Canterbury Tales Transmedia Remix

Geoffrey Chaucer incorporated several themes into his Canterbury Tales work; the two most exemplary include the imperfection of prevalent, courtly love and standards of society the characters must achieve for acceptance. Courtly love is omnipresent through this framed narration of varying interpreters of this journey society explores and the many routes one takes to become satisfied with the socially accepted “norm.” The narrators explore the series of paths one takes to be accepted by society’s standards of marriage which exists in Canterbury Tales as a legal, obligation to loyal companionship rather than the voluntary union from both individuals who share a passionate romance. The irony in all of this is society created these standards in hopes of accomplishing happiness on this journey through life. In the end, it appears that the knight who wins society’s acceptance, loses the goal of life and every short story; to live happily ever after.

This picture represents the beauty of creating an individual journey and how there will be a light, an opportunity that will lead to happiness. 

           Courtly love and its flaws to a “happily ever after”

-arranged marriage between Emelye and the knight who wins social acceptance by winning the battle

-fighting for love physically instead of emotionally winning Emelye’s heart resulting in her desire to want to be single and independent

-Palamon wins the battle, but is thrown off his horse and dies resembling the flaw of gaining happiness by following society’s standards to acceptance.

I chose this picture from The Wedding Planner because Jennifer Lopez is having a marriage, prearranged by her father. You can tell that she is unhappy which demonstrates courtly love may have been traditional and up to par with society’s standards/”social norm,” but it doesn’t live to the individual’s happiness.

Standards of Society:

-Money defines an individual’s worth in the story rather than one’s soul.

-The importance of individuality shown by the varying stories told in hopes to impress.

-The characters are trying to become unique by being accepted in society when being unique is following an individual path versus everyone else’s.

-social ladder and popularity defining one’s worth and happiness

I chose the movie Easy A because it resembles how following your own path in life and going outside of society’s acceptance can ultimately lead you to your soul mate, helping to create your individual happily ever after.

                Canterbury Tales explores the strengths and flaws through characterization in their journey to find their individual happily ever after. In the end, it is clear that society’s idol is doomed to fail because individuality cannot be achieved by following the standards of social acceptance. Love cannot be called forth by trumping death, but by trumping one’s heart. As we explore human nature in Canterbury Tales, we learn the ironic truth to be told; happiness comes from the individual, not society.