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Chaucers Art or Technique of Characterization

Q. Chaucers Art or Technique of Characterization?

OR
Q. Reasons of Chaucers being a great Painter of English Literature

Chaucer flourishes the fantastic colours of his words and paints different characters of
his age with minute observation. Indeed, he is a great painter who paints not with
colours but with words. Undoubtedly, he has The Seeing Eye, the retentive memory, the
judgment to select and the ability to expound. His keen analysis of the minutest detail of
his characters, their dresses, looks and manners enable him to present his
characters lifelike and not mere bloodless abstractions.
His Prologue is a real picture gallery in which thirty portraits are hanging on the wall with
all of their details and peculiarities. Rather it is a grand procession with all the life and
movement, the colour and sound. Indeed, his characters represent English society,
morally and socially, in the real and recognizable types and still more representative of
humanity in general. So, the characters in Chaucer's The Prologue are for all ages and
for all lands. Though the plan of the Canterburys Tales has been taken from Giovanni,
Italian poet, Chaucers technique of characterization is original and unique. As a result
his characters are not only of his age but universal in nature. They are not only types,
but individuals. The pilgrims are the epitome of mankind. It is such a veritable
picture gallery of the 14th century as the details of their physical appearance, their social
status and character are so artistically presented that the whole man or woman come
alive before our eyes. Tim Brink wrote:

We receive such an exact idea of the men he (Chaucer) is describing that we can
almost see them bodily before our eyes

Chaucer is the first great painter of character in English literature. The thirty portraits
traced by Chaucer give us an excellent idea of the society at that time. The different
pilgrims represent different professionals. For example, the doctor, the sergeant,
the Oxford Clerk and the Friar represent certain traits which characterize their
respective professionals. The war-like elements are represented by the Knight, the
Squire and the Yeoman. The ploughmen, the Miller, the Reeve and the Franklin typify
agriculture. The Sergeant of Law, the Doctor, theOxford Clerk and the Poet himself
represent the liberal professions. The Wife of Bath, the Weaver, and the embody
industry and trade; similarly the Merchant and Shipman personate commerce. A Cook
and the Host typify provisional trades. The Poor Parson and the Summoner represent
the secular clergy while the monastic orders are represented by the Monk, the Prioress
and the Pardoner. Thus, the characters in the Canterbury Tales are types as well as
individual, as each of them represents a definite profession or class of society and
portrays certain individual characteristics with all their idiosyncrasies of dress and
speech. A.C. Ward asserts:

Chaucers characters are not mere phantoms of the brain but real human beings
and types true to the likeness of whole classes of men and women

Chaucer description of each mans horse, furniture and array, reads like a page from a memoir.
He describes them in the most nature genial and humorous manner. Although, Chaucers
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characters are typical, they also have other features which are not to be found in other members
of their profession. Thus, his characters can be distinguished from their colleagues. Because he
imparts individual traits to them. These features distinguish them as individuals. For example,
the Shipman has a beard; the Wife of Bath is Som-del deef and gat-toothed; the Reeve has
long and lean legs, the Miller has a wart surmounted by a tuft of hair on his nose, the
Summoners face is full of pimples and Squire is as fresshe as is the monthe of May.
Chaucers lawyer seems typical of our own day when he says:

Nowhere so busy a man as he there was/ And yet he seemed busier than he
was

In fact, there is a different method of almost every pilgrim. He varies his presentation from the
full length portrait to the thumb-nail sketch, but even in the sketches, Chaucer conveys a strong
sense of individuality and depth. Chaucer does not take a dramatic approach, he uses
descriptive and narrative approach which suits the theme of The Canterbury Tales. Unlike
Wycliffe and Langland, He has broad humanity and sympathy for all the characters, the just and
the unjust. We feel a sense of comradeship with Chaucer. They are shown to possess those
traits and humors and habits that characterize the men and women of all ages in the world.
Their traits are universal, though some of them have changed their positions yet their nature is
the same. Chaucer uses the technique of contrast in drawing the portraits of the pilgrims. The
good and the bad rub shoulders together. We have the paragon of virtue in the Parson and the
Ploughman and monsters of vice in the Reeve, the Miller and the Summoner. Like
Shakespeare, Chaucers characters are three-dimensional i.e., having length, breadth and
depth. For example, the Wife of Bath and the Monk are complex figures. Chaucer has been
called an outstanding representative poet of his age because of the typical element in his
characterization. So, Dryden says:

All his pilgrims are severally distinguished from each other, and not only in their
inclinations but also in their physiognomies and persons

Chaucer outlines his thirty pilgrims in The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. He is the first
great painter of characters in English Literature. He has painted the whole of English nation
during the fourteen the century, ranging from knightly class to the order of Clergymen. The
Character sketches are brief, yet lucid and comprehensive. Both the in and out of the characters
are depicted in such a superb way that the entire personality seems moving before the readers
eyes. It is infect Chaucers unique rich and original art of characterization that has enabled him
to delineate memorable portraits. For the purpose he employs several techniques of
characterization, some of whom were popular among the contemporaries, while the others are
purely his own.

I. Characterization by theory of Humor

One of the major techniques of characterization which was current in the medieval authors was
the theory of humor. This theory divided personalities according to the pre-dominance of one of
the elements-fire, water, air and earth. For example, his character was dominated by humor of
blood, which on its turn was understood to produce a large appetite and pleasure in physical
satisfaction. Thus, the entire portrait of the Franklin, is just an elaboration of single phrase
Sanguine.

