A Review of The Canterbury Tales: The Shipman's Tale

 

                                                                          

                                                                           The Prologue: 

Near the beginning of the prologue, the parish priest asked the host to tell a story. Early on, the text makes reference to Lollardly, the reform movement in fourteenth century England that followed (if at times exaggerated) the attempts of John Wycliffe to reform the Roman Church. While I have always felt that Chaucer makes reference to Wycliffe's ideas in The Canterbury Tales, he does so explicitly here. The parson is suspected of being a Lollard and the shipman, also known as the sailor, responds briefly: 

"Nay, by my father's soul, that shall he not,''

Saide the Shipman; "Here shall he not preach, 

He shall no gospel close here nor teach. 

We all believe in the great God,'' quoth he. 

He would sowe some difficulty, 

Or springe cockle in our cleane corn.'' 

Was the Parson a Lollard? Who knows? Either way, The Canterbury Tales reflects the tension between Roman Catholics and the Proto-Protestants of Chaucer's day. Also, the prologue reveals just how concerned that the shipman was towards the parson. In the above quoted lines, the shipman is basically saying that the parson will bring trouble for the church because of his Lollardly. After accusing the parson of heresy however, things loosen up. I often find those that accuse others of heresy are fine with putting others on trial but have a double standard for themselves.  Anyhow, after the shipman makes reference to this, he goes on to tell his tale. 

                                                                             The Tale

The story opens about a merchant with a beautiful wife. His wife was fond of her pleasures in partying. The merchant had a friend that he claimed was his kindred. To a monk, he gave great loyalty. Fortunately, the monk also supported him equally as the two shared a great brotherhood. 

One day the merchant went out to buy some things. As this happened, the monk managed the property of his abbey. The merchant came by and drank with the monk. 

After these events, the wife one day came by the monk. She chats with him and he asks her why she looks ill. He tells her to tell him of her illness and distress. They both agreed to not tell others of their conversation. She says that she has suffered since being a wife. The monk confesses that he has always loved her above other women. He then tells her to tell him his grief. The merchant's wife responds and says that her husband is the worst man that she has ever known. 

''My dear love,'' quoth she, ''O my Dan John, 

Full life were me this counsel for to hide, 

But out it must, I may no more abide. 

My husband is to me the worste man

That ever was since that the world began; 

But since I am a wife, it sits not me...''

The merchant's wife does not end there. She describes the worth of a husband as inferior to a fly. She describes several things that she believes a wife should be including him being obedient to her. The monk promises to keep her secret and bring her the money that she has also requested of him. Immediately, the monk then passionately kissed her. 

After the wife returned to her husband, the merchant wanted to go to mass with her. Eventually, the merchant foolishly said the monk could have anything he owns. In fact, he does not want his friend, the monk, to take too little. The merchant went on to give the monk a vast amount of his money as he joined his ''friend'' for much drinking. 

The next day the merchant set out to Flanders. Meanwhile, the monk had sex with his wife. After all of this happened, the merchant returned home and continued his normal routine with his wife with no knowledge of her affair with the monk. After obtaining more riches, the merchant's wife gladly receives him. After attempting to sleep with his wife, she resists their intimacy. The tale ends with the merchant asking her to spend less money.  

                                                                         My Analysis: 

 

 

This is certainly one of the lesser well known of The Canterbury Tales. Going into reading it, I had no prior knowledge to the events or characters of this story. Chaucer drew likely from an Old French story for his own in The Shipman's Tale. I did find it odd that the story really had nothing to do with the work of a shipman. Ultimately, I found the story to begin better than how it ended. 

                                                                       

Certainly, an interesting read! As I finish up my reviews of The Canterbury Tales, I encourage all my readers to buy a copy of this classic. The Knight's Tale and The Nun's Priest's Tale are my personal favorites of all the stories. However, each one has been interesting in its own way. Finally, I feel that this story ended strange. Overall, I would not decree it as one of Chaucer's best literary moments. 

 The Shipman's Tale  may not be the most interesting of The Canterbury Tales, but I still think that it is necessary to read the full Canterbury Tales to truly grasp Chaucer's overall story. While this maybe off topic, I do feel that The Canterbury Tales leads a number of other literary works from the classical and medieval world that all medievalist need to read.  

Anyone that desires to study the Middle Ages must read The Aeneid by Virgil, The Metamorphoses by Ovid, Beowulf, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius, Confessions by Saint Augustine of Hippo, City of God by Saint Augustine of Hippo, Poetics by Aristotle, Everyman, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Patience, The Song of Roland, The Romance of the Rose, The Whole Book of King Arthur and His Noble Knights of the Round Table by Thomas Malory, Eric and Enide by Chretien de Troyes, Lancelot by Chretien de Troyes, Perceval and Yvain by Chretien de Troyes, The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, The Quest of the Holy Grail, and the Summary of Theology by Thomas Aquinas. While several other works also come to my mind's attention, I consider the titles that I have just now documented to be the most important to literary analyze for any medievalist. Of course, anything by Saint Augustine of Hippo or Geoffrey Chaucer I think would be beneficial for those interested in studying the literature and theology of the post-classical world. 

The study of Medieval literature begins and ends with Chaucer. While various works of Medieval literature are necessary reads to any medievalist, I argue for the superiority of Chaucer's works to understanding the literature of the Middle Ages over all else, except for Saint Augustine. While Augustine is an essential component to understand Medieval religion, the principle works of Chaucer and Dante are essential reads to anyone learning about the works of those medievals before us. 

References: Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. (1478). Books-A-Million.