Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Herman Hedning · 05-03-2002, 01:51 PM

I just reread parts of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and I just have to post this snip from the Parson's portrait:

Quote:

Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte,
And this figure he added eek therto,
That if gold ruste, what shal iren do?
For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,
No wonder is a lewed man to ruste;
And shame it is, if a prest take keep,
A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.

Now, if only more priests of today would take heed and see to setting an example for their congregation.

[ May 03, 2002: Message edited by: Herman Hedning ]

Indifference · 05-03-2002, 10:25 PM

agreed.

two question by the way:
1. Are the caterbury tales worth reading?
2. Is Chaucer intelligible?

Herman Hedning · 05-04-2002, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Indifference:
1. Are the caterbury tales worth reading?

Let's say they are a bit uneven. But that is in the nature of the story, containing tales told by 24 different people of various positions.

Many of the tales are superb though.

Quote:

2. Is Chaucer intelligible?

Well, if you read him in the original Middle English you'll need to look up some words from time to time (ok, quite frequently), but if you are interested in the language and not only the content is is definitely worth it. And of course there are various modernisations available if you prefer.

[ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: Herman Hedning ]

05-04-2002, 06:12 AM

Middle English gets easier to understand as you get into it. It's not nearly as difficult as learning a foreign language. Chaucer's dialect was the ancestor of modern English and is therefore easier to understand than something like Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight, which was in a different dialect.

My suggested method for getting used to Chaucer is working backwards from, say, Spenser and Malory. This way you acquire some of the Chaucerain vocabulary before tackling the real thing.

Indifference · 05-04-2002, 06:42 AM

thanks guys.

I did start, briefly, to read it once but found his language rather inpenatrable. I'm sure the content is superb, otherwise it wouldn't have stuck around so long, but I could never force myself to sit down and figure it out. To me it would be about as beneficial as learning ebonics. But, I suppose I should give it another try.

[ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: Indifference ]

05-04-2002, 06:42 AM	#5
Indifference Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 165	thanks guys. I did start, briefly, to read it once but found his language rather inpenatrable. I'm sure the content is superb, otherwise it wouldn't have stuck around so long, but I could never force myself to sit down and figure it out. To me it would be about as beneficial as learning ebonics. But, I suppose I should give it another try. [ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: Indifference ]</p>

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05-03-2002, 10:25 PM	#2
Indifference Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 165	agreed. two question by the way: 1. Are the caterbury tales worth reading? 2. Is Chaucer intelligible?

05-04-2002, 06:12 AM	#4
DMB Guest Posts: n/a	Middle English gets easier to understand as you get into it. It's not nearly as difficult as learning a foreign language. Chaucer's dialect was the ancestor of modern English and is therefore easier to understand than something like Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight, which was in a different dialect. My suggested method for getting used to Chaucer is working backwards from, say, Spenser and Malory. This way you acquire some of the Chaucerain vocabulary before tackling the real thing.

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