Canterbury Tales Chaunticleer Essay, Research Paper
Canterbury Tales: Chaunticleer
In the book Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, gives us a
stunning tale about a rooster named Chaunticleer. Chaunticleer, who is
the King of his domain in his farmland kingdom. Like a King, he quotes
passages from intellectuals, dreams vivid dreams, has a libido that
runs like a bat out of hell, and is described as a very elegant
looking Rooster. He has every characteristic of a person belonging to
the upper class. Chaucer’s hidden meanings and ideas make us think
that the story is about roosters and farm animals, but in reality he
is making the Aristocracy of his time period the subject of his
mockery by making the reader realize how clueless the Aristocracy can
be to the way things are in the real World.
Chaucer describes Chaunticleer in many different ways. One of them
is his language. Chaunticleer’s language is that of a scholar. He
quotes many different scriptures in a conversation with Pertelote,
such as, Saint Kenelm, Daniel and Joseph (from the bible), and
Croesus. From each author he tells a story about an individual who had
a vision in a dream and the dream came true. He may have been making
all the stories up in order to win the argument with Pertelote, but,
this seems unlikely because he does not take heed to his own advice
and stay away from the fox that encounters him later. He is educated
enough to know these supposed quotations but not intelligent enough to
understand the real meaning of them. It is if he simply brings because
they help him win the argument with his spouse and not because he
actually believes what they say. Chaucer is using the idea that the
Aristocracy has schooling throughout their childhood, but it is only
done to have seemingly important but empty conversations.
His physical appearance is also described with such beautiful passion
that it makes us think Chaunticleer is heaven on earth. “His comb was
redder than fine coral, and crenellated like a castle wall; his bill
was black and shone like jet; his legs and toes were like azure; his
nails whiter than lily; and his color like the burnished gold.”
Chaucer describes Chaunticleer as the quintessential Cock, so perfect
that his description is no longer believable when we realize he is
describing a Rooster. Chaucer is setting up Chaunticleer to be as
regal and grandiose as a King. Even though he looks like a million
dollars he is still very shallow inside. He lies to his spouse just to
keep her happy and his every thought is of fornication. Like the
Aristocracy he takes many pleasures of the flesh with no real
commitment to his duty as a rooster.
Chaunticleer’s character appears to be that of a shallow used car
salesman. He lies to his spouse about his opinion of women just so he
can ride her later in the morning. “Mulier est hominis confusio;
Madame, the meaning of this Latin is, ‘Woman is man’s joy and all his
bliss.’” The real meaning is ” Woman is man’s ruin”. He tells her a
lie to ensure he gets what he wants from her later. He seems like the
type of person who would say anything to get what they want no matter
the truth or whom it hurts. He also falls victim to his own hubris,
something that is not uncommon to most rich arrogant people.
Chaucer’s creation of Chaunticleer is done solely to imitate and mock
the upper class. Chaunticleer is educated, like people in the upper
class; looks good, as people with money can afford to do; and revolves
around the pleasures of the flesh like a pre-pubescent child. Had he
not been “riding” Pertelote all morning he might have seen the fox
coming and been able to avoid becoming captured. His attitude was that
of the upper class, that he is too good to worry about life’s little
trivial matters and that he loves to have pleasure. The fox is able to
dupe him simply by flattering his voice. “… the reason I came was
only to hear how you sing.”. He is so consumed with living in his own
grandiose twisted reality, where nothing bad happens, that he does not
realize that a fox is about to gobble him up! He does have an epiphany
at the end, however, “No more through your flattery get me to close my
eyes and sing. For he who knowingly blinks when he should see, God let
him never thrive.” Chaucer uses the character Chaunticleer to poke fun
at the Aristocracy and all their tendencies towards living life in the
name of “consummate pleasure seekers,” and not in the name of “reality
driven people”.