Chaucer’s Tales: The Tale of Sir Thopas and the Tale of Melibee

Sorry everyone that I won't be here tomorrow to finish this... if you have any questions, I'm sure Laz knows things, but if you really want to ask me that badly just make Sadaf give you my number. Oh, or you can post on here. I'll check for comments over the weekend.
--Lindsay

p.s. I'm really sorry if this takes up a lot of space... this site messed up the formatting and I don't know how to change it... sorry.

Prologue to Sir Thopas

Description of Chaucer

- Chaucer describes himself through the host’s words

- Host taunts Chaucer for staring at the ground, as though looking for lost money

- Describes Chaucer as reserved, awkward, quiet, and thin

- Chaucer’s unflattering and humble description of himself=humorous and satirical self-parody

Request

- Everyone is depressed from the Prioress’ tale, so the host requests a comic tale

- Chaucer replies that he knows only one tale in rhyme, which he tells

The Tale of Sir Thopas

- Sir Thopas, a knight from Flanders, was the son of a wealthy and dignified nobleman

- He is the epitome of the knight stereotype: handsome; skilled in hunting, wrestling and archery; wore fine clothes (silk gown and Spanish shoes)

- He never harbored unchaste thoughts, so many maidens pined for him

- One day, Sir Thopas was riding through a forest and the scent of herbs and the birds’ songs made him long for love and he galloped away

- Weary, he rested near a waterhole, fell asleep and dreamt about a beautiful elf queen who slept beneath his cloak

- Upon waking, he was determined to find the elf queen and make her his mate, so he rode to Fairyland

- He encountered there an eight-headed giant named Sir Elephant who threatened to kill him if he didn’t leave

- Sir Thopas accepted this challenge and agreed to fight the giant in his armor the next day, so he left to prepare for battle and held a great feast with his “merry men”

- Chaucer describes the feast and fancy armor that Sir Thopas put on; he left the court and proceeded into the woods, at which point the host interrupts Chaucer

Prologue to the Tale of Melibee

- The host interrupts Chaucer rudely, calling his tale foolish and worthless and his rhymes doggerel

- He says also, “Your dirty rhyming is not worth a turd” and accuses him of wasting time

- The host asks Chaucer to tell an amusing tale in prose

- Chaucer agrees, saying that his tale is a moral story and that he has included popular proverbs, and asks that he not be interrupted

- He then proceeds to tell an exceptionally (slash excruciatingly) long tale

Analysis!

The Tale of Sir Thopas

- This tale is meant strictly as a parody of Middle English romances

- It is comically terrible, using song-like rhyme and flowery language

- Example: “And many a gillyflower, / And nutmeg for to put in ale, / All whether it be fresh or stale, / Or lay in chest in bower.“

- The tale includes all the elements of a traditional romance, but they are exaggerated and ridiculous

- Chaucer uses this tale to ridicule the common stories of a knight’s quest for a beautiful maiden and to mock the supposed nobility of knighthood

- This is accentuated by the character’s name, derived from “topaz,” a yellow jewel, suggesting nobility and superficiality

- It is ironic that while Sir Thopas never has unchaste thoughts, he dreams of an elf queen “under his cloak” and becomes obsessed with making her his mate

Analysis! (continued)

Prologue to the Tale of Melibee

- The host’s interruption and criticism of Chaucer’s first tale provides comic relief by mocking the author’s own skills in literature

- In declaring out loud the next tale he will tell, Chaucer includes the phrase, “After the which this happy tale I write,” specifying that the Canterbury Tales are being written, not told

- The story that follows may have been told to get back at the rude host

The Tale of Melibee

- A rich and mighty man, Melibee, left his wife Dame Prudence and his daughter Sophie in his house while he was in the fields

- Three old foes broke into his house, raped and beat his wife and injured his daughter, leaving her for dead

- When Melibee saw, he wept, but Prudence consoled him and asked him to be patient, like Job

- She tells him to call on the counsel of his true friends, but instead Melibee gathers the whole town

- The physicians vowed to cure Sophie, elders advised him not to seek revenge, but younger men advised him to declare war

- Prudence warned Melibee against acting vengefully and hastily

- Citing Solomon, Melibee accuses women of being evil and unwise and refuses to follow his wife’s advice

The Tale of Melibee (continued)

- Prudence quotes the bible and gives reference to good and wise women, they continue debating, and finally Melibee says he will willingly accept all his wife’s counsel

- She advises him to reconcile with his enemies and forgive their wrongdoing; she warns against covetousness, foolishness, impatience, hastiness, flattery, and vengeance, and insists on the importance of counsel from trustworthy friends, mercy, righteousness, etc.

