INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES (853,5,'2011-04-03 16:21:02','2011-04-03 22:21:02','Source:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\n\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\n\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\n\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\n\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\n\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\n\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\n\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\n\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\n\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\n\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\n\nTo their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\n\nJust to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\n\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\n\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\n\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\n\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\n\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\n\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBibliography:\n\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\n\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\n\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\n\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\n1999. Print.\n\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\n\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\n\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\n\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-849\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens-300x237.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" /></a>','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-revision-2','','','2011-04-03 16:21:02','2011-04-03 22:21:02','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=853',0,'revision','',0),(859,5,'2011-04-03 16:23:44','2011-04-03 22:23:44','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-855\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"425\" height=\"336\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\r\n\r\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\r\n\r\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\r\n\r\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\r\n\r\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\r\n\r\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\r\n\r\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\r\n\r\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\r\n\r\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\r\n\r\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\r\n\r\nTo their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\r\n\r\nJust to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\r\n\r\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\r\n\r\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\r\n\r\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\r\n\r\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\r\n\r\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\r\n\r\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBibliography:\r\n\r\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\r\n\r\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\r\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\r\n\r\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\r\n1999. Print.\r\n\r\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\r\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\r\n\r\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\r\n\r\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\r\n\r\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\r\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-revision-7','','','2011-04-03 16:23:44','2011-04-03 22:23:44','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=859',0,'revision','',0),(854,5,'2011-04-03 16:21:45','2011-04-03 22:21:45','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-852\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens1-300x237.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\r\n\r\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\r\n\r\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\r\n\r\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\r\n\r\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\r\n\r\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\r\n\r\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\r\n\r\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\r\n\r\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\r\n\r\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\r\n\r\nTo their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\r\n\r\nJust to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\r\n\r\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\r\n\r\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\r\n\r\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\r\n\r\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\r\n\r\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\r\n\r\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBibliography:\r\n\r\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\r\n\r\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\r\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\r\n\r\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\r\n1999. Print.\r\n\r\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\r\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\r\n\r\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\r\n\r\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\r\n\r\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\r\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-849\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens-300x237.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" /></a>','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-revision-3','','','2011-04-03 16:21:45','2011-04-03 22:21:45','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=854',0,'revision','',0),(855,5,'2011-04-03 16:22:17','2011-04-03 22:22:17','','School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','school-of-athens-3','','','2011-04-03 16:22:17','2011-04-03 22:22:17','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(856,5,'2011-04-03 16:21:48','2011-04-03 22:21:48','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-852\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens1-300x237.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\r\n\r\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\r\n\r\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\r\n\r\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\r\n\r\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\r\n\r\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\r\n\r\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\r\n\r\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\r\n\r\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\r\n\r\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\r\n\r\nTo their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\r\n\r\nJust to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\r\n\r\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\r\n\r\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\r\n\r\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\r\n\r\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\r\n\r\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\r\n\r\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBibliography:\r\n\r\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\r\n\r\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\r\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\r\n\r\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\r\n1999. Print.\r\n\r\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\r\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\r\n\r\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\r\n\r\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\r\n\r\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\r\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-849\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens-300x237.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" /></a>','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-revision-4','','','2011-04-03 16:21:48','2011-04-03 22:21:48','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=856',0,'revision','',0),(857,5,'2011-04-03 16:22:39','2011-04-03 22:22:39','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-855\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"425\" height=\"336\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\r\n\r\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\r\n\r\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\r\n\r\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\r\n\r\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\r\n\r\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\r\n\r\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\r\n\r\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\r\n\r\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\r\n\r\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\r\n\r\nTo their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\r\n\r\nJust to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\r\n\r\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\r\n\r\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\r\n\r\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\r\n\r\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\r\n\r\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\r\n\r\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBibliography:\r\n\r\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\r\n\r\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\r\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\r\n\r\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\r\n1999. Print.\r\n\r\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\r\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\r\n\r\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\r\n\r\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\r\n\r\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\r\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-849\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens-300x237.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" /></a>','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-revision-5','','','2011-04-03 16:22:39','2011-04-03 22:22:39','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=857',0,'revision','',0),(858,5,'2011-04-03 16:22:42','2011-04-03 22:22:42','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-855\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"425\" height=\"336\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\r\n\r\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\r\n\r\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\r\n\r\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\r\n\r\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\r\n\r\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\r\n\r\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\r\n\r\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\r\n\r\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\r\n\r\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\r\n\r\nTo their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\r\n\r\nJust to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\r\n\r\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\r\n\r\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\r\n\r\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\r\n\r\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\r\n\r\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\r\n\r\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBibliography:\r\n\r\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\r\n\r\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\r\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\r\n\r\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\r\n1999. Print.\r\n\r\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\r\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\r\n\r\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\r\n\r\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\r\n\r\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\r\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-849\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens-300x237.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" /></a>','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-revision-6','','','2011-04-03 16:22:42','2011-04-03 22:22:42','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=858',0,'revision','',0),(860,5,'2011-04-03 16:23:58','2011-04-03 22:23:58','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-855\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"425\" height=\"336\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\r\n\r\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\r\n\r\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\r\n\r\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\r\n\r\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\r\n\r\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\r\n\r\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\r\n\r\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\r\n\r\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\r\n\r\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\r\n\r\nTo their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\r\n\r\nJust to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\r\n\r\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\r\n\r\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\r\n\r\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\r\n\r\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\r\n\r\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\r\n\r\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBibliography:\r\n\r\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\r\n\r\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\r\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\r\n\r\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\r\n1999. Print.\r\n\r\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\r\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\r\n\r\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\r\n\r\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\r\n\r\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\r\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-revision-8','','','2011-04-03 16:23:58','2011-04-03 22:23:58','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=860',0,'revision','',0),(861,5,'2011-04-03 16:24:01','2011-04-03 22:24:01','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-855\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"425\" height=\"336\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\r\n\r\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\r\n\r\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\r\n\r\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\r\n\r\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\r\n\r\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\r\n\r\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\r\n\r\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\r\n\r\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\r\n\r\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\r\n\r\nTo their left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\r\n\r\nJust to our left of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\r\n\r\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\r\n\r\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\r\n\r\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\r\n\r\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\r\n\r\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\r\n\r\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBibliography:\r\n\r\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\r\n\r\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\r\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\r\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\r\n\r\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\r\n1999. Print.