The Nun’s PriestBy: Danielle Cooley

Ken FordAlex Rivera

Physical Traits, clothing, and accessoriesHe has brawn. Chest’s not of the leastWell developed neck.His eyes are like a sparrows hawk.Complexion like a box of chalk.

Social classClergy- considering he was a priest, he is

part of the clergy.

Words, experiences, personality traitsGentleDid not have a big heart.

We are led to believe that the Priest does uphold the proper values of his social position, because the Host wonders aloud how successful the priest would be had he been a secular man, and comments on his manly physique.

Chaucer criticismChaucer was criticizing a couple aspects of

society in the Nun’s Priest Tale, including the harsh difference between the rich and the poor, and human pride. He criticizes human pride with the proudest hen Chanticleer, whose responsibilities consist of crowing (considering that he is the best crower) in the morning to ensure that the sun stays risen, and keeping his wives safe. Chanticleer is arrogant and cocky, and it almost gets him killed by a fox.

Chaucer Criticism (again)Chaucer criticizes the wealthy with the poor

widow’s living conditions. He describes her situation elegantly, despite the fact that there isn’t much elegance to it. Although she lives in a dirty home without much to show for, she doesn’t complain and makes the most of what she has.

The Nun’s Priest tale

Main CharactersThe Widow- She has 7 hens, and she lives a humble

life.Chanticleer- The most noble and handsome hen, who

has great responsibility and is the greatest crower of all the hens. He has many wives, and is slightly arrogant.

Don Russell- A fox, who is sly, sneaky, who manages to trick Chanticleer and tries to kill the rooster, but does not succeed.

Lady Pertelote- The lady that Chanticleer is devoted to. Even though are devoted to each other, she is somewhat of a nag.

Setting

The story takes place on the small cottage which belongs to the widow.

Farm yard

Plot synopsis and themeChanticleer has a dream that he was being

attacked by a monster. Lady Pertelote says that Chanticleer is a coward by being scared by his dream, but Chanticleer knows better and knows that this might come true. The dream does come true and the fox tries to get Chanticleer but he flies into a tree. The fox lures him down with compliments and put him in his mouth and runs off.

Plot Synopsis and Theme con’tThen, the widow and many animals chased

the fox and tried to rescue Chanticleer. Chanticleer recommended that the fox turn around and shout insults at the chasers. The fox then let Chanticleer out of his mouth and turned around to shout insults, and Chanticleer hurried back up the tree. The fox tried to get him back down with compliments, but Chanticleer learned his lesson and wouldn’t come back down.

ThemeThe theme to this tail is the ever so popular

brawn vs. brains argument. The fox was stronger, but the hen was smart so he devised a plan to get out of the fox’s mouth.

The genre is mock heroic. It mocks epic stories such as “The Iliad”, and Mocks many heroic themes by taking epic situations and putting them on a much smaller scale and in the shoes of mere hens.

Supporting evidence for classificationChaucer uses a large and extensive

vocabulary to describe Chanticleer, despite the fact that he is only a hen. He uses the same superfluous language to describe when Don Russell chased Chanticleer, which bears similarities to Achilles chasing Hector in “The Iliad”.

Epic tales are also mocked by Lady Pertelote’s response to Chanticleer’s nightmare, when she proposed that the remedy is a laxative.

Contemporary CounterpartsThe three little pigsAesop’s fables