Within the General
Prologue of The Canterbury Tales Chaucer takes great pains to describe several
facets of the Prioress that make her unusual as a member of the clergy, such as
her attention to cleanliness. To a modern reader her mannerisms might not seem
so unusual, but taken in the context of the time when the text was written it
becomes evident that Chaucer is attempting to tell his reader that the
Prioress, who is supposed to identify as a member of the clergy, is in fact
taking great pains appear aristocratic.
One of the first clues
Chaucer gives is the fact that the Prioress speaks French (line 124), which is
a language usually spoken by the upper class (enotes.com). It is also noted
that she speaks provincial French and not “Parisian” or aristocratic French,
which is supposed to be a source of humor. She also wears clothing that is unusual for a
Nun, specifically her rosary made of coral beads with a pendant on the end
that, when translated, reads “Love Conquers All” (line 158). This is unusual in
that decorative rosaries, and decorative clothing in general, were commonly
worn by the upper class or even the male clergy, but as a nun she would
generally be expected to wear a plain rosary and strive for a simple life. Of
course, it would also be expected for her rosary to have a crucifix on the end
instead of a pendant (shmoop). It is worth note that many of the sources I
looked at were at odds over whether the rosary was meant to really be a religious
rosary, or just jewelry.
However, what is most
telling are her mannerisms. Her dainty mannerisms (lines 128-138) are more at
home in a nobleman’s court than a nunnery (sparknotes). Specifically, the
eating habits the prioress portrays would be expected from noble ladies trying
to attract a husband, which the Prioress obviously is not supposed to be doing
(since she is a high-ranking nun it can be assumed she is not really
husband-hunting) (sparknotes). However, her mannerisms do show that she is
invested in how other people perceive her personally, perhaps above how she is
perceived as a representative of her station or her religious order.
It is obvious within
the text that Chaucer is both pointing out and poking fun at some problems he
sees within the church. However, there are characters in the story who are
shown to be much closer to the ideal of a person of their station in the clergy,
such as the Parson; so Chaucer also acknowledges that there are still good
people within the church, and therefore that there is still hope left.
Sources