\r\n\r\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\r\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\r\n\r\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\r\n\r\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\r\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\r\n\r\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\r\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-revision-9','','','2011-04-03 16:24:01','2011-04-03 22:24:01','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=861',0,'revision','',0),(862,5,'2011-04-11 14:39:04','2011-04-11 20:39:04','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-855\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/School-of-Athens2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"425\" height=\"336\" /></a>\n\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The High Renaissance”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\n\nRaphael’s School of Athens is a masterfully rendered fresco that was created as part of a larger project to re-decorate Pope Julius’s personal library in the Vatican. It is part of a set of four complementary works that wrap around the room, each designating a different division of learning. School of Athens was meant to represent Philosophy, the love of knowledge, in its original sense which in that day encompassed science and mathematics along with what we would consider philosophic inquiry today. <!--more-->A full rethinking of the “Great Man” portrait, Raphael depicted all of the major scholars and philosophers of antiquity in the same space, in vibrant color, interacting with others and laboring in their various arts. This had never been done; nor had so many secular figures been depicted as pillars of knowledge in the most religious of settings. The combination of advanced skill and advancing attitude represented in School of Athens make it a landmark work that should be preserved to enlighten future generations.\n\nWhen Julius became Pope one of his first goals was to remake the city of Rome architecturally. To do this he hired architect Donato Bramante, a man with whom he shared little regard for the sanctity of the city’s current appearance. Nothing was sacred, not even Constantine’s St. Peter’s basilica, which was demolished for rebuilding to the chagrin of much of the laity. Julius took power at a time when the church was flush with cash from taxes laid on new papal territories and from an alum mine that had been discovered on church owned land. So Julius embarked on a campaign that was only limited by his imagination (Graham Dixon 178-179).\n\nThis included a full reworking of his personal living situation at the Vatican. Unhappy with artifacts that had been left by his predecessor, Pope Julius moved his living quarters upstairs to an area that included a room that would come to be known as the Stanza della Segnatura, or Signature Room, due to the Pope’s practice of using it to sign important documents. The room’s primary purpose was to house Julius’s personal library, which was divided into four topics: theology, law, the arts, and philosophy (Hall 5-7). Each wall was to be decorated with a representational fresco that corresponded with the topic shelved below it.\n\nIncluding a group of texts by pagan philosophers within the walls of a church institution represented a dramatic shift in the Church’s attitude toward secular science, made possible by a recent revival of Classical humanism. When the Ottoman Turks overthrew Constantinople a few decades before, a huge number of Greeks came to Rome seeking safety. Their presence led to a re-emergence of the traditional idea of shared origins for Greek and Roman culture. Julius himself had attended a lecture in 1508 where Rome was described as the “New Athens”, charged with preserving the culture of the ancients (Rowland 103). When work was begun on School of Athens in 1509 this must have been fresh in his mind.\n\nFollowing the tradition for libraries of the day, the room was to be decorated in the “Great Man” style which depicted scholars of renown in solitary portraits (Hall 7-8).  One of the many artists who had been commissioned for the project was a painter known as Raphael, who had received a recommendation from his kinsman, Bramante (Graham-Dixon 181). Raphael surpassed the static expectations of the form and gave life to a complete re-interpretation that was like nothing ever seen before (Hall 9).\n\nWhen looking at School of Athens, the first thing sensed is a feeling of depth, that the figures are truly separated from front to back. I say “sensed” and not “noticed’ because the effect is so well done that is seems completely natural, like a legitimate three dimensional rendering. He heightens this effect by placing his characters in a hard to define setting that has been the subject of much speculation. The figures stand on two distinct platforms that are separated by a row of four steps, upon which other characters are also situated. Overhead, stretching into the background are three sequential barrel vaults split by open spaces that allow the bright sky to illuminate his figures. Supporting these vaults are hallways that also seem to stretch into the background that are carved with niches filled with statues. On either side of this hall is a pillared wall, each holding one of the only completely identifiable statues in the composition. On the left is Apollo, on the right Athena.\n\nThese figures were most likely chosen due to the influence of Egidio da Viterbo, Pope Julius’s favorite preacher. He had recently compared these two pagan deities to Christ, a fact that Julius was certainly aware of. The Neoplatonic tradition of the day ascribed Apollo’s association with light, music and healing with the nature of Christ. Athena, virginal goddess of wisdom, had a strong association with the Virgin Mary, who was the subject of Julius’s great devotion (Rowland 104-105).  In his essay on School of Athens titled “The Architectural Background”, Ralph Liebermann describes them as “…the Olympian deities most closely associated with poetry and music, on the one hand, and wisdom, on the other; they stand, male and female, for all the powers of the mind and the creative spirit and appropriately preside over the gathering of philosophers” (78).\n\nThe imaginary structure they inhabit is a perfect example of a common practice of the day, trying out architectural ideas in the much cheaper medium of pigment. Some see a resemblance to Bramante’s design for the renewed St. Peter’s (Lieberman 69-70). There may have been some influence, but the central part of the ceiling gives evidence that this was an unbuildable structure that ultimately only served to give Raphael a means to play with perspective. The glimpse we see after the first ceiling vault implies a windowed dome, however there is far too much light in the scene for a dome to be present. If there is no dome and only an open space, then there is no need for the wall with vertical windows that extends upward (Lieberman 72). These experimental elements, while impractical, still add form and balance to the overall composition. The imagined space is also revolutionary in its copious use of statuary as decoration. This had no precedent in the Roman world and has caused some to wonder where Raphael received the inspiration to decorate the room in this way (Lieberman 79).\n\nThe figures themselves continue to give evidence of Raphael’s exuberant creativity. The piece is centered on the figures of Plato and Aristotle, each holding a labeled copy of the influential works that caused them to be the two most contemplated philosophers of the day. In her essay titled “The Vatican Stanze”, Ingrid D. Rowland does an excellent job of describing the significance of this depiction.\n\n\"Plato’s Timaeus, labeled in Italian as “Timeo”, is the first place in ancient literature where God is described as one being with three natures: a foreshadowing of the Trinity. Holding this proto-Trinitarian work in one hand, Plato points meaningfully upward with one finger of the other, directing the viewer to look toward heaven and the dome of Raphael’s great  hall to find the three-in-one divinity to which the fresco, the stanze, and the papacy are dedicated. Aristotle holds his Ethics, labeled “Etica”, and sweeps his hand out into the viewer’s space; the insights indicated by Plato have their repercussion in right human behavior. Aristotle’s elaborate treatise will be distilled by Jesus into two rules: love God and love your neighbor. By their own actions, Raphael’s Plato and Aristotle embody these two basic principles.\"\n\nTo the left stands the green robed figure of Socrates, gesturing instruction to an animated figure who may be Alcibiades, late breaking interlocutor of Plato’s Symposium (Rowland 106). In the foreground directly beneath Socrates’ pupil kneels Pythagoras, surrounded by his eager pupils, working on his theory of the harmonic proportions of music. One of his pupils holds out an abacus, used to represent the notes and intervals as another furiously copies over Pythagoras’ shoulder (Bellori 49-50). To the side of the group stands a figure in yellow, holding a slate that shows the Greek diapason, or perfect chord (Rowland 106). Pythagoras’ involvement with music extended to his using it for therapeutic purposes, and led Raphael to feature him near Apollo, the god of music. Plato even equated Pythagoras’ harmonic proportions to understanding the human soul in the very work he holds in the painting, Timaeus (Hall 33-34).\n\nJust to our right of this group reclines a depiction of Heraclitus, who Raphael in his playfulness decided to give the features of Michelangelo, who was hard at work next door on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Not only did he slip in a portrait of his compatriot but he also rendered it in Michelangelo’s own style, using his techniques in depicting flesh tones and musculature. Raphael did the same thing with his image of Plato, giving him the features of Leonardo da Vinci and using da Vinci’s own sfumato style on the figures that surround him (Rowland 107).\n\nFurther to the right, sprawled on the steps, is the totally aloof figure of Diogenes. Diogenes was described by Boethius as “reclining in the temple of wisdom”, so this is how Raphael chose to portray him (qtd. in Rowland 107).  Further to the right in the foreground Euclid the great geometer is depicted with the features of Bramante, Raphael’s shape manipulating architect kinsman (Fiero). The three figures nearest him represent the stages of grasping a complex topic, advancing in comprehension along with their visual height: learning the basics, understanding and sharing, and anticipating the final results (Hall 13). Further to the right are Ptolemy and Zoroaster, two of the greatest known astronomers of the day (Hall 34). And if you look all the way to the right, the 2nd character from the side of the arch is a self portrait of Raphael himself. The young painter was already sure enough of his ability to include his own image alongside the greatest minds known to western society.\n\nHis self assurance may be somewhat justified. After seeing Raphael’s work in School of Athens, Pope Julius was so impressed that he dismissed all the other artists that were working on the project and gave the entire commission to Raphael (Talvacchia 172). This is the highest praise an artist of the day could ask for, that the most powerful man of the empire was entrusting him with the adornment of his entire personal living quarters. The work was viewed and described by many contemporary critics, who all praised its Unione and Dolcezza, or softness and sweetness in shading and coloring (Bell 87-88).\n\nModern reviewer Janis Bell agrees with the opinion of the original critics. In addition to praising the shading, or chiaroscuro, she points out that Raphael had used all the hues available to fresco artists in keeping with the traditions of copiousness and variety in color. He takes this a step further, lightening and darkening individual colors to give the impression of an expanded palette. The exact innovation that Raphael used to achieve this effect is still not known. He also avoids repetition and juxtaposes colors “so that when hues are replayed, they always recur in another context” (Bell 92-93).\n\nA comparison with another “Great Man” painting shows just how much progress was made with School of Athens. Pietro Perugino’s Fortitude and Temperance is closer to the norm for these paintings. The six figures stand poised and separate with no indication of interaction. They all gaze piously downward, expressing little of their own personality. In School of Athens, the characters are full of life and animation, living parts of the room around them. The figures in Fortitude and Temperance all bear some type of implement, perhaps indicating a particular skill or attribute, but this is a far cry from Raphael’s achievement of breathing personality into his collection of scholars. The disparity of dress in Fortitude and Temperance also seems to indicate a possible difference in status, whereas in School of Athens everyone was similarly clothed in the Greek, scholarly tradition, creating a sense that status was secondary to the knowledge they represented. Though they differ widely in technique, both frescoes are very well rendered and obviously done by great artists. What Fortitude and Temperance is missing though is the divine touch of a true master that was evident in School of Athens.\n\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Fort-and-Temp2.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-987\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Fort-and-Temp2-300x221.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"221\" /></a>\n\nSource: Classicartpaintings.com\n\nhttp://www.classicartpaintings.com/Painters-P/Pietro+Perugino+_1445-1523_/Perugino_Pietro_Fortitude_and_Temperance_with_Six_Antique_Heroes_1497.jpg.html\n\nMy first reaction to School of Athens was an overwhelming sense of awe at the work that must have gone into such a fine, detailed rendering. Fresco seems like it would be a very tricky medium to work in so this only added to my respect for Raphael’s skill. Then, when I found out that this painting was commissioned by the Renaissance era church I was completely shocked, never having thought that a group of pagan philosophers would be given such a great honor by the clergy of that day. Overall, it is a very impressive work that was only made possible by the open mindedness of a newly tolerant church.\n\nSo for future generations, this work should illustrate that tolerance and consideration of foreign ideas can sometimes be the path to enlightenment. It represents that even in the murky depths of history there were scholars hard at work laying the foundation for the modern, enlightened society that we now enjoy. It also gives an example of the first time in western history that spirituality and science were not considered to be mutually exclusive. These are all important lessons that School of Athens can teach, which is why future generations should be able to access and learn from this Renaissance masterpiece.