1. In The Canterbury Tales AND Current Political Cartoons
Satire
In The Canterbury Tales
AND
Current Political Cartoons

2. What is SATIRE?
the use of humor and wit with a critical attitude, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule for exposing or denouncing the faults of mankind’s activities and institutions (such as folly, stupidity, or vice).
It usually involves a moral judgment
It uses comedy or humor
It has an intended target
It describes a folly or vice in detail

3. SATIRE in The Canterbury Tales
First, you have to understand that The Canterbury Tales (esp the Prologue) describes the classes of medieval society. It illustrates individuals from the three main “estates” (or social categories).
The first estate – The Church (the people who prayed…Friar, Monk, Pardoner, Parson)
The second estate- The nobility (the people who fought…Knight, Squire)
The third estate- The peasantry (everyone else…those who provided food for the people who fought or prayed).

4. FYI
By later Middle Ages, the division of the traditional estates was breaking down, and there is the rise of the mercantile class (merchants/upper middle class) and a new subdivision of the clergy, the “intellectuals” who were trained in literature and writing (The Clerk).

5. ESTATES SATIRE
The Tales is an example of Estates Satire (satirize the abuses that occur within the three traditional estates…ESPECIALLY the clergy).
Refer back to our Pilgrim chart to see which characters were described SARCASTICALLY.
Question: What is Chaucer’s attitude toward the church? What is being satirized? What is Chaucer “speaking out” against?