FREE ESSAY ON ARE CHAUCER'S CHARACTERS STEREOTYPES?

ARE CHAUCER'S CHARACTERS STEREOTYPES?

Are the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales stereotypes, or fully developed characters?
Discuss with reference to at least two tales.
Though the characters in the Canterbury Tales are described vividly and often comically,
it is not
necessarily true that these characters are therefore stereotypes of The Middle ages. The
intricate visual
descriptions and the tales the characters tell help to direct the reader in finding a
more accurate and
realistic picture of the pilgrims, bringing into question the theory that Chaucer was
just collating
stereotypes from his time. 
The fact that there is one representative for each of the chief classes (under the higher
nobility)
would suggest that this work is an attempt to provide a catalogue of characters from the
middle ages,
and it can be assumed from this that this denotes a collection of stereotypes, although
this is not
necessarily true. The format of The Canterbury Tales suggests a simplistic approach, a
prologue and
epilogue and in between a collection of tales, The Miler's Tale, The Clerk's Tale and so
on[1]. This
simplicity in structure may also suggest a simplicity in content and thus, convincing and
challenging
characters are unlikely to be expected in a work of seemingly simple design. But, when
looked at in
more detail, the tales are found to hold many details that contradict the bland
stereotype expected, and
when the structure of the work is looked at in its context of 14th century literature,
the Canterbury
Tales is found to be a work pioneering the form of the epic poem. The style in which
Chaucer writes
may also initially seem to suggest that his characters are under-developed stereotypes,
he uses the
language of his time vividly, although this does not therefore mean that his characters
are two
dimensional, almost 'cartoon' characters. J.R. Hulbert in his essay Chaucer's Pilgrims
explains, In
many instances there are exuberant lines which sharpen the effect desired. The Canterbury
Tales
may, at first seem to be obtuse and unfocused through the use of lucid imagery and
language,
although this language, when studied gives a more detailed and more deeply layered
portrayal of the
pilgrims as well as giving them colourful characteristics. 
Chaucer's description of the knight is a good example of his subversion of the classic
Arthurian
image that existed in popular literature of the time[2]. In the General Prologue, Chaucer
relays his
description of the knight:
 A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man, 
That fro the time that he first bigan
To riden out, he loved chivalrye,
Trouthe, and honour, freedom and curteisye.
This excerpt, the beginning of the description of the knight holds true to the classic
representation
of the knight of valour and honour, but Chaucer goes on to pervert and pollute the
fairytale image that
he has created:
 And of his port as meeke as is a maide
and,
 His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.
Of fustian he wered a gopoun,
Al bismothered with his haubergeoun.
In these few lines, Chaucer has destroyed the traditional stereotype of the knight and
created a new
and almost comical figure. Our knight is not one 'in shining armour', but rather a
'knight in a rusted
chain-mail'. The knight does not even have a hyper-masculine representation here either.
Chaucer
feminises the knight comparing him to a maid. At the end of the description of the knight
in the
general prologue the only part of the knight that lives up to the readers expectations is
his horse,
which apparently was in good condition. Although we have only been given a visual
representation of
the knight, the reader can gather many things from this description, perhaps the knight
is effeminate
or weak, and he shys away from battle, getting so little battlefield 'action' that his
chainmail has begun
to rust. 
It is a device used by Chaucer to convey the character of his pilgrims using their
appearance. Thus
when the Wife of Bath is described as being gat-toothed, the reader can assume that she
is lusty as it
was believed in the Middle ages that this particular physical attribute denoted that
characteristic. In
medieval times, certain elements of a person's appearance intrinsically suggested
something, if not
everything of their character. Indeed, this practice of identifying outward appearance
with inward
attitudes and traits became an area of study known as 'physiognomy' and manuals on this
subject were
produced[3]. In more recent times, critics have tried to unravel and understand the many
tiny clues
hidden in the character descriptions to gain a sharper picture of these characters. In
1919 Water Clyde
Curry claimed to have discovered the pardoner's secret [that he was a eunuchus ex
nativitate] using
these manuals, and this discovery, after it's initial acceptance has been questioned for
it's reliance on
the physiognomy texts that are vague and overlapping anyway. Although we may not be able
to assess
the details of the characters in as much detail as Walter Clyde Curry attempted, we can
still glean
further insight into the pilgrims characters from their appearance.
Chaucer describes the miller in a similar way to the knight, in that he creates a picture
of the
archetypal stereotype and then obliterates it with a parody of the traditional model. The
miller is
described as braun, brood, short-shuldred and eek of bones, this is a regular picture of
a
stocky, well-built, practical man. Chaucer then describes how this man who seems fit and
strong and
therefore, presumably young, is actually old and is not as worldly wise as his age and
his profession as
a carpenter would suggest. The carpenter who is physically strong is, unfortunately for
him, mentally
weak. He is not suspecting of his young wife's plot to have sex with Nicholas and he is
completely
taken in by the clerk's claims of a flood on the scale of that of Noah's time. Although
the reader might
presume the miller to be worldly wise, having a hard labour-intensive job bringing him
into contact
with other people and forcing him to travel far and wide, his worldly wisdom is mocked by
the
cunning and shrewd clerk and his own young wife, just as the hairy wart on his nose mocks
his face
and muscular complexion. In the prologue to the miler's tale the narrator warns,
An housbonde shal nought been inquisitif
Of Goddes privetee, nor of his wif. (55-56)
and the miller pays heed to this warning, suppressing curiosity of Goddes privetee as
regards the
flood and trusting his wife so much as to leave her alone and independent while he
travels on his
business. This blind acceptance of 'Goddes' mysteries and his wife's deceit leads to his
metaphoric and
literal downfall when the tale comes to it's climax, as the miller falls from the roof,
and again, literally
and metaphorically waking up to find his wife having had sex with another man.