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBibliography:\n\nBell, Janis. “Color and Chiaroscuro.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 85-113. Print.\n\nBellori, Giovanni Pietro. “The Image of the Ancient Gymnasium of Athens, or, Philosophy.”\nRaphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 48-56. Print.\n\nFiero, Gloria K. “The High Renaissance.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill\nHigher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 29 March 2011\n\nGraham-Dixon, Andrew. Renaissance. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,\n1999. Print.\n\nHall, Marcia. Introduction. Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge\nUniversity Press, 1997. 1-47. Print.\n\nLiebermann, Ralph E. “The Architectural Background.” Raphael’s School of Athens. Ed. Marcia\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 64-84. Print.\n\nRowland, Ingrid D. “The Vatican Stanze.” The Cambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B.\nHall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 95-119. Print.\n\nTalvacchia, Bette. “Raphael’s Workshop and the Development of a Managerial Style.” The\nCambridge Companion to Raphael. Ed. Marcia B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 167-185. Print.','Raphael\'s School of Athens','','inherit','open','open','','848-autosave','','','2011-04-11 14:39:04','2011-04-11 20:39:04','',848,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=862',0,'revision','',0),(863,1,'2011-02-21 23:06:04','2011-02-22 05:06:04','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/aristotle111.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-480\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/aristotle111-249x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"249\" height=\"300\" /></a>Written by a philosopher and scientics who was not born 20 years after the death of Sophocles and Euripides, is an unlikely candidate for founder of european dramatic theory. inb fact, it has no rival offering the earlies view of the origins and form of greek tragedy as well as theoretical base of all subsequent serious drama. the work of aritotles have no comparison to any  other poet. because his work is original, he aimed the best poetry by comparing the good , the bad, the natural, the human, and more important the unrevealed. <!--more-->Moreover in the modern era the word \"tragedy\" is often use to describe a terrrible act or fate that befalls an unwitting individual\r\nwith regard to drama, however, the word (and the forn it describes) has a very different meaning. [as literary gender tragedy deals not to much with catastrophic events as how these events work to affect individuals in shaping their character and in determinating their fate. the protagonist becomes a tragic hero not because of what befalls but rather as a result of the manner in which he comfronts his destiny. in the poetics of the world first treatise on literary criticism, the greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 b.c.a)describe tragedy as an imitation of action involving incidents that arose pity and fear. Tragic action, he argues, should involve an error in judgment made by an individual who is “better than the ordinary man” but with whom the audience may sympathize..]\r\n\r\nMany people admired the work of Aristotle’s because of the mystery inside his poetry or the tragedy and drama he presented as in unusual ways. Aristotle’s way of presenting poetic’s was the main difference between him and the rest of the poets at his time.  Aristotle’s is been recognized in the books of history for his outrageous work and unusual way of thinking,besides his critical point of view about life and huamanity gave him a sense of confidence over his peers.\r\nNow the life of aritotles as a philosopher started in Plato\'s academy he was a  young macedonian whose ultimately contributins to philosophy rivaled those of this teacher After a period of travel in the eastern Mediterranean and a brief career as tutor. Aristotle returned to Athens and founded a school known as the Lyceum. Aristotle\'s habit of walking up and down as he lectured in the peripatos (“covered walkway”) of the school gave him the nickname the “peripatetic philosopher.” His teachings, which exist only in the form of lecture notes compiled by his students, the notes cover a wider and more practical range of subjects than those of Plato which it basiclly means that aristotles was more acured on the performance of his work it explaned in more detail.\r\n\r\nin addiction,Aristotle did not accept Plato\'s Theory of Forms. For him, the real was not a reflection of ideal Forms, but existed in the objects of the material world. He equated form (or essence) with the true nature of a thing, and held that its full possession was achieved by the proper performance of its function. Questioning Plato\'s theory of an eternal psyche, he theorized that the portion of the soul identified with reason (and with the impersonal force he called the Unmoved Mover) might be immortal.\r\nAs far as i can judge Aristotles poetics were one of its kind not only because he aimed the real, the true and the unreveal, but more importantly because he saw and deeply understood how life was. his passion for humanity was an examination of values. values that he called \"the good life\" [ . Is not happiness the one goal to which all human beings aspire? If so, then how does one achieve it? The answer, says Aristotle, lies in recognizing one\'s defining essence, and functioning to fulfill i\r\nfunction of the eye is to see; the function of the racehorse is to run fast; the function of a knife is to cut, and so on. How well a thing performs is synonymous with its excellence or virtue (in Greek, the word arete denotes both): the excellence of the eye, then, lies in seeing well; the excellence of a racehorse lies in how fast it runs; the excellence of a knife depends on how well it cuts, and so on. The unique function of the human being, concludes Aristotle, is the ability to reason; hence, the excellence of any human creature lies in the exercise of reason.]\r\nbased on my understanding aristotles has been one of the most famous philosophers not just for his poetry but because the way he describe it and feel about it. Moreover he aimed the true, the good and the bad about man kind, therefore i strongly believe that future generations should have the opportunity to learn and remember the principles and moral that all human kind should have.\r\n\r\nREFERENCES:\r\n\r\nAristotle, Metaphysics, Joe Sachs (trans.), Green Lion Press, 1999\r\n\r\nCopyright statement: The Internet Classics Archive by Daniel C. Stevenson, Web Atomics. World Wide Web presentation is copyright (C) 1994-2000, Daniel C. Stevenson, Web Atomics. Direct permission requests to classics@classics.mit.edu\r\n\r\nClassical Quarterly; 2005, Vol. 55 Issue 2, p435-446, 12p\r\n\r\nThe humanities tradition  vol. 1 Fierro 6e. Chap 5 pg. b1. 99\r\n\r\nAristotle. (1977). Politics (trans. H. Raham). Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.\r\n\r\nAristotle. (1990). Nicomachean ethics (trans. H. Rackham). Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.','ARISTOTLES POETICS ','','inherit','open','open','','419-revision-12','','','2011-02-21 23:06:04','2011-02-22 05:06:04','',419,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=863',0,'revision','',0),(867,25,'2011-04-05 19:24:04','2011-04-06 01:24:04','Captivating the audience, Shakespeare\'s play <em>Hamlet </em>expresses romance, tragedy, and revenge. The true meaning behind the plot of <em>Hamlet</em> has been a question concerning the world for centuries and continues to perplex the modern reader today. Shakespeare was brilliant when creating the plot of the play and developing the main character, Hamlet, allowing him to have moral integrity and thoughtfulness while avenging a great wrong.  <em>Hamlet</em> should be persevered in order to come to a final conclusion of the message Shakespeare gave to literature many years ago.\n\n<!--more-->\n\n&nbsp;','Hamlet','','inherit','open','open','','866-revision','','','2011-04-05 19:24:04','2011-04-06 01:24:04','',866,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=867',0,'revision','',0),(869,25,'2011-04-06 16:37:43','2011-04-06 22:37:43','Captivating the audience, Shakespeare\'s play <em>Hamlet </em>expresses romance, tragedy, and revenge. The true meaning behind the plot of <em>Hamlet</em> has been a question concerning the world for centuries and continues to perplex the modern reader today. Shakespeare was brilliant when creating the plot of the play and developing the main character, Hamlet, allowing him to have moral integrity and thoughtfulness while avenging a great wrong.  <em>Hamlet</em> should be persevered in order to come to a final conclusion of the message Shakespeare gave to literature many years ago.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nOne of Shakespeare\'s most famous plays he ever wrote was <em>Hamlet, Prince of Denmark</em>, written around the time of 1600. The play reflects romance, tragedy, and revenge. Most of Shakespeare’s playwrights that  incorporate romance “Have much in common with the late medieval and early Tudor prose romances” (Lamb and Wayne. 91). With romance comes tragedy in nearly all of Shakespeare’s plays. Side by side though, romance and tragedy portray two different aspects of life, “In their treatment of the familial relationships and social order” (Lamb and Wayne. 92). Tragedies show, “The dissolution of the family and destruction of the social order…” (Lamb and Wayne. 92) while prose romance shows, “A positive treatment of women, and they work towards the reconstitution of a dispersed family and restoration of a shattered royal household”   (Lamb and Wayne. 92). These are two key factors in which <em>Hamlet</em> beholds.\n\nThe play <em>Hamlet</em> is supposedly a reflection of many works from profound writers. <em>Ur-Hamlet</em> is the source most credited for the direct historical background of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Similar sources related to the inspiration of <em>Hamlet </em>include <em>The Spanish Tragedy </em>by Thomas Kyd and Saxo Grammaticus’s <em>Historia Danica </em>(“Hamlet: Intro”). Another major influence of <em>Hamlet</em> belongs to the Roman playwright Seneca (Cummings). Seneca’s work reflected on, “The certainty of death, the fickleness of fate, the instability of power and happiness, the virtue of stoic moderation, and the obscurity and the like” (Turey). Just like in<em> Hamlet</em>, Seneca based his plays around a central character that is indulged by evil and unspeakable criminality.  Seneca also frequently implied a ghost like figure into his plays as seen in Shakespeare’s play when the ghost of Hamlet’s father comes back to spike revenge in Hamlet (Turey).\n\n<em> Hamlet</em> has seen to cause the most trouble is deciphering the message within the storyline. To readers, the main character of the play seems both weak and strong.  Some argue that his depression kept him from acting on the revenge needed to avenge his father\'s death, while others argue that his depression allowed him to logically find a way to avenge the death. With the exception of certain biblical text, <em>Hamlet</em> is by far, “The most problematic text in all of literature” (Johnston). There is great debate on how we are to understand Shakespeare\'s tragedy but the one thing we can be sure of is, Hamlet\'s plot for revenge (Johnston).\n\n<em>Hamlet</em> is a revenge play in which the plot consist of the main character seeking revenge and acting on his own without any outside help but it is not typical like other revenge plays. While writing <em>Hamlet</em>, “Shakespeare’s focus on this conflict was a revolutionary departure from contemporary revenge tragedies…” (\"Hamlet: Intro\"). Shakespeare appears to have twisted the revenge theme and allowed the main character, Hamlet, to struggle with morality. Throughout the story Hamlet seeks revenge on the man who killed his father, married his mother, and took the crown of Denmark, and eventually succeeds, but the question frequently asked is why Hamlet waited so long to do so? Was he planning a way for revenge to come justly or was he emotionally weak? By Act I of the play Hamlet is fully aware of his father\'s killer. He certainly vows for the revenge to take place but Hamlet does not follow up on his actions until weeks, or even months had passed since the death of his father (Johnston). Though many historians speculate that Hamlet was a coward, the question as to why he waited has yet to be answered. Shakespeare could have purposefully left us to ponder this.\n\nIt is also interesting that Shakespeare willingly wrote about revenge in <em>Hamlet</em>. During Shakespeare\'s time of the Elizabethan era, Christian ethics considered revenge as wrong doing. A saint of the church, “Would forgive and bring about reconciliation” (Friedlander) rather than punish another. The people of this time wanted justice, but no one was allowed to take the law in their own hands.  The church provided forgiveness and justice was served through the legal system.   The Elizabethan’s could not give out revenge in their own lives, but they loved to watch revenge and live through it vicariously through plays.\n\nThough Hamlet is looked upon as a killer who tries to fight off the temptations of love and hatred, he is also portrayed as a mirror image of society and the role that humans play or want to play. <em>Hamlet</em> is one of literature\'s first real views of human nature (Friedlander). The play shows an ordinary person being thrown back and forth between what is morally right and wrong whether it was his own suicide, murder, or vengeance.  Unlike contemporary media, “Hamlet leaves us with the message that life is indeed worth living, even by imperfect people in an imperfect world” (Friedlander). During the play, Hamlet struggles with depression and suicide but after the burial of his love, Ophelia, he decides that intentional death without ever living may be worse than living. The reader also sees Hamlet struggle when he tries to murder his father\'s killer the first time.  He walks in on Claudius praying and struggling with the immoral choices that he made with murder and adultery.  Because of this, Hamlet has sympathy for him and doesn’t kill him then but murders Polonius rashly.  By the end of the play, the reader has a newfound love for Hamlet because he morally finds a way to get revenge on his father\'s killer and punish himself for a thoughtless murder that he had committed.  He lets the reader into his mind and shows that he is both genuine and sincere. We can all relate to Hamlet and admire his resistance to the corruptions of evil that surround him (Friedlander).\n\nShakespeare also expresses a negative view towards women in <em>Hamlet</em>. This is odd due to the fact that most of Shakespeare\'s plays involve women with a sense of power who have major influence over men. In <em>Hamlet,</em> his mother, Gertrude, and his love, Ophelia, are both, “Weaklings who are dominated by men” (Cummings). Gertrude gives into Claudius to adultery and murder, and Ophelia will not stand up to her father and chooses suicide to solve her problems. Both of these women made poor choices and suffered from them. During the Renaissance, Shakespeare\'s audience would have greatly appreciated the play because men at that time thought little of women and treated them as objects of possession.  