Juliat68

The Nun (Prioress) from The Canterbury Tales

Occupation

The Nun in the prologue of the Canterbury Tales is a religious figure. She is a part of the Church. The nun in medieval times did many duties for the Church, including washing, cooking, providing education, medical care, and many more. The Nun in the prologue, however, was very selfish and kept most of her services to herself and her pets. “She had some little dogs, too, that she fed

On roasted flesh, or milk and fine white bread.

But sore she'd weep if one of them were dead” - http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/CT-prolog-para.html

The job that the nun carried out in medieval times suggests that the time period was one where people were not very educated. Other jobs that the nun carries out implies that there were not many medical people besides the apothecaries who most likely ripped people off, and got them more sick. The nun was basically in charge of serving the community.

The nun in the prologue was respected to a certain extent. She was very terrible at her job, and she would have affairs and lovers when she wasn’t supposed to. She talked about love quite a lot, and she tried to show off , speaking little bits of French that she knew. She was not respected by anyone at the time who knew what was right, and what she is actually supposed to be doing.

http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/CT-prolog-para.html

The nun’s day to day life can be filled with a lot of things, especially because she didn’t necessarily do her job properly. She was supposed to be very “daint” , though she was very oversized due to all the good feasts she ate and shared among her pets. Her day to day life would be praying for several hours a day, then going out to do good works, such as help the poor, and mix medicines for them.

Chaucer does not include that the nun actually wanted to do her job properly, but never got to do anything right sometimes. She tried and failed.

http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/CT-prolog-para.html

The nun today is very different from the nun in medieval times. The nun had more of a job back then. The nuns now are more stuck to religious work, though some are teachers in schools at specific areas.

Chaucer shows lots of sarcasm for this character and pretty much despises her. She is not liked by Chaucer. As a religious figure, she is supposed to carry out religious works, but she does a very bad job. She is more selfish than selfless, a trait no nun is supposed to have.

The lines that tell the reader that Chaucer despises the nun in a way are “ She was at pains to counterfeit the look of courtlieness, and stately manners took.

http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/CT-prolog-para.html

Word choices that Chaucer used that require an understanding of the time period are “draught” and “smote”