The Nonnes Preestes Tale, Poem by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Nonnes Preestes Tale, Poem by Geoffrey Chaucer | Critical comment

Q. Critically comment on "The Nonnes Preestes Tale".

Answer: "Nun Priest's Tale" is a part of Chaucer's famous work The Canterbury Tales. It is a fantasy, which depicts human qualities, defects and social tendencies through animals. This story is full of humor and satire. Also, it reveals the mentality of medieval society.

Brief essence: The main character of this story is a proud and intelligent rooster called Chanticleer. He is famous for his beauty and melodious tone. He lives with his favorite hen Pertelote. One day, he dreams of a terrible dream, in which a fox catches him. Pertelote considers this dream only mental illusion and advises to ignore it. But soon the fox rends the Renard (Reynard) cleverly implicates the Chanticleer. However, Chanticleer saves himself from his intelligence.

Satire and Humor: Chaucer uses humor and satire efficiently in this story. The ego and self -realization of the Chanticleer represents those who are very confident. The fox is a symbol of Renard, deceit and deception. This is a warning to those who come under the influence of flattery and false promises. Chaucer satirizes human nature, ego and betrayal through this story.

Ethics and Education: This story teaches us to be vigilant. The ego of Chanticleer puts him in trouble, but his intelligence also saves him. This story also shows that only external form-round and sweet speech should not be believed. Also, it shows that clever people try to take advantage of innocent people.

Style and Structure: Chaucer's writing style is poetic and flowing. He has written this story in Heroic Couplet, which was a famous verses plan of his time. The story uses vivid depiction, clever words experiment and rhythmic poetry. The use of animal metaphors adds depth to the story. This allows the characters of the story represent human qualities. It inspires readers to consider their actions and decisions.

Illustration of medieval society: This story reflects the mentality of medieval society. It shows the ego of men, the practical intellect of women and the cleverness of sly people. However, the role of female characters in this story is limited. Pertelote is depicted as a rational and practical character. However, she could not affect the result of the story. This indicates the status and patriarchal thinking of women in medieval society.

Thus, the story, "Nun Priest's Tale" is not just a story of ordinary animals. It is full of deep meanings. It presents the nature of man's nature, ego, cleverness and important lessons of life in an interesting manner. Chaucer has taught us through this story that only intelligence and vigilance can save the person from crisis. However, its narrative structure is relatively simple and has limited representation of women. Nevertheless, this story is a proof of Chaucer's satirical art and his poetic skills.

*****

👉 Prologue to the Canterbury Tales | Summary (Paper 101)

👉 Prologue to the Canterbury Tales | Chaucer's portrayal of 14th century England

👉 Pearl, as an ideal vision poem | 14th-century Middle English

👉 The Canterbury Tales | M.C.Q (Mock Test)

👉 Paradise Lost Book IV by John Milton | Theme of Obedience