Also Hamlet\'s allusive sexual desire towards Ophelia was highly acceptable (Henderson). Men during this time feared women and their loyalty to them and <em>Hamlet</em> reflected that fear. It was said to be that, “…the greatest threat to the male patriarchal ego then, and the most disrupter of the social order, was cuckoldry, or unfaithfulness by the female” (Henderson). The male was to have full dominance and <em>Hamlet</em> implied what society had told it to do.\n\nAs Shakespeare used the work of others to construct <em>Hamlet</em>, an author used <em>Hamlet </em>to construct <em>Euordanus, Prince of Denmark</em>. Key elements of the play point out the similarities between it and <em>Hamlet</em> which supports the close relationship between the two. <em>Eurodanus</em> and <em>Hamlet</em> were published around the same time, which shows, “How genres overlapped in the Renaissance and how tragedy is linked with other popular literary forms of the period” (Lamb and Wayne. 92-93). <em>Eurodanus</em> and <em>Hamlet</em> share intertexts, which means carrying one meaning of a text to another text. <em>Hamlet</em> through time seems to be printed before <em>Eruodanus </em>meaning that <em>Eruodanus</em> used <em>Hamlet </em>as an intertext rather than vice versa. A main intertext that the two plays share is a, “Common interest in the earlier Anglo-Danish relationship…,” “Both <em>Eurodanus</em> and <em>Hamlet</em> turn different aspects of England’s historical link with Denmark into subjects of fiction and drama, respectfully” (Lamb and Wayne. 93).\n\nDuring the Elizabethan era, <em>Hamlet, Prince of Demark</em> was a play by Shakespeare conducted for pure entertainment. It is now seen to be after many years a never-ending jigsaw puzzle. Shakespeare may have intended <em>Hamlet</em> to be an ever-lasting mystery, but in reality, different versions were likely printed and combined together accidentally causing confusion future society.\n\n<em>Hamlet</em> is a particular valuable piece of work because it stimulates pressure on society to reach a final interpretation on whether Hamlet, the main character, is emotionally weak or moral, and it is the first time that a character is shown to struggle with inner and outer conflict. With all of the different aspects and elements used within the play, readers of <em>Hamlet</em> have yet to come to an agreement of the meaning behind it the character struggle and plot. Shakespeare’s departure from what was the status quo with plot will continue to inspire writers to take risks not seen before.  Future generations should preserve Shakespeare’s incredible tragedy in order to learn further about his brilliant writing ability and seek a final closure of the true meaning behind <em>Hamlet.</em>\n\n&nbsp;\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Work Cited</strong></p>\n&nbsp;\n\nCummings, Michael J. \"Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.\" <em>Free Study Guides for Shakespeare   and Other Authors</em>. 2003. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nFriedlander, ED. \"Enjoying \"Hamlet\" by William Shakespeare.\" <em>The Pathology Guy</em>. Friedlander ER (1999), 25 Dec. 2003. Web. 02 Apr. 2011.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"Hamlet: Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Shakespeare for Students</span>. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. January 2006. 2 April 2011<strong> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHenderson, Steve. \"Hamlet and a Feminist Argument.\" <em>Books &amp; Literature Classics</em>. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nJohnston, Ian. \"Introductory Lecture on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.\" <em>Studies in Shakespeare</em>. 27 Feb. 2001. Web. 28 Mar. 2011.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nLamb, Mary E., and Valerie Wayne. <em>Staging Early Modern Romance: Prose Fiction, Dramatic Romance, and Shakespeare</em>. N.p.: Routledge, 2008. 76-93. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nTurey, Wayne S. \"Lucius Annaeus Seneca.\" <em>Wayne S. Turney, Home Page</em>. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','William Shakespeare\'s Tragedy \"Hamlet\"','','inherit','open','open','','866-revision-2','','','2011-04-06 16:37:43','2011-04-06 22:37:43','',866,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=869',0,'revision','',0),(870,25,'2011-04-06 16:39:37','2011-04-06 22:39:37','Captivating the audience, Shakespeare\'s play <em>Hamlet </em>expresses romance, tragedy, and revenge. The true meaning behind the plot of <em>Hamlet</em> has been a question concerning the world for centuries and continues to perplex the modern reader today. Shakespeare was brilliant when creating the plot of the play and developing the main character, Hamlet, allowing him to have moral integrity and thoughtfulness while avenging a great wrong.  <em>Hamlet</em> should be persevered in order to come to a final conclusion of the message Shakespeare gave to literature many years ago.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nOne of Shakespeare\'s most famous plays he ever wrote was <em>Hamlet, Prince of Denmark</em>, written around the time of 1600. The play reflects romance, tragedy, and revenge. Most of Shakespeare’s playwrights that  incorporate romance “Have much in common with the late medieval and early Tudor prose romances” (Lamb and Wayne. 91). With romance comes tragedy in nearly all of Shakespeare’s plays. Side by side though, romance and tragedy portray two different aspects of life, “In their treatment of the familial relationships and social order” (Lamb and Wayne. 92). Tragedies show, “The dissolution of the family and destruction of the social order…” (Lamb and Wayne. 92) while prose romance shows, “A positive treatment of women, and they work towards the reconstitution of a dispersed family and restoration of a shattered royal household”   (Lamb and Wayne. 92). These are two key factors in which <em>Hamlet</em> beholds.\r\n\r\nThe play <em>Hamlet</em> is supposedly a reflection of many works from profound writers. <em>Ur-Hamlet</em> is the source most credited for the direct historical background of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Similar sources related to the inspiration of <em>Hamlet </em>include <em>The Spanish Tragedy </em>by Thomas Kyd and Saxo Grammaticus’s <em>Historia Danica </em>(“Hamlet: Intro”). Another major influence of <em>Hamlet</em> belongs to the Roman playwright Seneca (Cummings). Seneca’s work reflected on, “The certainty of death, the fickleness of fate, the instability of power and happiness, the virtue of stoic moderation, and the obscurity and the like” (Turey). Just like in<em> Hamlet</em>, Seneca based his plays around a central character that is indulged by evil and unspeakable criminality.  Seneca also frequently implied a ghost like figure into his plays as seen in Shakespeare’s play when the ghost of Hamlet’s father comes back to spike revenge in Hamlet (Turey).\r\n\r\n<em> Hamlet</em> has seen to cause the most trouble is deciphering the message within the storyline. To readers, the main character of the play seems both weak and strong.  Some argue that his depression kept him from acting on the revenge needed to avenge his father\'s death, while others argue that his depression allowed him to logically find a way to avenge the death. With the exception of certain biblical text, <em>Hamlet</em> is by far, “The most problematic text in all of literature” (Johnston). There is great debate on how we are to understand Shakespeare\'s tragedy but the one thing we can be sure of is, Hamlet\'s plot for revenge (Johnston).\r\n\r\n<em>Hamlet</em> is a revenge play in which the plot consist of the main character seeking revenge and acting on his own without any outside help but it is not typical like other revenge plays. While writing <em>Hamlet</em>, “Shakespeare’s focus on this conflict was a revolutionary departure from contemporary revenge tragedies…” (\"Hamlet: Intro\"). Shakespeare appears to have twisted the revenge theme and allowed the main character, Hamlet, to struggle with morality. Throughout the story Hamlet seeks revenge on the man who killed his father, married his mother, and took the crown of Denmark, and eventually succeeds, but the question frequently asked is why Hamlet waited so long to do so? Was he planning a way for revenge to come justly or was he emotionally weak? By Act I of the play Hamlet is fully aware of his father\'s killer. He certainly vows for the revenge to take place but Hamlet does not follow up on his actions until weeks, or even months had passed since the death of his father (Johnston). Though many historians speculate that Hamlet was a coward, the question as to why he waited has yet to be answered. Shakespeare could have purposefully left us to ponder this.\r\n\r\nIt is also interesting that Shakespeare willingly wrote about revenge in <em>Hamlet</em>. During Shakespeare\'s time of the Elizabethan era, Christian ethics considered revenge as wrong doing. A saint of the church, “Would forgive and bring about reconciliation” (Friedlander) rather than punish another. The people of this time wanted justice, but no one was allowed to take the law in their own hands.  The church provided forgiveness and justice was served through the legal system.   The Elizabethan’s could not give out revenge in their own lives, but they loved to watch revenge and live through it vicariously through plays.\r\n\r\nThough Hamlet is looked upon as a killer who tries to fight off the temptations of love and hatred, he is also portrayed as a mirror image of society and the role that humans play or want to play. <em>Hamlet</em> is one of literature\'s first real views of human nature (Friedlander). The play shows an ordinary person being thrown back and forth between what is morally right and wrong whether it was his own suicide, murder, or vengeance.  Unlike contemporary media, “Hamlet leaves us with the message that life is indeed worth living, even by imperfect people in an imperfect world” (Friedlander). During the play, Hamlet struggles with depression and suicide but after the burial of his love, Ophelia, he decides that intentional death without ever living may be worse than living. The reader also sees Hamlet struggle when he tries to murder his father\'s killer the first time.  He walks in on Claudius praying and struggling with the immoral choices that he made with murder and adultery.  Because of this, Hamlet has sympathy for him and doesn’t kill him then but murders Polonius rashly.  By the end of the play, the reader has a newfound love for Hamlet because he morally finds a way to get revenge on his father\'s killer and punish himself for a thoughtless murder that he had committed.  He lets the reader into his mind and shows that he is both genuine and sincere. We can all relate to Hamlet and admire his resistance to the corruptions of evil that surround him (Friedlander).\r\n\r\nShakespeare also expresses a negative view towards women in <em>Hamlet</em>. This is odd due to the fact that most of Shakespeare\'s plays involve women with a sense of power who have major influence over men. In <em>Hamlet,</em> his mother, Gertrude, and his love, Ophelia, are both, “Weaklings who are dominated by men” (Cummings). Gertrude gives into Claudius to adultery and murder, and Ophelia will not stand up to her father and chooses suicide to solve her problems. Both of these women made poor choices and suffered from them. During the Renaissance, Shakespeare\'s audience would have greatly appreciated the play because men at that time thought little of women and treated them as objects of possession.  Also Hamlet\'s allusive sexual desire towards Ophelia was highly acceptable (Henderson). Men during this time feared women and their loyalty to them and <em>Hamlet</em> reflected that fear. It was said to be that, “…the greatest threat to the male patriarchal ego then, and the most disrupter of the social order, was cuckoldry, or unfaithfulness by the female” (Henderson). The male was to have full dominance and <em>Hamlet</em> implied what society had told it to do.\r\n\r\nAs Shakespeare used the work of others to construct <em>Hamlet</em>, an author used <em>Hamlet </em>to construct <em>Euordanus, Prince of Denmark</em>. Key elements of the play point out the similarities between it and <em>Hamlet</em> which supports the close relationship between the two. <em>Eurodanus</em> and <em>Hamlet</em> were published around the same time, which shows, “How genres overlapped in the Renaissance and how tragedy is linked with other popular literary forms of the period” (Lamb and Wayne. 92-93). <em>Eurodanus</em> and <em>Hamlet</em> share intertexts, which means carrying one meaning of a text to another text. <em>Hamlet</em> through time seems to be printed before <em>Eruodanus </em>meaning that <em>Eruodanus</em> used <em>Hamlet </em>as an intertext rather than vice versa. A main intertext that the two plays share is a, “Common interest in the earlier Anglo-Danish relationship…,” “Both <em>Eurodanus</em> and <em>Hamlet</em> turn different aspects of England’s historical link with Denmark into subjects of fiction and drama, respectfully” (Lamb and Wayne. 93).\r\n\r\nDuring the Elizabethan era, <em>Hamlet, Prince of Demark</em> was a play by Shakespeare conducted for pure entertainment. It is now seen to be after many years a never-ending jigsaw puzzle. Shakespeare may have intended <em>Hamlet</em> to be an ever-lasting mystery, but in reality, different versions were likely printed and combined together accidentally causing confusion future society.\r\n\r\n<em>Hamlet</em> is a particular valuable piece of work because it stimulates pressure on society to reach a final interpretation on whether Hamlet, the main character, is emotionally weak or moral, and it is the first time that a character is shown to struggle with inner and outer conflict. With all of the different aspects and elements used within the play, readers of <em>Hamlet</em> have yet to come to an agreement of the meaning behind it the character struggle and plot. Shakespeare’s departure from what was the status quo with plot will continue to inspire writers to take risks not seen before.  Future generations should preserve Shakespeare’s incredible tragedy in order to learn further about his brilliant writing ability and seek a final closure of the true meaning behind <em>Hamlet.</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Work Cited</strong></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCummings, Michael J. \"Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.\" <em>Free Study Guides for Shakespeare   and Other Authors</em>. 2003. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nFriedlander, ED. \"Enjoying \"Hamlet\" by William Shakespeare.\" <em>The Pathology Guy</em>. Friedlander ER (1999), 25 Dec. 2003. Web. 02 Apr. 2011.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Hamlet: Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Shakespeare for Students</span>. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. January 2006. 2 April 2011<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHenderson, Steve. \"Hamlet and a Feminist Argument.\" <em>Books &amp; Literature Classics</em>. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJohnston, Ian. \"Introductory Lecture on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.\" <em>Studies in Shakespeare</em>. 27 Feb. 2001. Web. 28 Mar. 2011.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\nLamb, Mary E., and Valerie Wayne. <em>Staging Early Modern Romance: Prose Fiction, Dramatic Romance, and Shakespeare</em>. N.p.: Routledge, 2008. 