Chaucer’s Realism in The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales (BS English/MA English)
Chaucer’s Realism
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines realism in the following words: “Realism is the tendency to view or represent things as they really are”.
Literature is the reflection of the age in which it is produced. It gives birth to its world, which always parallels the real world. It was good luck for every golden period in the history of English literature that it got some supreme literary artist shaped and moulded by the society of the image, his values of life, and his religious and political ideas. Chaucer is one such artist. Like Fielding, Tennyson, and Pope, Chaucer produced literature according to what he witnessed around him. He can be called a true realist.
“The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales” clearly shows his scholarly and profound interest in the world and its temporal activities. It also shows that he has sharp sight and penetrating insight into different aspects of the world. As a critic says, “Chaucer, like Fielding, could have claimed that he gave the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Now, let’s discuss Chaucer’s realism and its prominent features, which entitle him a true realist.
First, Chaucer, as a realist, portrays the medieval characters. The young Squire is one of these typical characters. He is at home in music, dance, painting, and writing. As a representative of Medieval Squires, he is very careful in the selection of his dress. Similarly, the Wife of Bath cannot be overlooked in this regard. Marriage at that time was totally based on monetary considerations, and a well-to-do woman could marry as many times as she liked. So, we see that the Wife of Bath shows all these characteristics of the wealthy women of that time.
She was a worthy woman al hir lyve;
Husbands at the church door she hadde fyve.”
Similarly, the Sergeant of Law, the Cook, the Doctor of Physik, and the antipathy between the Miller and the Reeve all show the prominent medieval features.
The second major point that Chaucer has discussed is the growing prosperity and prominence of the common men. Crafts and manufacturing flourished and brought new wealth. These newly rich persons founded their own corporations. This thing created another evil. These people began controlling the churches by forming parish guilds and later these guilds also became distinguished in the political field.
Another important feature of Chaucerian society is corruption in the church. In Chaucer’s age, religion was a force that was shaping and moulding the lives of the people, but some clergymen were presenting the deteriorated aspect of religion. They had forgotten their sacred obligations and were fond of profligacy and epicureanism. The Friar in “The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales” totally connives at his religious duties. He advises the sinners that they should not offer prayers or weep for the purgation of their sins. In return, he demands a large amount of money to absolve them of their sins.
“Ful swetely herde he confessioun,
———————————————,
Ther as he wiste to have a good pituance.”
The Monk openly expresses his abhorrence against the monastic rules and the verses of the holy book that censure such secular pursuits like horse-riding and keeping greyhounds. Chaucer, like Wycliff and Langland does not completely criticize the religious orders. He also portrays the Parson who believes that first a priest himself should follow the right path and then advise others to follow him so that he may become a role model for others.
“And shame it is, if a prest take keep,
A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.”
Chaucer as a realist does not show any prejudice or partiality in the presentation of these characters.
No doubt, Chaucer is a great realist but if we observe minutely, we find two major limitations in his art as a realist. First, Chaucer is silent about historic events, the Hundred Year War, the Black Death, and the Peasants’ Revolt. There is a slight touch of Black Death in the character of Doctor of Physik. “He kepte that he won in pestilence.” The second limitation of Chaucer as a realist is that he avoids literalism. The details are very much near reality.
To sum up, we can say that Chaucer is a realist of high rank with an acute power of observation. He sees things as they are and describes them as he sees them. We can sum up with the remarks of Hazlitt, who observes: “There is no artificial, pompous display, but a strict parsimony of the poet’s materials like the rude simplicity of the age in which he lived.” (Words: 760 Approximately)
Symbolism of the Three Male Eagles in The Parliament of Fowls:
https://englishlitnotes.com/2025/05/14/symbolism-of-three-male-eagles/
Two Friends and a Wild Bear: https://englishwithnaeemullahbutt.com/2025/05/18/two-friends-wild-bear/