Samuel Murphy

Col Miller

ENG 205WX

1/30/18                                        Anti-feminism and Knighthood

 

In Chaucer’s time, England was barraged interesting and controversial social norms. From the Plague and the Peasant’s Revolt to Anti-feminism and Knighthood, Chaucer’s England was far from dreamy society. In the book A Companion to Chaucer and his Contemporaries it explains the important societal, governmental, medical, etc. roles in the 14th century, primarily during the life of Chaucer. The most prominent roles during the 14th century were the roles of women and knighthood. For women was the gender norms and societal mistreats, knighthood was the acts of knights (Crusades) and their roles in the military.

Anti-feminism was a strong practice in medieval Europe. From the book, “most medieval characters marry for reasons other than love-for procreation and sexual pleasure” (pg. 85). Chaucer became interested in gender roles when he wrote his own biography, which he writes that he was “accused by Cecily Chaumpaigne or raptus” (rape) (pg85). Even church officials glorified anti-feminism, for example Priest Jerome. He wrote a book named Against Jovinian which took an interest to Chaucer add it into the Wife of Bath’s Tale “If it is good not to touch woman, it is bad to touch one” (pg. 125). Court cases had not avail, one interesting court cases took place on September 14, 1365, where “Joan Lord was attacked by an assailant, but her husband defended for the assailant” (pg. 21).  Anti-feminism was a common practice in medieval Europe from which stemmed the ideas of Chaucer writing certain Tales dealing with this abomination

Knighthood, something that was cherished in medieval Europe. Chaucer praises the knight’s bravery and integrity in the Canterbury Tales, knight wasn’t exactly the person we thought of them to be. A Companion to Chaucer and his Contemporaries mentions a knight that was “convicted of rape and is ungrateful to his benefactress” (pg. 261). Scholars have pointed that Chaucer lack some knowledge about the Crusades, and only acknowledge their victories against the Infidel. Majority of them were resolved in bloody battles instead of a spiritual agenda approach. One form the criticism involves the Siege of Alexandria in the which the Knight, in the Canterbury Tales, participated in. “Executing Muslims without pity… contemporary Arab accounts describe the crusaders as merciless” (pg. 274). French poet, Guillaume de Machaut describes the event in his narrative poem The Attack on Tripoli and Ayas.  “Did Peter and his forces slash and gut, they covered all that spare with Saracens (Arabs), bloody and dead…mouths agape” (pg. 294). Even though, knights are supposed to portray this act of chivalry, kindness, and loyalty, knighthood morals only followed the individual knight when he wanted to display it.

Anti-feminism and Knighthood were two of the many hot topics in Medieval Europe. Richard II being dethroned, The Plague, social life, the church, and many more all contribute to make medieval Europe unique. Some of the citations in this book, influenced Chaucer to include them in the Canterbury Tales to make it extraordinary. Chaucer’s time in medieval Europe was unforgiving but nonetheless he wasn’t phased by anything that came his way.

 

Laurel Amtower and Jacqueline Vanhoutte. A Companion to Chaucer and his Contemporaries, Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing, 2009