76-93. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\nTurey, Wayne S. \"Lucius Annaeus Seneca.\" <em>Wayne S. Turney, Home Page</em>. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','William Shakespeare\'s Tragedy \"Hamlet\"','','inherit','open','open','','866-revision-3','','','2011-04-06 16:39:37','2011-04-06 22:39:37','',866,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=870',0,'revision','',0),(1052,31,'2011-04-15 12:51:08','2011-04-15 18:51:08','<img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Tintosoup.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"268\" />\r\n\r\nhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Tintosoup.jpg\r\n\r\nWhen you think of the “Last Supper” many immediately think of Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”. We aren’t always as familiar with other renditions of the last supper, one of which is Made by Jacopo Tintoretto. It’s a shame this picture is over shadowed by Da Vinci’s “Last Supper,” his art is very dynamic and truly embodies the ability of the Renaissance artist.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nTintoretto’s “Last supper” is a huge oil painting on a twelve by almost nineteen foot canvas. It was made between 1592-1594. Tintoretto painted the “Last Supper” several times in his life. This version can be described as the fest of the poor, in which the figure of Christ mingles with the crowds of apostles. However, a supernatural scene with winged figures comes into sight by the light around his head. This endows the painting with a visional character clearly differentiating it from paintings of the same subject made by earlier painters like Leonardo.(Kren) It depicts Jesus and all his disciples, Jude is thought to be on the opposite side of the table. Jesus and his disciples are displayed with glowing halo’s around there heads except Jude. Jude is displayed with a glowing back which I believe could symbolize “back stabbing” Jesus.\r\n\r\nThe painting of Tintoretto’s “Last Supper” is housed in Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. Tintoretto is described by Robert Hahn, “He was a devout painter, as we see in his great series of Last Suppers.”(Hahn) The painting is very dark and uses contrast extensively. Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is bright and seems to use contrast less drastically. Da Vinci’s “Last supper” was painted on a wall and is very quickly diminishing; Tintorreto’s however is still preserved well because of his choice in paints and canvas. Both artists use perspective, one-point perspective   is a mathematical system for representing three-dimensional surface by means of intersecting lines that are drawn vertically  and horizontally and that the radiate from one point. (one-point) The two perspectives are completely different, Da Vinci’s you seem to be on the opposite side of the table as if you are a member of the party, while Tintoretto’s piece you are an onlooker into the room of which the feast is being held. Both pieces look very natural, but for completely different reasons Tintoretto for its , while Da Vinci’s natural look comes from the character’s reactions.  There is no disputing that both painters where masters.\r\n\r\nTintoretto in his day was very popular. He made many pieces and was a very successful artist. His art was typical of the renaissance because of the techniques he uses, like one point perspective and contrast. However this piece is very unique for the fact that there are slaves displayed in the same picture with Jesus and his disciples and even interacting with them. This is very strange to see in a religious painting, and thus why the picture gets its description of the fest of the poor. This piece was so successful many more renditions of the “Last Super” where made by his studio.  I feel this work really shows off the master’s ability and is very natural.\r\n\r\nTintoretto’s real name was Jacopo Robust. He studied Michelangelo’s works and was quickly recognized for his talent. His early works are often confused with Bonifazio Veronese’s, Paris Bordone’s, and Andrea Schiavone’s works. In his later works are much easier to describe as his because he works dramatically with light and shadows. (Tintoretto) The “Last Supper” was produced for the Scuola di S. Rocco. Tintoretto spent almost all his career in Venice, where he maintained a busy workshop producing a vast output of religious paintings, portraits, and a number of allegorical and mythological subjects.(Tintoretto (1518))\r\n\r\nFor future generation I believe it is important to preserve Tintoretto’s piece to compare the “Last Supper” and even preserve it. It will hopeful still be around when the Da Vinci’s last supper is no more and step up into the spotlight as an exeplaeraryu piece of art from the renaissance.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\nKren, Emil, and Daniel Marx. \"Tinterreto.\" <em>Web Gallery of Art, Image Collection, Virtual Museum, Searchable Database of European Fine Arts (1000-1850)</em>. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. &lt;http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/t/tintoret/5_1580s/3lastsup.html&gt;.\r\n\r\n\"Tintoretto.\" <em>Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition</em> (2010): 1. <em>Middle Search Plus</em>. EBSCO. Web. 6 Apr. 2011.\r\n\r\n\"Tintoretto (1518-1594).\" <em>Hutchinson\'s Biography Database</em> (2003): 1. <em>Middle Search Plus</em>. EBSCO. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.\r\n\r\n\"one-point perspective.\" <em>Dictionary.com Unabridged</em>. Random House, Inc. 14 Apr. 2011. &lt;Dictionary.com <a href=\"http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/one-point%20perspective\" target=\"_parent\">http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/one-point perspective</a>&gt;.\r\n\r\nHahn, Robert. \"A Witness to Tintoretto.\" <em>Southwest Review</em>. 192-212. Southern Methodist University, 2004. <em>Academic Search Complete</em>. EBSCO. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.','Tintoretto’s Last Supper','','publish','open','open','','1052','','','2011-04-15 12:52:59','2011-04-15 18:52:59','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=1052',0,'post','',14),(872,30,'2011-04-06 21:36:56','2011-04-07 03:36:56','<em>The </em><em>Mandrake Root (La Mandragola) </em>was written by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1518. Machiavelli’s <em>Mandrake</em> is a comedic play about a young man, Callimaco, who is attracted to a young woman, Lucrezia, who is married to an older lawyer by the name of Nicia (Laine). <!--more-->The play takes place over a 24-hour time span (A.). In the play, Callimaco, a Florentine living in Paris, intends to never return to Florence due to the political turmoil that took over the city. But, hearing the tales of the beauty of a certain Lucrezia, he returns to see this woman and instantly falls in love.  With the help of his manservant Siro and the conman Ligurio, they devise a plan. Ligurio and Siro tell Nicia that Callimaco is a doctor who is specialized in fertility issues. Callimaco says that Lucrezia must drink a mandrake root potion to increase her libido, but the first man she sleeps with will die. He tells Nicia and Lucrezia she must go into the streets and find a random guy to sleep with the first time after the potion. Callimaco schemes to disguise himself as the random “victim” and a priest, Brother Timoteo, is paid to help in the scheme. Everything goes according to plan, except Callimaco reveals his love to Lucrezia and she falls for him and wants him as her full time lover (Invictus). Some of the themes evident in this piece are people’s ambition to get what they want, criticism of the church, fraud, trickery, deception, and unclear areas or morality (A.). Preservation is important because the messages revealed in the comedy can be applied to life, no matter the time period.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/machiavelli1.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-874\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/machiavelli1-270x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"270\" height=\"300\" /></a>http://madamepickwickartblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/machiavelli1.jpg</p>\r\nAt the time of this publication, the Renaissance was in full force in Europe. Progress was seen as a process of improving the lot of the individual was a valued belief during this time. Classical humanism continued to spread from the heart of Italy to Western Europe (Fiero B3.21). Despite the plague’s negative effects, Italy continued to prosper in the profits from the Crusades. Religion wise, anticlericalism and intellectual skeptism was on the rise (Fiero B3.22). Christianity was beginning to emerge because it seemed to fit the secular beliefs and desires of the rising merchant class. Politically, the Italian city-states were not united and were independent of each other (Fiero B3.22). There were many civil wars between the city-states due to disagreements. Because many who fought were professional soldiers, or condottieri, who could be bought for their service, the papacy made no effort to unify the rivaling Italian city-states. Popes became involved in the fight for political power, and there were often alliances within city-states (Fiero B3.22). Some leaders of the church of Rome became known for self-indulgence and greed and some had mistresses, led attacks on other states, and lived in high levels of luxury (Fiero B3.38).\r\n\r\nThe Medici, or wealthy banking Florentine family, eventually gained leadership of the state. They ruled Florence for four generations because the local economic stability they brought (Fiero B3.22).\r\n\r\nThis piece is typical of its era because it expresses opinions on the political, religious, and other beliefs of the public at the time. It is theorized that Nicia represents the ineffective ruling class of Florence (Invictus). The priest in the play who is obsessed with making a profit obviously correlates to the greed of the medieval Catholic Church and pope hood. Lucrezia may represent Florence, or an object being desired, who becomes prey but goes along with it anyway due to lack of other options. This could reveal Machiavelli’s frustration with the city at the time (Invictus).\r\n\r\nThere were not many comedies produced during the time <em>The Mandrake</em> was published, so this was a refreshing play. More serious literature was being published during this time period. A hilarious play commenting on the flaws of human nature and self-centeredness was highly innovative (Teuber). It revealed the great lengths a person would go through in order to get what is desired. The ideas seen in the play could be applied to life at the time; it was a unique way for comment on society.\r\n\r\nThe <em>Mandrake Root</em> was greatly accepted during the time it was first performed. It was a huge sensation when it was first staged and one show had to be stopped after the fourth act due to the tremendous reception at the amphitheater (Invictus). It was popular for many years in Italy after it was released (Teuber). It was a hysterical piece that all ages could enjoy, while at the same time, the play could be applauded by the intellectuals who caught on to the hidden messages.\r\n\r\nToday, the play is still acknowledged for its allegorical meaning yet humorous plot. <em>The Mandrake</em> has even been the subject of a television movie in Romanian, Italian, and French productions (Invictus). Also, current stage versions have been performed recently (Invictus). If the play were not still popular, then it would not be as well known and reproduced as it is today. The themes of greed, desire, fraud, and trickery can be applied in life today, so although the original written script of the play may be lost, its plot and ideas live on.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Mandrake.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-875\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Mandrake-179x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"179\" height=\"300\" /></a>http://heml.mta.ca/wiki/images/c/ce/Mandrake.jpg</p>\r\nMy personal reaction to the work was one of laughter, happiness, and interest. Once I began reading the play, I could not help but become infatuated with the piece and had to keep reading to see the outcome. I could relate to Callimaco and found myself cheering for his deceitful plan to succeed. I found the idea of greed in the play specifically meaningful. Callimaco is greedy and takes advantage of his friends and Nicia’s stupidity to get his desired Lucrezia. The priest is greedy and takes money to cover for Callimaco as he sleeps with Lucrezia. I took away that greed can be a selfish fuel for people with a large desire for something.\r\n\r\nMachiavelli wrote a more serious piece of literature in 1513: <em>The Prince. </em>This piece expressed that the need for a strong state justified strong rule. The ruler must be cautious to whom to trust, be wise, ruthless, sustaining, and sacrificial, just to name a few qualities Machiavelli enforced (Fiero B3.39). In contrast with <em>The Mandrake, The Prince </em>was a political treatise and not a comedy at all. It was more serious and political views of Machiavelli were more obvious to the readers. <em>The Prince </em>was a favorite to many historical leaders, like Louis XIV, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Benito Mussolini. It is useful to all leaders because of the technical lessons taught (Laine).\r\n\r\nAlthough written in different styles, both pieces expressed Machiavellian beliefs on politics and society in one way or another, and both are still well known pieces of literature. <em> </em>\r\n\r\nThe fact that this comedy has alternate messages hidden within the plot is significant for future generations to know about. By simply reading a piece of literature and not searching for deeper meanings to apply to one’s own life, potential personal growth will be lost for generations to come. <em>The Mandrake</em> shows that all types of literature can have deeper themes, whether it is a comedy, poem, or novel, etc. It is important for generations to see how ideas expressed through writing can be comments on the way of life during the published time period. <em>The Mandrake</em> allows us to see views on the corruption of the church, society’s flawed morals, and other ideas. <em>The Mandrake</em> should be preserved so the themes of the piece can live on and be applied to future generations.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\nA., Dr. Mike. \"Summary of Machiavelli\'s La Mandragola.\" <em>Machiavelli</em>. Dr. Mike A., 2008. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://www.emachiavelli.com/Mandrasum.htm&gt;. I received a summary of the play and background information on the play.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B2.110-135. eBook. This is a humanities online textbook. I gathered information on Machiavelli, the Renaissance, and <em>The Prince</em> from this.\r\n\r\nInvictus, Sol. \"Everything2.\" <em>The Mandrake Root</em>. N.p., 11 Mar 2006. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://everything2.com/title/The+Mandrake+Root&gt;. I gathered information on the themes of the play and a summary of the play.\r\n\r\nLaine, Timo. \"Machiavelli on the Net.\" <em>timoroso.com</em>. Timo Laine, 26 Oct 2007. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://www.timoroso.com/philosophy/machiavelli/introduction#mandragola&gt;. I received a bit of information on the play itself and Machiavelli as an author.\r\n\r\nTeuber, Andreas. \"La Mandragola.\" <em>Niccolo (di Bernardo) Machiavelli</em>. N.p., 2010. