Theme of Prologue - Geoffrey Chaucer

It has been generally and frequently remarked that Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the most prominent and eminent literary figures of the fourteenth century. He did great services to English language in general and English literature in particular. Dryden says that he is the perpetual fountain of good sense. He was the first great character painter, first humanist and first great artist. Here we are about to discuss Chaucer’s theme of ‘Prologue to the Canterbury Tales’.

The prologue consists of 858 lines in total. First of all, it tells us about the journey of the pilgrims to the Canterbury. We come to know that a group of pilgrims is on the way to Shrine of St. Thomas.

The prologue opens with a detailed description of the spring which takes its birth with the arrival of April after cruel March. Everything looks shining and bright on the earth. The rain harmonizing with Zephyrus (west wind) comes and enlightens every thing and every creature. The plants are urged by dense drops of rain to produce flowers. The crops get rebirth and renewal. Not only plants are happy but the birds are also infused with a new spirit of joy by the power of the spring.

 

“Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote.”

 

Then Chaucer describes the activities of the people in the Medieval age. There was no scientific development. March was the cruelest month because people had to face intense cold. When the first seed of April begin to germinate, the sun shine with its blazing heat. The roads which are blocked due to snow, are clean now. The hustle and bustle of people can be seen easily. As the birds get new spirit and they sing till late at night;

 

“And smale foweles maken melodye,

That slepen al the nyght with open ye.”

 

The plants are urged to produced colourful and splendid flowers, same is the case with human beings.

 

“So priketh hem Natúre in hir corages,

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages.”

 

The shrine of ‘St. Thomas’ is there at the place of Canterbury. Actually, during the ‘Hundred Years War’. A pestilence ‘Plague’ broke out in the country in 1348. The people visited the saint Thomas’ shrine and prayed for relief and the disease vanished abruptly in 1350.

 

“The hooly blisful martir for to seke,

That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.”

 

Chaucer praises the month of April whereas T.S. Eliot offers a contrastive note and says that April is the cruelest month. He is of the view that the aristocratic people are afraid of getting spiritual rebirth. They think that if they happen to get spiritual thoughts, they would not be able to enjoy the pleasures of life e.g., gained through teasing the other people, malpractice and corruption. Chaucer calls March as the cruelest month because of its intense cold.

Then Chaucer turns his attention towards the pilgrims ready to go to Canterbury. Chaucer gives a detailed description of every character in a forceful, elaborate and convincing manner. His deliberately contrived disordered manner in the description of details about the characters gives a realistic touch to his work.

Chaucer starts with the character of the Knight who is a valiant fighter and has participated in many bloody wars. Then Chaucer talks about the rest of twenty-eight characters one by one and amuses the reader with his witty remarks. His characters belong to almost every walk of life.

To conclude, the theme of prologue conveys the bounty of spring season which urges the human beings to get spiritual rebirth and then they long for pilgrims to sacred places.