaps she wanted to avoid the sticky issue of gender that is so often brought up in Chaucer's work.

Chaucer Fuss - The Franklin's Tale

It seems that all of my comments on The Canterbury Tales revolve around the status of medieval women. "The Franklin's Tale" is no exception.

"The Franklin's Tale" is my least-liked story from The Canterbury Tales. Within these pages, Chaucer tells the tale of countless women in history. He seems to suggest that women should be free.... but then proposes that wholesome women will commit suicide rather than be defiled by men.