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/machiavellibio.html#_lamandragola&gt;. I received information on how the play is perceived today and also information on Machiavelli.','Machiavelli\'s Mandrake','','publish','open','open','','machiavellis-mandrake','','','2011-04-07 14:41:21','2011-04-07 20:41:21','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=872',0,'post','',8),(874,30,'2011-04-06 21:33:23','2011-04-07 03:33:23','','machiavelli1','','inherit','open','open','','machiavelli1','','','2011-04-06 21:33:23','2011-04-07 03:33:23','',872,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/machiavelli1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(875,30,'2011-04-06 21:36:32','2011-04-07 03:36:32','','Mandrake','','inherit','open','open','','mandrake','','','2011-04-06 21:36:32','2011-04-07 03:36:32','',872,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Mandrake.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(873,30,'2011-04-06 21:30:30','2011-04-07 03:30:30','Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000181 EndHTML:0000004245 StartFragment:0000002373 EndFragment:0000004209 SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenniferreha/Desktop/RehaJennifer-%20TCP3\n\n<em>The</em><em>Mandrake Root (La Mandragola) </em>was written by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1518. Machiavelli’s <em>Mandrake</em> is a comedic play about a young man, Callimaco, who is attracted to a young woman, Lucrezia, who is married to an older lawyer by the name of Nicia (Laine). The play takes place over a 24-hour time span (A.). In the play, Callimaco, a Florentine living in Paris, intends to never return to Florence due to the political turmoil that took over the city. But, hearing the tales of the beauty of a certain Lucrezia, he returns to see this woman and instantly falls in love.  With the help of his manservant Siro and the conman Ligurio, they devise a plan. Ligurio and Siro tell Nicia that Callimaco is a doctor who is specialized in fertility issues. Callimaco says that Lucrezia must drink a mandrake root potion to increase her libido, but the first man she sleeps with will die. He tells Nicia and Lucrezia she must go into the streets and find a random guy to sleep with the first time after the potion. Callimaco schemes to disguise himself as the random “victim” and a priest, Brother Timoteo, is paid to help in the scheme. Everything goes according to plan, except Callimaco reveals his love to Lucrezia and she falls for him and wants him as her full time lover (Invictus). Some of the themes evident in this piece are people’s ambition to get what they want, criticism of the church, fraud, trickery, deception, and unclear areas or morality (A.). Preservation is important because the messages revealed in the comedy can be applied to life, no matter the time period.<!--more-->\n\nVersion:1.0 StartHTML:0000000181 EndHTML:0000012580 StartFragment:0000002373 EndFragment:0000012544 SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/jenniferreha/Desktop/RehaJennifer-%20TCP3\n\nAt the time of this publication, the Renaissance was in full force in Europe. Progress was seen as a process of improving the lot of the individual was a valued belief during this time. Classical humanism continued to spread from the heart of Italy to Western Europe (Fiero B3.21). Despite the plague’s negative effects, Italy continued to prosper in the profits from the Crusades. Religion wise, anticlericalism and intellectual skeptism was on the rise (Fiero B3.22). Christianity was beginning to emerge because it seemed to fit the secular beliefs and desires of the rising merchant class. Politically, the Italian city-states were not united and were independent of each other (Fiero B3.22). There were many civil wars between the city-states due to disagreements. Because many who fought were professional soldiers, or condottieri, who could be bought for their service, the papacy made no effort to unify the rivaling Italian city-states. Popes became involved in the fight for political power, and there were often alliances within city-states (Fiero B3.22). Some leaders of the church of Rome became known for self-indulgence and greed and some had mistresses, led attacks on other states, and lived in high levels of luxury (Fiero B3.38).\n\nThe Medici, or wealthy banking Florentine family, eventually gained leadership of the state. They ruled Florence for four generations because the local economic stability they brought (Fiero B3.22).\n\nThis piece is typical of its era because it expresses opinions on the political, religious, and other beliefs of the public at the time. It is theorized that Nicia represents the ineffective ruling class of Florence (Invictus). The priest in the play who is obsessed with making a profit obviously correlates to the greed of the medieval Catholic Church and pope hood. Lucrezia may represent Florence, or an object being desired, who becomes prey but goes along with it anyway due to lack of other options. This could reveal Machiavelli’s frustration with the city at the time (Invictus).\n\nThere were not many comedies produced during the time <em>The Mandrake</em> was published, so this was a refreshing play. More serious literature was being published during this time period. A hilarious play commenting on the flaws of human nature and self-centeredness was highly innovative (Teuber). It revealed the great lengths a person would go through in order to get what is desired. The ideas seen in the play could be applied to life at the time; it was a unique way for comment on society.\n\nThe <em>Mandrake Root</em> was greatly accepted during the time it was first performed. It was a huge sensation when it was first staged and one show had to be stopped after the fourth act due to the tremendous reception at the amphitheater (Invictus). It was popular for many years in Italy after it was released (Teuber). It was a hysterical piece that all ages could enjoy, while at the same time, the play could be applauded by the intellectuals who caught on to the hidden messages.\n\nToday, the play is still acknowledged for its allegorical meaning yet humorous plot. <em>The Mandrake</em> has even been the subject of a television movie in Romanian, Italian, and French productions (Invictus). Also, current stage versions have been performed recently (Invictus). If the play were not still popular, then it would not be as well known and reproduced as it is today. The themes of greed, desire, fraud, and trickery can be applied in life today, so although the original written script of the play may be lost, its plot and ideas live on.\n\nMy personal reaction to the work was one of laughter, happiness, and interest. Once I began reading the play, I could not help but become infatuated with the piece and had to keep reading to see the outcome. I could relate to Callimaco and found myself cheering for his deceitful plan to succeed. I found the idea of greed in the play specifically meaningful. Callimaco is greedy and takes advantage of his friends and Nicia’s stupidity to get his desired Lucrezia. The priest is greedy and takes money to cover for Callimaco as he sleeps with Lucrezia. I took away that greed can be a selfish fuel for people with a large desire for something.\n\nMachiavelli wrote a more serious piece of literature in 1513: <em>The Prince. </em>This piece expressed that the need for a strong state justified strong rule. The ruler must be cautious to whom to trust, be wise, ruthless, sustaining, and sacrificial, just to name a few qualities Machiavelli enforced (Fiero B3.39). In contrast with <em>The Mandrake, The Prince </em>was a political treatise and not a comedy at all. It was more serious and political views of Machiavelli were more obvious to the readers. <em>The Prince </em>was a favorite to many historical leaders, like Louis XIV, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Benito Mussolini. It is useful to all leaders because of the technical lessons taught (Laine).\n\nAlthough written in different styles, both pieces expressed Machiavellian beliefs on politics and society in one way or another, and both are still well known pieces of literature. <em> </em>\n\nThe fact that this comedy has alternate messages hidden within the plot is significant for future generations to know about. By simply reading a piece of literature and not searching for deeper meanings to apply to one’s own life, potential personal growth will be lost for generations to come. <em>The Mandrake</em> shows that all types of literature can have deeper themes, whether it is a comedy, poem, or novel, etc. It is important for generations to see how ideas expressed through writing can be comments on the way of life during the published time period. <em>The Mandrake</em> allows us to see views on the corruption of the church, society’s flawed morals, and other ideas. <em>The Mandrake</em> should be preserved so the themes of the piece can live on and be applied to future generations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWorks Cited\n\n&nbsp;\n\nA., Dr. Mike. \"Summary of Machiavelli\'s La Mandragola.\" <em>Machiavelli</em>. Dr. Mike A., 2008. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://www.emachiavelli.com/Mandrasum.htm&gt;. I received a summary of the play and background information on the play.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B2.110-135. eBook. This is a humanities online textbook. I gathered information on Machiavelli, the Renaissance, and <em>The Prince</em> from this.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nInvictus, Sol. \"Everything2.\" <em>The Mandrake Root</em>. N.p., 11 Mar 2006. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://everything2.com/title/The+Mandrake+Root&gt;. I gathered information on the themes of the play and a summary of the play.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLaine, Timo. \"Machiavelli on the Net.\" <em>timoroso.com</em>. Timo Laine, 26 Oct 2007. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://www.timoroso.com/philosophy/machiavelli/introduction#mandragola&gt;. I received a bit of information on the play itself and Machiavelli as an author.\n\nTeuber, Andreas. \"La Mandragola.\" <em>Niccolo (di Bernardo) Machiavelli</em>. N.p., 2010. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/machiavellibio.html#_lamandragola&gt;. I received information on how the play is perceived today and also information on Machiavelli.','Machiavelli\'s Mandrake','','inherit','open','open','','872-revision','','','2011-04-06 21:30:30','2011-04-07 03:30:30','',872,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=873',0,'revision','',0),(876,30,'2011-04-06 21:31:30','2011-04-07 03:31:30','<em>The </em><em>Mandrake Root (La Mandragola) </em>was written by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1518. Machiavelli’s <em>Mandrake</em> is a comedic play about a young man, Callimaco, who is attracted to a young woman, Lucrezia, who is married to an older lawyer by the name of Nicia (Laine). The play takes place over a 24-hour time span (A.). In the play, Callimaco, a Florentine living in Paris, intends to never return to Florence due to the political turmoil that took over the city. But, hearing the tales of the beauty of a certain Lucrezia, he returns to see this woman and instantly falls in love.  With the help of his manservant Siro and the conman Ligurio, they devise a plan. Ligurio and Siro tell Nicia that Callimaco is a doctor who is specialized in fertility issues. Callimaco says that Lucrezia must drink a mandrake root potion to increase her libido, but the first man she sleeps with will die. He tells Nicia and Lucrezia she must go into the streets and find a random guy to sleep with the first time after the potion. Callimaco schemes to disguise himself as the random “victim” and a priest, Brother Timoteo, is paid to help in the scheme. Everything goes according to plan, except Callimaco reveals his love to Lucrezia and she falls for him and wants him as her full time lover (Invictus). Some of the themes evident in this piece are people’s ambition to get what they want, criticism of the church, fraud, trickery, deception, and unclear areas or morality (A.). Preservation is important because the messages revealed in the comedy can be applied to life, no matter the time period.<!--more-->\n\nAt the time of this publication, the Renaissance was in full force in Europe. Progress was seen as a process of improving the lot of the individual was a valued belief during this time. Classical humanism continued to spread from the heart of Italy to Western Europe (Fiero B3.21). Despite the plague’s negative effects, Italy continued to prosper in the profits from the Crusades. Religion wise, anticlericalism and intellectual skeptism was on the rise (Fiero B3.22). Christianity was beginning to emerge because it seemed to fit the secular beliefs and desires of the rising merchant class. Politically, the Italian city-states were not united and were independent of each other (Fiero B3.22). There were many civil wars between the city-states due to disagreements. Because many who fought were professional soldiers, or condottieri, who could be bought for their service, the papacy made no effort to unify the rivaling Italian city-states. Popes became involved in the fight for political power, and there were often alliances within city-states (Fiero B3.22). Some leaders of the church of Rome became known for self-indulgence and greed and some had mistresses, led attacks on other states, and lived in high levels of luxury (Fiero B3.38).\n\nThe Medici, or wealthy banking Florentine family, eventually gained leadership of the state. They ruled Florence for four generations because the local economic stability they brought (Fiero B3.22).\n\nThis piece is typical of its era because it expresses opinions on the political, religious, and other beliefs of the public at the time. It is theorized that Nicia represents the ineffective ruling class of Florence (Invictus). The priest in the play who is obsessed with making a profit obviously correlates to the greed of the medieval Catholic Church and pope hood. Lucrezia may represent Florence, or an object being desired, who becomes prey but goes along with it anyway due to lack of other options. This could reveal Machiavelli’s frustration with the city at the time (Invictus).\n\nThere were not many comedies produced during the time <em>The Mandrake</em> was published, so this was a refreshing play. More serious literature was being published during this time period. A hilarious play commenting on the flaws of human nature and self-centeredness was highly innovative (Teuber). It revealed the great lengths a person would go through in order to get what is desired. The ideas seen in the play could be applied to life at the time; it was a unique way for comment on society.\n\nThe <em>Mandrake Root</em> was greatly accepted during the time it was first performed. It was a huge sensation when it was first staged and one show had to be stopped after the fourth act due to the tremendous reception at the amphitheater (Invictus). It was popular for many years in Italy after it was released (Teuber). It was a hysterical piece that all ages could enjoy, while at the same time, the play could be applauded by the intellectuals who caught on to the hidden messages.\n\nToday, the play is still acknowledged for its allegorical meaning yet humorous plot. <em>The Mandrake</em> has even been the subject of a television movie in Romanian, Italian, and French productions (Invictus). Also, current stage versions have been performed recently (Invictus). If the play were not still popular, then it would not be as well known and reproduced as it is today. The themes of greed, desire, fraud, and trickery can be applied in life today, so although the original written script of the play may be lost, its plot and ideas live on.