- Melibee calls the perpetrators to his court; the wisest one admits that they three are unworthy and submits to his judgment

- Melibee tells them to return later and informs his wife that he wishes to disinherit them of their lands and exile them, but she advises against this covetousness and cruelty

- Upon their return to court, Melibee grants the three enemies mercy

More Analysis!

- The Tale of Melibee is one of only two prose tales and is exceedingly and unnecessarily dull

- This is generally considered to be a reaction to the host’s distaste of the florid poetry in the Tale of Sir Thopas

- The tale is more or less a very long moral and academic debate that incorporates much citing of biblical figures (Solomon, David, Job, apostles, Jesus) and other wise Romans

- The tale is nearly devoid of any character development: Dame Prudence is consistently wise and merciful and Melibee repeatedly accepts his wife’s advice but his execution of her counsel is flawed each time

- Little drama results from the discussions and the earnest and noble tale seems to sacrifice literary quality in order to serve the overall structure of the Canterbury Tales

More Analysis! (continued)

- Notably, Prudence is another example of the patient and virtuous wife, which her name makes clear

- Her purpose is to be a passive influence and she exemplifies the role of women during the period: at best, they could give advice but they did not have the authority to act

- However, she also defies this role by being wiser and more honorable than her husband

- The name Melibee, contrastingly, means “a man who drinks honey.” He is essentially a man who relies on worldly riches and honor and who has lost sight of religion and God

- The host enjoys Chaucer’s tale and wishes his own wife had Dame Prudence’s patience, saying that she is provoking and paranoid about slights to her honor

- This aspect provides even more comedy, considering that Chaucer failed to tell a tale that would annoy the host in exchange for his insults

Historical Origins/Influences

The Tale of Sir Thopas

- This one is based on the medieval tales of knightly chivalry, nobility, and quests for beautiful maidens with fantastical obstacles

The Tale of Melibee

- This tale is a translation of the Livre de Melibée et de Dame Prudence by Renaud de Louens, which is itself a very loose translation of Liber consolationis et consilii by Albertabus of Brescia

- One historical context for the use of this tale is the dispute between Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray in 1398 and Richard II’s judgement to send Bolingbroke into exile and seize his property, which parallels Melibee’s intentions against which Prudence advises

- Chaucer was influenced by the events he witnessed at court (inspiration for the tales)

Major Themes

The Tale of Sir Thopas

- Christian virtue

- Chivalry

- Moral values

The Tale of Melibee

- Corruptness of human nature

- Decline of moral values

- Role of women

- Marital relationships

- Honor and truth

- Christian virtue

Chaucer’s Retraction

Retraction

- Chaucer prays that anyone who reads his tales and finds them worthy should thank Christ

- He says that if readers are offended by his tales, they should realize that Chaucer had no ill intentions but was only ignorant

Analysis

- Chaucer attempts to avoid blame that may be placed on him for having included vulgar material in some tales

- His plead for ignorance is unconvincing because he is obviously intellectual and has labored over the tales

- The retraction demonstrates Chaucer’s religious beliefs and praises Christ for inspiration

Criticism

Prologue to the Tale of Melibee

- The line “After the which this happy tale I write” is a point of controversy among critics.

- Was this intentional or accidental? Did Chaucer mean to suggest that he was writing fiction rather than narrating a pilgrimage?

The Tale of Sir Thopas

- This is the first of the surprise group of tales, each of which differ drastically from their preceding tale

- When The Canterbury Tales were first appreciated after Chaucer’s death, the author’s satiric intent in the this take was lost and the Tale of Sir Thopas was regarded as a great work

- Thomas Warton first printed an analysis suggesting that this tale was not to be taken seriously and was actually a parody

- He also first suggested that Chaucer’s character was not identical to Chaucer himself

Criticism (continued)

The Tale of Melibee

- The multiple translations suggest that it was a popular story at the time

- It has been related to several political events in England at the time, including that involving Richard II and that of John of Gaunt

- It is uncertain whether this tale was told as a joke, though many critics agree with that position. Still, Chaucer has shown his respect for sincerely religious and moral characters, of which Dame Prudence is one

- This tale is significant as one of two prose tales: the Parson’s Tale and this one are the two most moral and genuine tales, suggesting that the prose format is more earnest and even superior to the format of rhyming poetry, which in several tales expresses corrupt or frivolous subjects

Works Cited

http://colfa.utsa.edu/chaucer/ec28-18.html

http://www.kankedort.net/

http://www.librarius.com/canttran/thopastrfs.htm

http://www.litrix.com/canterby/cante001.htm

http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucessays.htm

http://www.press.uillinois.edu/f98/excerpts/bradbury/chap5.html