2. Characterization by Physiognomy
Similarly, the medieval poets usually described their character through their physiognomy, to
expose their inner spiritual health. Chaucer has successfully employed this technique in the
case of the Summoner. His. Fire red cherubim face, Pimples, Narrow eyes and scabby
black brows reflect his inner spiritual corruption. Description through physical features is also
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employed in the case of The Wife of the Bath and The Prioress. Closely connected with this is
Chaucers technique of character portrait through dress. It also help the audience in
understanding, recognizing and differentiating the pilgrims. The Prioress and the Wife of Baths
fashionable dresses reveal their materialism and amorous nature. Admittedly, Chaucer varies
his presentation from the full length portraits to the thumb nail sketch.

3. Characterization by Individual and Type Method

Chaucers most superb technique is his presentation of Characters as individuals and
types. The Characters are not only representatives of their respective classes and professions
but also at the same time they possess individual traits. For example, the Friar is a typical
representative of his class in the 14th century; he is corrupt, hypocritical, greedy and callous. But
his good voice, his twinkling eyes, his white neck and above all his name Brother Hubert all
have individualistic touches. The Old Knight, stands for heroism and manliness that good knight
would always show on the battlefield. But he has been individualized by his prudence and his
weakness of behavior. The Prioress is the type of a woman who is an epicure but she is
portrayed as an individual, with her meticulous care in eating and her courtly manners as well as
care in eating and her courtly manners as well as her tenderness of heart. The Monk is the type
of Monks of those-times interested not in religion and the study of holy books, but in hunting.
But Chaucers Monk is and individual with bald head and rolling eyes, glowing like the fire under
a cauldron. The Oxford Church is the type of good scholars, not interested in worldly glory, but
in the advancement of knowledge and learning. But Chaucers Oxford Clerk comes as a figure
of individual, by his learning, his hollow-cheeks, grave look and his threadbare cloak. In short
Chaucers characters are types as well as individuals.

4. Characters are real and universal

Chaucers characters are real and universal because no one is like them, and they are
real and universal because they are so like us. His people are always on move. Never do they
become shadowy or lifeless. They shout and swear, laugh and weep, interrupt the story teller,
pass compliments and in general behave themselves, as we might expect the to be.

5. Characterization by profession of Characters

Another portrait delineations technique which Chaucer uses is to define the characters
to a great or lesser extent by the job or profession, they do. The deferent pilgrims represent
different professions. The War-like Elements is represented by the Knight, The Square, and
Yeoman. The Ploughman, The Miller, the Reeve, and The Franklin typify agriculture. The
Sargent of Law, the Doctor, The Oxford Clerk represent liberal professions. The Wife of Bath,
The weaver, The Dyer and The Tapicer, embody industry and trade, the Merchant and the
Shipman personate commerce. The poor Village person and the Summoner represent
the secular clergy, while the monastic order are represented by the Monk, The Prioress and the
Pardoner.

6. Characterization by vices of Characters

Chaucer also presents a vivid picture of his characters by their vices and presents the
fourteenth century in The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, Firstly, the prevalent corruption of
the Church is mirrored in most of his ecclesiastical figures, like The Friar, The Monk, The
Pardoner. Secondly, the greed of doctors is typified in his Doctor of Physic, who loves gold.
Thirdly his Sargeant of Law is as shrewd hard-boiled as other members of his profession.
Fourthly, the dishonesty of the Reeve and the Miller is also typical. Finally, their traditional
enmity is reflected between the Reeve and the Miller. This technique enriches his art of
characterization

7. Characterization by Irony and Satire

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Irony and Satire are undoubtedly Chaucers most prominent techniques of

characterization. Chaucer treats noble fellows with sympathy and love but his treatment of
knaves, rogues and rascals either humorous or ironical or satirical. For example, Chaucer
call the Wife of Bath worthy woman and then in the very next line ironically qualifies the word
worthy by commenting

She was worthy woman all her lyve

Husbands at church door she had five

But it remains to be noted that though he depicts most of his characters ironically and
humorously yet tolerance and sympathy never lose Chaucers attention. The characters whom
he detests and censures are the two corrupts church offices, the Summoner and The Pardoner .
It is in case o these two characters that Chaucer employs satire as a technique of
characterization. The goodness of the Gentle rascal becomes clear when Chaucer comments
that just for a quart of wine he would allow a sinner to keep on committing sins.

8. Chaucers use of Contrast

Chaucer utilizes the technique of contrast in drawing the portraits of the pilgrims. The
good and the bad rub shoulders together. We have paragon of virtue in the characters of the
Parson and The Ploughman, we have monsters of vice in the characters of the Reeve,The
Miller and the Summoner. The knight, is foil to his son, the lusty Squire; the Oxford Clerk, is the
very opposite of the merrymaking Monk. In this way Chaucer distinguishes the characters
through the exhibition of dissimilar qualities.

Chaucer a detached Observer

Chaucers art of characterization is free from personal bias. He portrays his characters,
objectively, impartially and disinterestedly. He depicts what he sees personally. He has the
seeing eye, the memory, the judgment to select and the capacity to expound.

Conclusion

Lastly, two conclusions may be drawn from the above discussion of Chaucers art of
Characterization. His world of man is varied and wide. In the words of Dryden . There is Gods
plenty and secondly, it is through the depiction of his characters, Chaucer has managed to give
an expression to his vision of life which is both joyous and realistic.