\n\nMy personal reaction to the work was one of laughter, happiness, and interest. Once I began reading the play, I could not help but become infatuated with the piece and had to keep reading to see the outcome. I could relate to Callimaco and found myself cheering for his deceitful plan to succeed. I found the idea of greed in the play specifically meaningful. Callimaco is greedy and takes advantage of his friends and Nicia’s stupidity to get his desired Lucrezia. The priest is greedy and takes money to cover for Callimaco as he sleeps with Lucrezia. I took away that greed can be a selfish fuel for people with a large desire for something.\n\nMachiavelli wrote a more serious piece of literature in 1513: <em>The Prince. </em>This piece expressed that the need for a strong state justified strong rule. The ruler must be cautious to whom to trust, be wise, ruthless, sustaining, and sacrificial, just to name a few qualities Machiavelli enforced (Fiero B3.39). In contrast with <em>The Mandrake, The Prince </em>was a political treatise and not a comedy at all. It was more serious and political views of Machiavelli were more obvious to the readers. <em>The Prince </em>was a favorite to many historical leaders, like Louis XIV, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Benito Mussolini. It is useful to all leaders because of the technical lessons taught (Laine).\n\nAlthough written in different styles, both pieces expressed Machiavellian beliefs on politics and society in one way or another, and both are still well known pieces of literature. <em> </em>\n\nThe fact that this comedy has alternate messages hidden within the plot is significant for future generations to know about. By simply reading a piece of literature and not searching for deeper meanings to apply to one’s own life, potential personal growth will be lost for generations to come. <em>The Mandrake</em> shows that all types of literature can have deeper themes, whether it is a comedy, poem, or novel, etc. It is important for generations to see how ideas expressed through writing can be comments on the way of life during the published time period. <em>The Mandrake</em> allows us to see views on the corruption of the church, society’s flawed morals, and other ideas. <em>The Mandrake</em> should be preserved so the themes of the piece can live on and be applied to future generations.\n\nWorks Cited\n\nA., Dr. Mike. \"Summary of Machiavelli\'s La Mandragola.\" <em>Machiavelli</em>. Dr. Mike A., 2008. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://www.emachiavelli.com/Mandrasum.htm&gt;. I received a summary of the play and background information on the play.\n\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B2.110-135. eBook. This is a humanities online textbook. I gathered information on Machiavelli, the Renaissance, and <em>The Prince</em> from this.\n\nInvictus, Sol. \"Everything2.\" <em>The Mandrake Root</em>. N.p., 11 Mar 2006. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://everything2.com/title/The+Mandrake+Root&gt;. I gathered information on the themes of the play and a summary of the play.\n\nLaine, Timo. \"Machiavelli on the Net.\" <em>timoroso.com</em>. Timo Laine, 26 Oct 2007. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://www.timoroso.com/philosophy/machiavelli/introduction#mandragola&gt;. I received a bit of information on the play itself and Machiavelli as an author.\n\nTeuber, Andreas. \"La Mandragola.\" <em>Niccolo (di Bernardo) Machiavelli</em>. N.p., 2010. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/machiavellibio.html#_lamandragola&gt;. I received information on how the play is perceived today and also information on Machiavelli.','Machiavelli\'s Mandrake','','inherit','open','open','','872-revision-2','','','2011-04-06 21:31:30','2011-04-07 03:31:30','',872,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=876',0,'revision','',0),(1286,1,'2011-05-05 10:31:04','2011-05-05 16:31:04','<div><em><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"> </span></em></div>\r\n<em><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"> </span></em>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>\r\n</em></p>\r\n<em> </em>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Rumi-Meditation_new.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1263\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Rumi-Meditation_new.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"247\" /></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">RUMI\'S DIWAN-E SHAMS</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Rumi’s Diwan-e Shams (Jalaloddin Rumi) born on September 30, 1207 at Balkh in the north-eastern providence of Persia ( presence day Afghanistan ). Rumi’s has been regarded as one of the greatest spiritual masters and poetical intellects, in fact, there are several reasons on why Rumi’s poems were outstanding from his peers, while many other poets have a mystical vision of their poems and then try to express it in a understandable language, Rumi never attempted to bring his visions or poems to the level of the mundane, instead he has always expected, and demanded the reader to reach higher and higher in his or her own spiritual understanding, and then eventually be able to appreciate what he was truly saying. The most remarkable masterpiece created by Rumi’s was the Divan-e Shams a masterpiece of wisdom and eloquence. It is belief that Rumi had attained the level of a \"Perfect Master\" and as such, he dwelled in the spiritual realms that were rarely visited by others of this world, Moreover he attained heights that were attained by only a few before him or since. Based on the importance and mysterious poems from the masterpiece of Rumi’s (Diwan-e Shams) the scriptures should be preserved and past on from generation to generation to demonstrate the importance of god in mans life.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><!--more--></p>\r\nRumi’s life: At the age of 24 Rumi’s had fallowed the footsteps of his father, he distinguished scholar, as a teacher and preacher of religious sciences at the college in Konya, he was living a wealthy and respectful life but he was dissatisfy at that time. At the age of 37 he met a wandering dervish (a Muslim religious order) named Shamsuddin of Tabriz who saw in in rumi’s to much proud by the way of his scholar knowledge and authority. so as a result both rumi’s and Shamsuddin spend 90 days in a private retreat and both emerged themselves in to spiritual transformation, as consequence of this Rumi’s gave up everything that he had at that time and dedicated his life to a prolific outpouring of poetry he later named his collection the <em>Diwan-i Shams-i Tabriz-i</em> (The Works of Shams of Tabriz) in honor of Shamsuddin. In addiction, The <em>Diwan</em> consists of about 40,000 verses, arranged according to rhythm, and was written over a period of 30 years. Furthermore, some of the most remarkable poems he wrote were THE MAN OF GOD , EMPTY THE GLASS OF YOUR DESIRE and THE ONE TRUE LIFE. in almost all his poems he interpreted love in all its forms, rumi’s explores the immortal theme of love as passion. He sees passionate love as a selfless experience that enriches one\'s life. However, almost all of Rumi\'s love poems are ambiguous they can be interpreted as addressing both the earthly love that exists between two people and the higher love that exists between humans and god. in fact, he gave many examples on how a real man should behave. one of the most interesting poems that I personally enjoyed the most was EMPTY THE GLASS OF YOUR DESIRE:\r\n\r\n“Join yourself to friends\r\n\r\nand know the joy of the soul.\r\n\r\nEnter the neighborhood of ruin\r\n\r\nwith those who drink to the dregs.\r\n\r\nEmpty the glass of your desire\r\n\r\nso that you won\'t be disgraced.\r\n\r\nStop looking for something out there\r\n\r\nand begin seeing within.\r\n\r\nOpen your arms if you want an embrace.\r\n\r\nBreak the earthen idols and release the radiance.\r\n\r\nWhy get involved with a hag like this world?\r\n\r\nYou know what it will cost.\r\n\r\nAnd three pitiful meals a day\r\n\r\nis all that weapons and violence can earn.\r\n\r\nAt night when the Beloved comes\r\n\r\nwill you be nodding on opium?\r\n\r\nIf you close your mouth to food,\r\n\r\nyou can know a sweeter taste.\r\n\r\nOur Host is no tyrant. We gather in a circle.\r\n\r\nSit down with us beyond the wheel of time.\r\n\r\nHere is the deal: give one life\r\n\r\nand receive a hundred.\r\n\r\nStop growling like dogs,\r\n\r\nand know the shepherd\'s care.\r\n\r\nYou keep complaining about others\r\n\r\nand all they owe you?\r\n\r\nWell, forget about them;\r\n\r\njust be in His presence.\r\n\r\nWhen the earth is this wide,\r\n\r\nwhy are you asleep in a prison?\r\n\r\nThink of nothing but the source of thought.\r\n\r\nFeed the soul; let the body fast.\r\n\r\nAvoid knotted ideas;\r\n\r\nuntie yourself in a higher world.\r\n\r\nLimit your talk\r\n\r\nfor the sake of timeless communion.\r\n\r\nAbandon life and the world,\r\n\r\nand find the life of the world.”\r\n\r\n(fiero 6 e )\r\n\r\nThese poem seems to aimed the most important values of life, it gives a brief description on how humans should live. in fact, it said that we should abandon life in the world and discover the real world which it means that we should not pay to much attention to materialism and instead we should look for the spirit of god and discover the real world. there many important facts that contribute to the accomplishments of rumi’s, amount the most important are how he created his poems. “To achieve the sublime states described in Rumi\'s verse, the sufist <em>mevlevi</em> (whirling dervishes) developed a mental and physical frenzy during their sacred dance. The ecstatic gyration produced <em>fana</em> (euphorias) that, according to the poet, \"liberate the spirits from the body\'s trap and wipe the records clean\" (Rumi 2007, 41). The whirling generated a mystic release from time and space and a call to \"Behold the power of God in his composure!\" . “The rapid rotation of the trunk and limbs freed the mind of idol worship, rid the soul of guilt, and intoxicated the spirit with an epiphany of self-surrender. Enraptured with thoughts of God and universal love, the dancer became free of formal religious forms and the greed and power-mongering around them.”(Facts On File, Inc., 2009) Yet there is more. While many of the translations of Rumi’s poetry have tried to convey the immense wisdom contained therein, often they overlook the musical and artistic beauty that they contain but especially in Divan-e Shams, Rumi has created such level of beauty through the use and mastery of musical rhythm and rhyme, that the reader not only can appreciate its wisdom, but also reach levels of ecstasy and mystical energy that is seldom found in other poems or any translations of his poetry. Rumi’s poetry should be preserved in addition to the bible books to demonstrate the importance of god in mans life. To sum all up Rumi\'s poetry has influenced not only Islamic literature and civilization but also world literature, philosophy, and culture therefore it should be well preserve as one of the greatest poems and most influential literature of its time.\r\n<div><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span></div>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large;\"> </span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">REFERENCES</p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTHE HUMANISTIC TRADITION . 6 EDITION . GLORIA K FIERO\r\n\r\n<a href=\"mailto:S@ZBNet.com\">Shahriar Shahriari</a> 1998, Vancouver Canada, 1999 - 2005, Los Angeles, CA\r\n\r\nSnodgrass, Mary Ellen. \"Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi.\" <em>Encyclopedia of the Literature of Empire</em>. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&amp;SID=5&amp;iPin= ELOE212&amp;SingleRecord=True (accessed May 5, 2011).\r\n\r\nMolana Jalal-e-Din Mohammad Molavi Rumi. Shahrzad Rouzrok. http ://www.iranchamber.com/literature/jrumi/molana_rumi.php.<span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Thursday, May 05, 2011</span>\r\n\r\nShahriar Shahriari. Vancouver, Canada\r\n\r\nJuly 20, 1998\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Rumi-Meditation_new.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1263\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Rumi-Meditation_new.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"247\" /></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">RUMI\'S DIWAN-E SHAMS</p>','RUMI\'S DIWAN-E SHAMS ','','inherit','open','open','','1262-revision-5','','','2011-05-05 10:31:04','2011-05-05 16:31:04','',1262,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=1286',0,'revision','',0),(881,34,'2011-04-06 21:48:51','2011-04-07 03:48:51','Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580) was an architect in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. In 1570, Palladio published a book called, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture,</span> which portrays a setting of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His main focus of architecture was churches, palaces, and villas. Every structure built was immaculate and perfectly symmetrical.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nOne of his most famous architectural structures was the Villa Rotonda. This carefully constructed piece of architecture has “represented the Renaissance distillation of Classical principals as applied to secular architecture” (Fiero) and led to many different styles of that era. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture</span> sets a mood of motivation and inspiration for other aspiring architects to help explore their artistic ideas and personal interpretation. Palladianism was typical of its era due to other architects with similar visions and structures in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The structures he built were perfectly constructed buildings that portrayed classic Ancient Greek and Roman art. Many other artisans designed buildings of the same art. Palladio’s masterpieces are described as the most imitated architecture in the Western world. He was known to be one of the most influential architects during his era. His work was unusual at the time because he was not a natural painter or carver, yet his artistry portrayed in his work has impeccable detail. Palladio’s architecture was received as one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture of his time. His fame rose to the top due to his well-known building designs and his numerous publications. “His ideas and style spread throughout the Italian Renaissance, and extended to England and ultimately America” (Culpepper).\r\n\r\nPeople today see Palladio’s creative designs as inspiring. The Villa Rotonda, one of the most famous buildings, has people referring to it as “the most beautiful building in the world” (Darrow). The differences accounted for between reception then and today are the remarkable artistry skills he portrayed in his masterpieces in the 16<sup>th</sup> century with little to no training. Many years have passed and  there are new and more advanced architects that we have in today’s society, yet, there is still no one that can match up to his amazing creativity.  