Discuss Chaucer’s use of the ‘digressions’ in ‘The Nun’s Priest’s Tale’.

Answer

Discuss Chaucer’s use of the ‘digressions’ in ‘The Nun’s Priest’s Tale’. [2021] ✪✪✪

Or, Discuss Chaucer’s use of the ‘digressions’ as a rhetorical device in “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”. [2015]

A digression means a part of writing where the author moves away from the main story to discuss other topics. In “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”, Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) beautifully uses many digressions to make the simple story of a cock, a hen, and a fox more deep and rich. These digressions add humor, philosophy, religion, and wisdom to the tale of Chauntecleer and Pertelote.

Digression is Revealed in the Dream Debate: The first digression comes when Chauntecleer tells his dream about a fox. His wife Pertelote laughs and says that dreams mean nothing. She calls him a coward. She says,

“I kan nat love a coward.”

(I can not love a coward.)

She also says that the dream came from overeating. She gives a medical and humorous speech. Then she gives him medical advice and speaks of laxatives. She says,

“Taak som laxatyf.”

(Take some laxative.)

She also says,

“Ne do no fors of dremes.”

(Attach no importance to dreams.)

Then Chauntecleer answers her with another digression. He tells many examples from history and religion to prove that dreams have real meaning. This debate between the two birds is a long digression from the main story, but it shows Chaucer’s knowledge, humor, and human nature.

Story of Two Pilgrims: To prove his point, Chauntecleer tells the story of two pilgrims. Two friends travel together and stay in a town. They cannot find one house for both, so they sleep in different places. One sleeps in a stable with oxen. The other dreams that his friend is being murdered. He ignores the dream. Then he dreams again that his friend is dead, his body hidden in a cart full of dung. In the morning, he