4.3 Narrative framing and the pilgrimage concept

The Canterbury Tales uses a pilgrimage as a clever way to bring together a diverse group of characters. This journey to Canterbury Cathedral sets the stage for a lively tale-telling contest, giving us a peek into medieval English society.

The Host, Harry Bailly, kicks off the storytelling competition, acting as both organizer and commentator. This setup allows Chaucer to weave together individual tales with the larger pilgrimage narrative, creating a rich tapestry of stories and personalities.

Narrative Framing and Pilgrimage in The Canterbury Tales

Significance of Canterbury pilgrimage

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• Serves as narrative device bringing together diverse group of characters from various social classes, occupations, and personalities (knights, clergymen, tradespeople)
• Reflects religious and cultural context of 14th-century England where pilgrimages were common social and spiritual activities
• Destination of Canterbury Cathedral popular pilgrimage site housing shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, adding religious significance
• Pilgrims' motivations range from genuine religious devotion (Parson) to opportunity for socializing and storytelling (Wife of Bath)
• Interactions and tales provide insight into values, beliefs, and conflicts of the time period, mirroring social hierarchy and dynamics

Role of Host in tale-telling contest

• Harry Bailly, the Host, proposes tale-telling contest as entertainment during pilgrimage journey
  • Suggests each pilgrim tell two tales on way to Canterbury and two on return trip
  • Pilgrim with best tale as judged by Host wins free meal
• Contest serves as structural device organizing individual tales within larger narrative framework
  • Provides motivation for pilgrims to share stories and interact
  • Creates sense of competition and anticipation among pilgrims
• Host acts as moderator of contest, commenting on tales and maintaining order
  • Interrupts and critiques tales, injecting humor and irony
  • Presence unifies disparate tales and characters within overarching pilgrimage

Pilgrimage as character-gathering device

• Attracts diverse group of people from various walks of life, creating microcosm of medieval English society
  • Characters represent different social classes, occupations, and personalities (clergy, nobility, tradespeople)
  • Diverse backgrounds and perspectives contribute to richness and complexity of tales
• Shared pilgrimage experience fosters camaraderie and common purpose among characters
  • Pilgrims bound together by destination and tale-telling contest
  • Shared context enables interactions and exchanges that might not occur otherwise
• Pilgrimage framework provides natural platform for storytelling
  • Tales serve as entertainment and moral instruction during long journey
  • Characters' personalities and backgrounds shape types of tales they tell (Knight's chivalric romance, Miller's bawdy comedy)

Frame narrative vs individual tales

• Frame narrative of pilgrimage provides unifying structure for individual tales
  • Tales connected through pilgrims' interactions and commentary
  • Host's interjections and pilgrims' reactions create continuity and cohesion
• Individual tales reflect personalities, values, and concerns of pilgrims who tell them
  • Knight's Tale reflects noble background and chivalric ideals
  • Miller's Tale is crude, humorous story mirroring irreverent nature
• Interplay between frame narrative and individual tales creates complex, multi-layered work
  • Tales comment on and critique one another, fostering dialogue between pilgrims
  • Juxtaposition of serious and comedic tales, contrasting perspectives add depth and irony to overall narrative