The Prioress Summary
The prioress's tale is all about a little christian boy in Asia, living in a Jewish area, who was very religious. The boy's mother, a widow, taught him to always pray and sing Ave Maria when he saw an image of Christ's mother. The little boy when to school and learns to sing a song in praise of the Virgin Mary. He sings the song everyday on his way to and from school. His song greatly angered the Jewish controlled city, and one day a man was hired to kill the little boy. When the boy doesn't return home his mother goes out looking for him. She eventually finds him with his throat slit in an alley. Even though he has been killed he is still singing Alma Redemptoris in ode to the Virgin Mary. All of the evil Jews involved with the little boy's death are killed in gruesome ways and a mass is held in the little boys honor. When the monk asked why he was still singing he responded that the Virgin Mother gave him a kernel, and that until the kernal was gone he should sing to honor her. The monk then takes the kernel from the little boy and his spirit ascends to heaven. Description
In the prologue the Prioress is described as kindly, gentle, mild mannered and dainty. She is said to have very good etiquette, and that she tries to carry herself well. She is a tender soul and becomes greatly upset and cries when she sees suffering in the world. The nun also knows French, although she has an accent from the school at which learned it. She takes great care of her dogs, feeding them good food and making a fuss over them. What Chaucer is saying
While the nun tells a story of piety and simply following God, she tries to make herself appear higher in society. She also makes such a fuss over her dogs instead of focusing on helping other less fortunate people in society.
Summary
The prioress's tale is all about a little christian boy in Asia, living in a Jewish area, who was very religious. The boy's mother, a widow, taught him to always pray and sing Ave Maria when he saw an image of Christ's mother. The little boy when to school and learns to sing a song in praise of the Virgin Mary. He sings the song everyday on his way to and from school. His song greatly angered the Jewish controlled city, and one day a man was hired to kill the little boy. When the boy doesn't return home his mother goes out looking for him. She eventually finds him with his throat slit in an alley. Even though he has been killed he is still singing Alma Redemptoris in ode to the Virgin Mary. All of the evil Jews involved with the little boy's death are killed in gruesome ways and a mass is held in the little boys honor. When the monk asked why he was still singing he responded that the Virgin Mother gave him a kernel, and that until the kernal was gone he should sing to honor her. The monk then takes the kernel from the little boy and his spirit ascends to heaven.
Description
In the prologue the Prioress is described as kindly, gentle, mild mannered and dainty. She is said to have very good etiquette, and that she tries to carry herself well. She is a tender soul and becomes greatly upset and cries when she sees suffering in the world. The nun also knows French, although she has an accent from the school at which learned it. She takes great care of her dogs, feeding them good food and making a fuss over them.
What Chaucer is saying
While the nun tells a story of piety and simply following God, she tries to make herself appear higher in society. She also makes such a fuss over her dogs instead of focusing on helping other less fortunate people in society.