Chaucer s The Man Of Law s Tale - 1269 Words

Chaucer is one of the first authors to use rape in English literature (Schaus). Representations of rape occur with some consistency in several of Chaucer’s works, for example an attempted rape in â€Å"The Man of Law’s Tale† and the rape of a both a mother and daughter in â€Å"The Reeve’s Tale† (Schaus). His usage of rape was possibly inspired by his own speculated distribute with rape. On May 4, 1380, Cecily Chaumpaigne brought a deed of release into the Chancery of Richard II and had it recopied by a clerk on the back of the sheets of parchment used to record the closed or sealed letters sent by the king. In this deed, Chaumpaigne wrote omnimodas acciones tam de raptu meo tam de aliqua alia re vel causa. The modern English translation roughly reads that Chaumpaigne released the poet Geoffrey Chaucer from all manner of actions such as they relate to my raptus or any other thing or cause (Cannon). However, the cited evidence cited does not prove conclusively that Chaucer was guilty of rape. In discussions of the word raptus, one controversial issue has been what the word directly translates to. On the one hand, several scholars are certain that rape or forced coitus is the only acceptable translation of raptus in this period, on the other many linguistic scholars argues the language of rape- raptus, ravysement, and rape, was so ambiguous in the fourteenth century that it could mean either forced coitus or abduction, often for the purpose of marriage (Cannon). The latter’s theoryShow MoreRelatedGeoffrey Chaucer s Influence On The 19th Century1341 Words   |  6 Pages Geoffrey Chaucer was one of the most acclaimed writers of the 14th century. It was not exactly certain when Geoffrey Chaucer was, born but it was known to be around 1340 to 1344. He was the son of John Chaucer and Agnes Copton. John Chaucer was a very successful London wine merchant, but soon died in 1366. His wife Agnes got remarried to another Chaucer, said to be a cousin of her late husband John. â€Å"Just where the boy got his schooling is not known; he may have been at either Oxford or CambridgeRead MoreAnalysis Of The General Prologue To The Canterbury Tales Essays1044 Words   |  5 Pagespractice. Geoffrey Chaucer, one of the most important writers in English literature, was the author of The Canterbury Tales, an elaborate poem about the religious pilgrimage of twenty nine people to Canterbury. In the General Prologue Chaucer introduces each individual along for the journey. Through The Canterbury Tales, we discover the hypocrisy and virtues Chaucer narrates in his char acters and can appreciate the nuances in this superior piece of literature. Geoffrey Chaucer, born in London inRead MoreKnights Of The Middle Ages1692 Words   |  7 Pagesorigin. Gradually, the knights blended into the nobility, acquiring the privileges and rights of the old aristocracy. 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Rapper Kendrick Lamar exclaims, â€Å"we lust on the same routine of shame...lust turn[s] into fear,† and in Chaucer’s â€Å"The Miller’s Prologue and Tale,† the lust of common characters bring only shame on themselves, but in â€Å"the Knight’s Tale,† theRead More The Cantebury Tales was Geoffrey Chaucers Satire Towards the Catholic Church1811 Words    |  8 Pages Geoffrey Chaucer expresses his disillusionment with the Catholic Church, during the Medieval Era, through satire when he wrote, The Canterbury Tales. The Medieval Era was a time when the Catholic Church governed England and was extremely wealthy. Expensive Cathedrals and shrines to saints relics were built at a time when the country was suffering from famine, scarce labor, disease and the Bubonic Plague, which was the cause of death to a third of Europes population and contributed