The miller's wife Alison is another character that is represented using this same process
of creating
a stereotypical figure and then adding flaws and perversions. Alison is presented as a
pure, innocent,
virginal youth in the tale,
Fair was this yonge wif and therwithal
As any wesele hir body gent and smal....
Ful smale ypulled were hir browes two,.....
Hir mouth was sweete as bragot or the meeth, (115-52)
Other youthful descriptions are given of Alison in the passage that runs from line 115 to
162. This
description seems like the stereotypical virginal newly-wed until the plot thickens and
Alison becomes
less and less innocent. One instance when Alison's loyalty and morality are tested is
when Nicholas
accosts her, grabbing her by the queinte(168). Alison's initial reaction is that of any
loving wife, to
protest and try and escape, but she does not take much persuading to go to bed with the
clerk. Chaucer
explains this by saying that he made such vigorous advances that she could not resist,
but this scene
seems more like rape than a lover wooing his true love. Alison is instantly exposed to
have the same
base and uncurbed desires as Nicholas, parodying the facade of the virginal young bride.
One character who openly reveals the facade which he hides behind is the pardoner. His
description
in the general prologue tells of his trickery in using false relics and his use of his
position as absolver
to make money. The pardoner himself, also openly admits his hypocritical practices to the
other
pilgrims. He tells them that he is only concerned with money, and reveals the falsehood
of his relics
(and even after this tries to trick them into giving him money for absolution). The
pardoner is not
represented as a pious, humble and holy man as you would expect of a pardoner, but as a
conniving,
money-grabbing hypocrite. This character itself is almost a stereotype, though Chaucer's
description of
the pardoner holds many quirky traits that take the pardoner from being a stereotype to
being a
believable individual. The pardoner's sexuality is a complex issue that has had critics
such as Donald
Howard, G. L. Kiterridge and Paul Ruggiers debating. The pardoner is clearly not an open
and shut
stereotype. What is unique about the pardoner is that he recognises his own hypocrisy. He
admits that
he is guilty of the avarice that he preaches against but separates himself from those who
he
condemns,
Thus can I preche that same vice 
Which that I use, and that is avarice.
But though myself be gilty in that sine,
Yit can I make other folk to twinne(139-142)
This recognition of his own hypocrisy takes the pardoner one stage further than a purely
hypocritical clergyman and makes his character more complex and interesting. The
pardoner
recognises his own sins and fails to see this as a problem, creating a psychological
profile that is much
too intricate to be brushed aside as a stereotype.
This use of the typical 'types' of people encountered in Chaucer's era helps to give a
vividness that
the reader can relate to and, quoting a stereotype initially (and then subsequently
deconstructing it) as
he does with a number of the pilgrims such as Alison and the Knight, allows a lot of
information to be
passed from the author to the reader with minimum communication. Quoting a stereotype
saves
Chaucer having to explain what the character is like. Chaucer takes advantage of this
fact, but does
not allow this to confine the scope his work has for realism. His genius in describing
the pilgrims is
that he will use a stereotype and then add individual features (that more often than not
contradict the
initial image), making the characters more intricate and interesting and above all ,more
believable.
The eye for detail that Chaucer obviously possesses is put to good use here, these
characters are not
broad, generalising stereotypes, rather he gives a detailed insight into the psyche of
the pilgrims we
encounter.
I believe that the pilgrims are believable and fully developed characters, that Chaucer
has created
using typical stereotypes from the time and the people he saw around himself. He has
combined this
with individual quirks and details that give further insight into the characters. Chaucer
has not created
stereotypes, but has used stereotypes (and manipulated them) in order to create intricate
and realistic
characters. This twinning of the typical and the atypical gives The Canterbury Tales a
definite sense of
realism that reaches far beyond stereotypes.
2031 words 
Footnotes
1. J.R. Hulbert, Chaucer's Pilgrims p23 (from Essays in Modern Criticism-see
bibliography)
2. The Black book of Carmarthen (c. latter 14th century, author unknown)
Preidaeu Annun from The Book of Taliesin, poem 30 (c. 14th century author
unknown)
3. C. D. Benson, Chaucer's Pardoner: His sexuality and modern critics (from
Luminarium medieval literature website at www.luminarium.org)
Bibliography
Chaucer (modern essays in criticism), edited by E. Wagenknecht, OUP 1974
The Canterbury Tales, D. Pearsall, Unwin Critical Library 1985
Who's Who in Chaucer, A.F. Scott, Elm Tree1974
The Canterbury Tales (casebook series), edited by J.J. Anderson, Anchor Press 1974
Chaucer's Women, P. Martin, Macmillan 1990
Chaucer, a critical appreciation, P.F. Baum, Duke University Press 1958
Chaucer Langland and the Creative Imagination, D. Aers
Critical Essays on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, edited by M. Andrew 
Open University Press 1991
Chaucer, D. Aers, Harvester 1986
Geoffrey Chaucer, edited by J.A. Burrow, Penguin 1969
Editions of Canterbury Tales used:
Penguin Classics 1960 edition
Excerpts contained in Norton Anthology of English Literature, Sixth edition, Volume 1
Norton 1993