The Book of the Duchess is said to be a tribute, a eulogy of sorts. But as with any other story, there is more than one level to The Book of the Duchess. One of the things Geoffrey Chaucer seemed to do in The Book of the Duchess was to define refined love. Chaucer gave the first pieces of his definition of refined love within the story of the King Seys and his wife Alcione. This first idea that Chaucer gives of refined love is of what one should feel when his or her love is gone longer than he or she should be. Seys had gone on a sea voyage, but instead of returning unharmed, a storm blew up and the ship sank, and Seys drowned. Alcione, obviously, did not take this well. This lady, that was left at hom, / Hath wonder that the king ne com / Hom, for it was a longe terme / Anon her herte began to [erme]; / And for that her thoughte evermo / It was not wele [he dwelte] so, / She longed so after the king / That certes it was a pitous thing / To telle her hertely sorrowful lif / That she had, this noble wif, / For him, alas, she loved alderbest. Chaucer 331 The first piece of refined love Chaucer gives is that when the couple is apart, they should pine after each other. Both members of the couple should long only for the other, and for no one else. Chaucer goes on to tell of the vow Alcione makes to eat nothing more until she hears word of how Seys fares. She sends men in every direction, to no avail, and weeps until it was pitiful to hear. Finally, in desperation, Alcione beseeches her goddess Juno to show her Seys, her beloved, in a dream, and in return, Alcione will give herself to Juno, heart, mind, body, and all. This gives the second piece of the definition of refined love. Someone in the grip of love would do anything, even give up his or her whole selves if needed, for his or her beloved. The goddess Juno, hearing this plea from Alcione, called upon the god of sleep, her consort, Morpheus, to bring Seys body from the bottom of the sea so that Alcione might see and know that Seys is dead.
Love serves an ambiguous role in which Shakespeare portrays through various characters in King Lear. Lear is the prime example of an individual who struggles to attain and exhibit love. Lear attempts to equate his wealth with love, which indicates the evident lack of insight as Kent tells Lear to "see better, and let [him] still remain” by Lear’s side. Similarly, in The Great Gatsby, love is presented as a facade in which Gatsby blindly pursues. In comparison, King Lear is deceived by the false love of Goneril and Regan.
Nelson, Marie. "Biheste is Dette: Marriage promises in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales." 2001. Dept. of English, Wentworth University. 15 July 2003 <http://www.wentworth.edu/nelson/chaucer>
Forbes, Shannon. "'To Alisoun Now Wol I Tellen Al My Love-Longing': Chaucer's Treatment of the Courtly Love Discourse in the Miller's Tale." Women's Studies 36.1 (2007): 1-14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 May 2013
The use of euphemism and crudeness in “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue” is simultaneously unnerving and amusing, and begs the question of how a “wicked” woman like The Wife could ever actually progress in medieval society. Chaucer incorporates subtle allusions to female sexual organs and it is this bluntness (that would raise eyebrows even today) which establishes the Wife as such a powerfully outspoken character. Because courtship in Chaucer’s time was considered worthy of complete submission, the fact that the Wife places such emphasis on domination and even psychological power hints at her being an object of irony (and not a feminist figure “before her time”). It is for this reason that Chaucer’s delicate use of “queynte”- a term from which
In Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem The Canterbury Tales a young Chaucer tells of the people he meets on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett in Canterbury. One of the most vivacious characters on the pilgrimage is The Wife of Bath. Both the Wife of Bath’s prologue and tale share a common theme of a woman’s control in a relationship with a man. The Wife of Bath and the old hag in her tale share a similar perspective on what women want most in life. In the prologue and tale the reader is exposed to the idea that what women most desire in life is to have control over their husbands and lovers. This tale and its prologue are linked through the way that Dame Alice, the Wife of Bath, fashions the old hag in her tale after herself.
