Canterbury Tales Irony Quotes

Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne
Entuned in hir nose ful seemly,
And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,
For Frenssh of Parys was to hir unknowe.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. In the period of the poem, nuns were meant to worship the Lord and not care too much about themselves. But it is quite the opposite with the Prioress. She wears richly ornamented clothes, sings through her nose, speaks French with a terrible accent, tries to appear well bred and dainty. When she should be devoting herself to Christ, she seems more concerned with matters of this world. This nun, who lives a secular lifestyle and uses her positon for social advancement, is a satirical figure and an ironic contrast to what is generally expected in a prioress.

Ful fetys was hir cloke, as I was war.
Of smal coral aboute hire arm she bar
A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,
And theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,
On which ther was first write a crowned A,
Amor Vincit Omnia.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. In keeping with her desire to appear courtly, the Prioress is beautifully dressed in a well made cloak. On her arm she wore a string of coral beads from which hung a bright gold brooch engraved with a crowned "A" and the inscription "Amor Vincit Omnia," or "Love Conquers All." Coral beads and gold brooch? Not the usual attire for a nun, whom you would expect to be wearing rosary beads rather than a gold brooch with a romantic inscription. A little whiff of someone in this convent enjoying the good life, it seems. The Prioress’ character is ironically represented in complete contrast to how a prioress is usually expected to live and behave.

He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,
That seith that hunters ben nat hooly men,
Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,
Is likned to a fissh that is waterlees –
This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre.
But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oyster.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Monk is a corrupt character. When he should be studying, praying or reading religious texts, he prefers to skip all that and go hunting instead. It is ironical that the spiritual practices referred to here, which he is meant to follow, he just denounces and dismisses. Chaucer uses the simile fish out of water to describe the Monk being shut away in a monastery.

And I seyde his opinion was good;
What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood,
Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,
Or swynken with his handes, and laboure
As Austyn bit? How shal the world be served?
Lat Austyn have his swynk to him reserved!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Narrator (Chaucer) is being ironic and sarcastic when he says he agrees with the Monk that hunting and sport are preferable to performing his religious duties. Why should the Monk study and make himself crazy, pore over books in the cloister, or labor and work with his hands, writer and man of books Chaucer asks in a passage dripping with irony.

For many a man so hard is of his herte,
He may nat wepe, althogh hym soore smerte.
Therfore in stede of wepynge and preyeres
Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.
His typet was ay farsed ful of knyves.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. This is a comical, hilarious and ironic description of the life of Friar Hubert. His pockets are lined with silver, as sinners in the confessional are urged to spare the tears and prayers for their wrongdoings, and give silver instead. Chaucer is superbly ironic in his reference to "to povre freres." But no poverty for this Friar!

Everich, for the wisdom that he kan,
Was shaply for to been an alderman.
For catel hadde they ynogh and rente.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Narrator Chaucer is referring to the five tradesmen – haberdasher, carpenter, weaver, dyer and tapestry maker. He says that each of them is suitable to be an alderman, an important town leadership position, because they have the necessary wisdom. But then he goes on to say that it is their wealth and possessions that really qualifies them for that role. Chaucer is being ironic here.

A good man was ther of religioun,
And was a povre persoun of a toun,
But riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. These lines about the Parson are rich in irony, coming as they do after the descriptions of the wealth and decadence associated with some of the previous pilgrims, like the Monk and Friar. The Parson by contrast is poor, but rich in holy thought and work. He is the one religious character that actually lives his vow of poverty. But for morals and virtues and honest living, he is probably the richest of all.

For wheither that he payde or took by taille,
Algate he wayted so in his achaat
That he was ay biforn and in good staat.
Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace
That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace
The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Manciple, who works for a law school, is in charge of buying food and supplies there. Questions are raised about his honesty. For we learn that whether he purchases with cash or credit, he always manages to come out ahead on his accounts. It is suggested that he is cooking the books and making money for himself, as we are told with delicious irony that this unlearned man surpasses the wisdom of his masters, a bunch of lawyers.

Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,
That weren of lawe expert and curious,
Of which ther were a duszeyne in that hous
Worthy to been stywardes of rente and lond
Of any lord that is in Engelond…
And yet this Manciple sette hir aller cappe.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Manciple has more than thirty masters, all skilled and expert in law. It is an irony that he is able to fool all these legal eagles, making good bargains in his purchases of food and supplies, to fraudulently gain money for himself.

He wepeth, wayleth, crieth pitously;
To sleen hymself he waiteth prively.
He seyde, "Allas that day that I was born!
Now is my prisoun worse than biforn;
Now is me shape eternally to dwelle
Noght in purgatorie, but in helle.
Allas, that evere knew I Perotheus!"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. On his release from prison and banishment from Athens, Arcite is distraught at having to leave behind the woman he loves, Emily. He feels he is now in an even worse prison. Separated from Emily he is not in Purgatory, but in Hell. He wishes he had never known Perotheus, who was instrumental in having him freed from prison. Arcite’s speech is full of dramatic irony.

"O deere cosyn Palamon," quod he,
"Thyn is the victorie of this aventure.
Ful blisfully in prison maistow dure –
In prison? Certes nay, but in paradys!"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. While Arcite wins his freedom and his cousin Palamon remains in prison, Arcite says Palamon is the victor in this adventure. For Palamon has sight of Emily, the woman they both love, and Arcite does not. In an example of dramatic irony Arcite says he envies Palamon’s prison "paradise."

Thanne fil it thus, that to the paryssh chirche,
Cristes owene werkes for to wirche,
This goode wyf went on an haliday.
Hir forheed shoon as bright as any day,
So was it wasshen whan she leet hir werk.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Tale. Alison’s pious appointment at her parish church is a little ironical and hypocritical, since it comes after her swearing an oath that she will be available to the womanizing Nicholas the first chance they get. There is a hint too that she goes to church to be admired, and there she very quickly attracts the attentions of another admirer Absolon.

A wyf he hadde, ycomen of noble kyn;
The person of the toun hir fader was.
With hire he yaf ful many a panne of bras,
For that Symkyn sholde in his blood allye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. Symkyn’s wife came from "noble" kin, we are told, in that her father is the town parson. Not quite the nobility, but probably a social step up from the working class Symkyn. In describing a parson who fathers an illegitimate daughter as noble the author is really mocking him and being ironic. The parson also provided his daughter with a substantial dowry of many brass pans, a considerable financial incentive for Symkyn to marry her and move up in the world at the same time. Symkyn’s wife, whose name we are never told, is seen as a property to be owned.

She was yfostred in a nonnerye;
For Symkyn wolde no wyf, as he sayde,
But she were wel ynorissed and a mayde,
To saven his estaat of yomanrye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. Being raised and educated in a nunnery, Symkyn’s wife had a privileged education that would be beyond the reach of many lower class girls. So she appears to meet Symkyn’s requirement that his spouse have a high rank. Ironically the only reason she was raised in a nunnery is that she is the illegitimate child of a priest, who at that time was forbidden to marry, have sex and have children.

Experience, though noon auctoritee
Were in this world, is right ynough for me
To speke of wo that is in mariage;
For, lordynges, sith I twelve yeer was of age,
Thonked be God that is eterne on lyve,
Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. The Wife of Bath Alison says that she is a believer in experience rather than written authority. Having been married since the age of twelve and having had five husbands, she feels she is well qualified to speak on the woe that is in marriage. This is really ironic as most of the woe was inflicted by Alison on her suffering husbands! It also makes her something of a hypocrite when she says marriage brought her nothing but woe, and then goes on to thank God for having five husbands.

I governed hem so wel, after my lawe,
That ech of hem ful blisful was and fawe
To brynge me gaye thynges fro the fayre.
They were ful glad whan I spak to hem faire,
For, God it woot, I chidde hem spitously.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. In describing her manipulation of her first three old and rich husbands, the Wife of Bath says she controlled them according to her law, so that each was happy to purchase fine things for her at the fair. They were also glad when she spoke to them pleasantly, because she admits she cruelly scolded them. She is being very ironic saying that they were happy to follow her rules and be nagged mercilessly.

