Chaucer’s Satire (An analysis of Chaucer’s use of satire to reach intended audience) Throughout Chaucer’s writing career, he uses satire quite a lot. Satire can be defined as the use of humor or ridicule on something that means something different. Satire is a lot like sarcasm in a way. There are two types of satire: juvenalian and horatian satire. Jevenalian means that the type of satire is harsh and evil. Horatian satire is more gentle and peaceful. Chaucer uses both types in his writings. Chaucer will use satire in his writings to critique three sacred institutes. The first institute that Chaucer uses satire to critique is the church. The church, during Chaucer’s time, was very important to be a part of. Chaucer critiques the church in his writings of the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tale’s and the Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale. In the General Prologue, Chaucer uses satire on the Friar. He says, “He was a noble pillar to his Order” (line 218). Satire is used in this line because Chaucer’s is meaning the exact opposite of what he just said. He is saying that the Friar is useless to the church and the order. Chaucer also attacks the church in …show more content…
The patriarchy during this time was that men controlled what their woman did and that was it. The woman had no say in what they did in their lives and were completely devoted to their husband. Chaucer attacks the patriarchy in the Wife of Bath’s Tale and Prologue. The first attack by Chaucer is just by having a female speaker as one of the pilgrims. Chaucer also explains that The Wife of Bath has somehow figured out how to reverse the patriarchy so that women controlled the men. She uses marriage and sex to control the men she had married before. In the Wife of Bath’s Tale, the narrator says, “And master him; he must not be above her.” (line 186). The old woman in the story also uses her sexuality to control the knight by turning into a beautiful young