In a relationship, Love is a feeling that humans share with a special person. Some bonds could be mutual, while others are dissociated. During the Medieval period, love affairs were dominated by one gender, men, and the women had little or no control over decisions. Before a gentleman married a lady, the gentleman first boasted about her beauty, championed the cause of the lady, and did whatever the lady requested. The era was influenced by knights, and dictated by honor and chivalry that each knight had to display to their king and queen. As a gentleman, a knight had to be just at all times, especially toward ladies. At this time, there was a king named Arthur. King Arthur had a flourishing kingdom that abruptly ended. Later on, many authors recounted the story of the reign of King Arthur. Sir Thomas Malory published Le Morte d’Arthur, and Geoffrey Chaucer published The Wife of Bath’s Tale. Although both of these books recount the reign of King Arthur, the stories are very diverse and unique in their own way. Both stories demonstrate for a relationship to be successful, both partners must be submissive, must be brave, and must be willing to learn from mistakes.
Societal and environmental factors, even from the beginning of adolescence, shape people’s interpretation and comprehension of love (Hartup 8-13). This makes it decidedly difficult for people to notice a distinction between the different types of love. Not only do copious types of love exist, but also there are varying definitions of love (Rubin 2-4). Whilst some people may define love as immaturity, others may define it as a positive passionate emotion between two, occasionally multiple, people (1). The primary type of love, defined by the latter statement in the previous sentence, in King Lear is familial love — rather than the romantic love that a multitude of Shakespeare’s other plays revolve around. Bloom mentions
It is well known that Shakespeare’s comedies contain many marriages, some arranged, some spontaneous. During Queen Elizabeth's time, it was considered foolish to marry for love. However, in Shakespeare’s plays, people often marry for love. With a closer look into two of his most famous plays As You Like It and Twelfth Night or What You Will, I found that while marriages are defined and approached differently in these two plays, Shakespeare’s attitudes toward love in both plays share similarities. The marriages in As You Like It’s conform to social expectation, while the marriages are more rebellious in Twelfth Night. Love, in both plays, was defined as
During the Middle Ages, Courtly love was a code which prescribed the conduct between a lady and her lover (Britannica). The relationship of courtly love was very much like the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege. The lover serves his beloved, in the manner a servant would. He owes his devotion and allegiance to her, and she inspires him to perform noble acts of valor (Schwartz). Capellanus writes, in The Art of Courtly Love, “A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will please his beloved”. The stories of Marie de France and Chrétien de Troyes illustrate the conventions of courtly love.
In the Middle Ages, when The Canterbury Tales was written, society became captivated by love and the thought of courtly and debonair love was the governing part of all relationships and commanded how love should be conducted. These principles changed literature completely and created a new genre dedicated to brave, valorous knights embarking on noble quests with the intention of some reward, whether that be their life, lover, or any other want. The Canterbury Tales, written in the 14th century by Geoffrey Chaucer, accurately portrays and depicts this type of genre. Containing a collection of stories within the main novel, only one of those stories, entitled “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”, truly outlines the 14th century community beliefs on courtly love.
Chaucer never speaks about his own experiences with love, but it is made evident in Troilus and Criseyde what his understanding of love really is: "Ek though I speeke of love unfelyngly, // No wondre is, for it nothyng of newe is" (T&C.II.19-20) He speaks of love as if it is nothing new.
Do you believe that Chaucer thinks courtly love provides a useful set of rules and behaviors to guide man and women in their relationship?
One of the interpretations attributed to the concept of love in this comedy, and often portrayed in Shakespeare's plays, is that of love as a kind of richness, as a commercial enterprise in which men and women trade. Under this light, the bond beaten lovers gains a mercantilistic value and may thus be regarded as a kind of contract...
The Definition of Love Love by definition is an emotion explored in philosophy, religion, and literature, often as either romantic love, the fraternal love of others, or the love of God based on the definition found in The Encarta Encyclopedia. As I explored the definitions through the Internet, books, and articles, I noticed the definitions changed quite a bit, but yet had the same basic understanding. The definition I found in The Encarta Encyclopedia is probably the most simple and most basic. It refers to love in the whole aspect, which is Godly, fraternal, and romantic. All of which can only be defined by one word and that is love.
The origins of courtly love are obscure. It is claimed to have come from Moorish influence as the Arab poets brought lyrics of lady love to Europe, or to have been European in origin, influenced by the Celts, Cathars, and Neo-Platonists. From this tradition, however, many popular ideals originated which are still common beliefs and practices. For instance, ideals about sex and society such as love at first sight, fidelity, secrecy in love, the faultless woman, and the superiority of the lover all seem to have come from this courtly love tradition. Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde is often considered to be a classic example of this courtly love tradition.