And happed that, allone as he was born,
He saugh a mayde walkynge hym biforn,
Of which mayde anon, maugree hir heed,
By verray force, he rafte hire maydenhed.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. King Arthur has a lusty bachelor Knight who is out riding one day and happens upon a maiden walking. By force, despite all her struggles, he takes away her maidenhead (virginity), the Wife of Bath reveals – he rapes her! As knights are meant to be noble and honorable and act with chivalry and respect everyone, it is an irony that he commits such a crime.

But that the queene and other ladyes mo
So longe preyeden the kyng of grace
Til he his lyf hym graunted in the place,
And yaf hym to the queene, al at hir wille,
To chese wheither she wolde hym save or spille.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. The lucky Knight gets a reprieve from execution when the queen with her ladies intercedes with the king to ask him for mercy. The king grants the Knight his life and hands him over to the queen, who has the power to chose whether she will save him or put him to death. There is an irony in the Knight’s situation: he commits a crime against a woman and now King Arthur puts his fate in the hands of another woman, the queen, who has mastery over him and the power to say if he lives or dies.

But al for noght; the ende is this, that he
Constreyned was; he nedes moste hire wedde,
And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. After trying to wriggle out of it, the Knight has has no choice but to to like it or lump it and marry and bed the Loathly Lady, much to his distaste. There is a certain poetic justice and irony in the fact that a Knight who raped a young virgin finds himself obliged to have sex with an ugly old hag.

Now ther ye seye that I am foul and old,
Than drede you noght to been a cokewold;
For filthe and eelde, also moot I thee,
Been grete wardeyns upon chastitee.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. In the Wife of Bath’s story, the old hag tells the Knight that he needn’t fear being a cuckold because ugly old wives are not desirable, age being a great guardian of chastity. This is rather ironic, as older age doesn’t seem to stop the Wife of Bath desiring and having sex.

For God it woot, that children ofte been
Unlyk hir worthy eldres hem bifore;
Bountee comth al of God, nat of the streen
Of which they been engendred and ybore.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Clerk’s Tale. We could be listening here to the Loathly Lady in the Wife of Bath’s tale! Walter has the very same thought as her, that all goodness comes from God and not from a person’s lineage by which they are conceived and born. For often children turn out to unlike their worthy parents and ancestors, he says, declining his nobles’ offer to select a high-born wife for him. This comment is ironic, in view of Walter’s cruel treatment of Griselda later in the story.

For she is fairer, as they deemen alle,
Than is Grisilde, and moore tendre of age,
And fairer fruyt bitwene hem sholde falle,
And moore plesant, for hire heigh lynage.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Clerk’s Tale. Walter’s new bride is the talk of the town when he brings her out for the people to see. They agree that she is fairer than Griselda, and younger, and fairer fruit should fall from this marriage because of her high lineage. This is ironic because she is Griselda’s daughter.

A worthy knyght, that born was of Pavye,
In which he lyved in greet prosperitee;
And sixty yeer a wyflees man was hee,
And folwed ay his bodily delyt
On wommen, ther as was his appetyt.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant’s Tale. The tale begins with references to excessive sex. The lusty knight January has lived to the age of sixty without having married and indulges his physical appetite on women as he pleases and without restraint. His description of a "worthy" knight is ironic and meant to be mocking.

To take a wyf it is a glorious thyng,
And namely whan a man is oold and hoor;
Thanne is a wyf the fruyt of his tresor.
Thanne sholde he take a yong wyf and a feir,
On which he myghte engendren hym an heir,
And lede his lyf in joye and in solas,
Where as thise bacheleris synge "allas,"
Whan that they fynden any adversitee
In love, which nys but childyssh vanytee.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant’s Tale. This passage is part of a long bitterly ironic speech at the beginning of the tale eulogizing marriage. The unhappily wed Merchant in his mock eulogy describes it as a glorious thing to take a wife. He recommends that especially when a man is old like January he should marry a young wife to produce an heir for himself and lead a life of joy and pleasure. The woman is essentially a sexual device and supplier of heirs. But that kind of thinking sounds flawed and the marriage of an old man and a young wife does not in itself seem an ideal situation. Look what happens to old January.
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