My personal reaction to Palladio’s work is that I find his architecture inspiring to all who sees it. His designs and architecture are all around incomparable. His accomplishments have inspired many people, as well as, the books he had published with his ideas and designs recorded. Palladio’s work is particularly meaningful due to the fact that in every masterpiece he has built, you can tell he had put deep thought and passion into every piece of architecture. The precision and accuracy depicted in all his artistry has invented Renaissance style, which has expanded throughout many parts of the world.\r\n\r\nPalladio’s artistry has many similarities to another Roman architect, named Leon Alberti. Alberti’s art consisted of paintings, sculptures, and creative architecture. He has written a “handbook for artists explaining the principals of linear perspective” (Department of European Paintings) which is similar to the book that Palladio had published. Although both men were architects, each of them had different views and reasons as to what architecture meant to them. Palladio’s work involved precision and perfection to all parts of his artistry. He studied the liberal arts and found that he was a natural in architecture. His advisors got him accustomed to the liberal arts and ended up appointing him to reconstruct their abodes. They brought him back to Rome to “study and measure ancient buildings” with them (Culpepper). Alberti’s work was more than just constructing buildings to him; “it was a way to create meaning” (Department of European Paintings). Palladio’s art was based on symmetry and equilibrium, as for Alberti, his art consisted of geometrical perspectives and ideological designs. Palladio’s artistry is most significant for future generations to know about because it inspires people and expands their views on designs, architecture, and Roman artistry.\r\n\r\nFuture generations need to be influenced by such unmitigated architecture considering it has inspired other and introduced them to different styles and cultures. Thus, having more auspicious architects willing to construct buildings that simulate Palladio’s architectural artistry to embellish today’s society.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf\">https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm\">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html\">http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html</a>\r\n\r\nDepartment of European Paintings. \"Architecture in Renaissance Italy\". In <em>Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History</em>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm (October 2002)\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanitic Tradition/ Gloria K Fiero- 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.','TompkinsAllie- Palladio\'s Four Books on Architecture-','','publish','open','open','','palladios-four-books-on-architecture','','','2011-04-07 14:40:37','2011-04-07 20:40:37','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=881',0,'post','',9),(882,34,'2011-04-06 21:48:40','2011-04-07 03:48:40',' \n\nAndrea Palladio (1508- 1580) was an architect in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. In 1570, Palladio published a book called, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture,</span> which portrays a setting of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His main focus of architecture was churches, palaces, and villas. Every structure built was immaculate and perfectly symmetrical.\n\nOne of his most famous architectural structures was the Villa Rotonda. This carefully constructed piece of architecture has “represented the Renaissance distillation of Classical principals as applied to secular architecture” (Fiero) and led to many different styles of that era. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture</span> sets a mood of motivation and inspiration for other aspiring architects to help explore their artistic ideas and personal interpretation. Palladianism was typical of its era due to other architects with similar visions and structures in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The structures he built were perfectly constructed buildings that portrayed classic Ancient Greek and Roman art. Many other artisans designed buildings of the same art. Palladio’s masterpieces are described as the most imitated architecture in the Western world. He was known to be one of the most influential architects during his era. His work was unusual at the time because he was not a natural painter or carver, yet his artistry portrayed in his work has impeccable detail. Palladio’s architecture was received as one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture of his time. His fame rose to the top due to his well-known building designs and his numerous publications. “His ideas and style spread throughout the Italian Renaissance, and extended to England and ultimately America” (Culpepper).\n\nPeople today see Palladio’s creative designs as inspiring. The Villa Rotonda, one of the most famous buildings, has people referring to it as “the most beautiful building in the world” (Darrow). The differences accounted for between reception then and today are the remarkable artistry skills he portrayed in his masterpieces in the 16<sup>th</sup> century with little to no training. Many years have passed and  there are new and more advanced architects that we have in today’s society, yet, there is still no one that can match up to his amazing creativity.  My personal reaction to Palladio’s work is that I find his architecture inspiring to all who sees it. His designs and architecture are all around incomparable. His accomplishments have inspired many people, as well as, the books he had published with his ideas and designs recorded. Palladio’s work is particularly meaningful due to the fact that in every masterpiece he has built, you can tell he had put deep thought and passion into every piece of architecture. The precision and accuracy depicted in all his artistry has invented Renaissance style, which has expanded throughout many parts of the world.\n\nPalladio’s artistry has many similarities to another Roman architect, named Leon Alberti. Alberti’s art consisted of paintings, sculptures, and creative architecture. He has written a “handbook for artists explaining the principals of linear perspective” (Department of European Paintings) which is similar to the book that Palladio had published. Although both men were architects, each of them had different views and reasons as to what architecture meant to them. Palladio’s work involved precision and perfection to all parts of his artistry. He studied the liberal arts and found that he was a natural in architecture. His advisors got him accustomed to the liberal arts and ended up appointing him to reconstruct their abodes. They brought him back to Rome to “study and measure ancient buildings” with them (Culpepper). Alberti’s work was more than just constructing buildings to him; “it was a way to create meaning” (Department of European Paintings). Palladio’s art was based on symmetry and equilibrium, as for Alberti, his art consisted of geometrical perspectives and ideological designs. Palladio’s artistry is most significant for future generations to know about because it inspires people and expands their views on designs, architecture, and Roman artistry.\n\n Future generations need to be influenced by such unmitigated architecture considering it has inspired other and introduced them to different styles and cultures. Thus, having more auspicious architects willing to construct buildings that simulate Palladio’s architectural artistry to embellish today’s society.\n\nWorks Cited\n\n<a href=\"https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf\">https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm\">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html\">http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html</a>\n\nDepartment of European Paintings. \"Architecture in Renaissance Italy\". In <em>Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History</em>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm (October 2002)\n\n\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanitic Tradition/ Gloria K Fiero- 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.','Palladio\'s Four Books on Architecture','','inherit','open','open','','881-revision','','','2011-04-06 21:48:40','2011-04-07 03:48:40','',881,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=882',0,'revision','',0),(883,34,'2011-04-06 21:48:45','2011-04-07 03:48:45','Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580) was an architect in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. In 1570, Palladio published a book called, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture,</span> which portrays a setting of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His main focus of architecture was churches, palaces, and villas. Every structure built was immaculate and perfectly symmetrical.\r\n\r\nOne of his most famous architectural structures was the Villa Rotonda. This carefully constructed piece of architecture has “represented the Renaissance distillation of Classical principals as applied to secular architecture” (Fiero) and led to many different styles of that era. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture</span> sets a mood of motivation and inspiration for other aspiring architects to help explore their artistic ideas and personal interpretation. Palladianism was typical of its era due to other architects with similar visions and structures in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The structures he built were perfectly constructed buildings that portrayed classic Ancient Greek and Roman art. Many other artisans designed buildings of the same art. Palladio’s masterpieces are described as the most imitated architecture in the Western world. He was known to be one of the most influential architects during his era. His work was unusual at the time because he was not a natural painter or carver, yet his artistry portrayed in his work has impeccable detail. Palladio’s architecture was received as one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture of his time. His fame rose to the top due to his well-known building designs and his numerous publications. “His ideas and style spread throughout the Italian Renaissance, and extended to England and ultimately America” (Culpepper).\r\n\r\nPeople today see Palladio’s creative designs as inspiring. The Villa Rotonda, one of the most famous buildings, has people referring to it as “the most beautiful building in the world” (Darrow). The differences accounted for between reception then and today are the remarkable artistry skills he portrayed in his masterpieces in the 16<sup>th</sup> century with little to no training. Many years have passed and  there are new and more advanced architects that we have in today’s society, yet, there is still no one that can match up to his amazing creativity.  My personal reaction to Palladio’s work is that I find his architecture inspiring to all who sees it. His designs and architecture are all around incomparable. His accomplishments have inspired many people, as well as, the books he had published with his ideas and designs recorded. Palladio’s work is particularly meaningful due to the fact that in every masterpiece he has built, you can tell he had put deep thought and passion into every piece of architecture. The precision and accuracy depicted in all his artistry has invented Renaissance style, which has expanded throughout many parts of the world.\r\n\r\nPalladio’s artistry has many similarities to another Roman architect, named Leon Alberti. Alberti’s art consisted of paintings, sculptures, and creative architecture. He has written a “handbook for artists explaining the principals of linear perspective” (Department of European Paintings) which is similar to the book that Palladio had published. Although both men were architects, each of them had different views and reasons as to what architecture meant to them. Palladio’s work involved precision and perfection to all parts of his artistry. He studied the liberal arts and found that he was a natural in architecture. His advisors got him accustomed to the liberal arts and ended up appointing him to reconstruct their abodes. They brought him back to Rome to “study and measure ancient buildings” with them (Culpepper). Alberti’s work was more than just constructing buildings to him; “it was a way to create meaning” (Department of European Paintings). Palladio’s art was based on symmetry and equilibrium, as for Alberti, his art consisted of geometrical perspectives and ideological designs. Palladio’s artistry is most significant for future generations to know about because it inspires people and expands their views on designs, architecture, and Roman artistry.\r\n\r\n Future generations need to be influenced by such unmitigated architecture considering it has inspired other and introduced them to different styles and cultures. Thus, having more auspicious architects willing to construct buildings that simulate Palladio’s architectural artistry to embellish today’s society.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf\">https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm\">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html\">http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html</a>\r\n\r\nDepartment of European Paintings. \"Architecture in Renaissance Italy\". In <em>Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History</em>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm (October 2002)\r\n\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanitic Tradition/ Gloria K Fiero- 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.','Palladio\'s Four Books on Architecture','','inherit','open','open','','881-revision-2','','','2011-04-06 21:48:45','2011-04-07 03:48:45','',881,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=883',0,'revision','',0),(884,34,'2011-04-06 21:48:51','2011-04-07 03:48:51','Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580) was an architect in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. In 1570, Palladio published a book called, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture,</span> which portrays a setting of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His main focus of architecture was churches, palaces, and villas. Every structure built was immaculate and perfectly symmetrical.\r\n\r\nOne of his most famous architectural structures was the Villa Rotonda. This carefully constructed piece of architecture has “represented the Renaissance distillation of Classical principals as applied to secular architecture” (Fiero) and led to many different styles of that era. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture</span> sets a mood of motivation and inspiration for other aspiring architects to help explore their artistic ideas and personal interpretation. Palladianism was typical of its era due to other architects with similar visions and structures in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The structures he built were perfectly constructed buildings that portrayed classic Ancient Greek and Roman art. Many other artisans designed buildings of the same art. Palladio’s masterpieces are described as the most imitated architecture in the Western world. He was known to be one of the most influential architects during his era. His work was unusual at the time because he was not a natural painter or carver, yet his artistry portrayed in his work has impeccable detail. Palladio’s architecture was received as one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture of his time. His fame rose to the top due to his well-known building designs and his numerous publications. “His ideas and style spread throughout the Italian Renaissance, and extended to England and ultimately America” (Culpepper).\r\n\r\nPeople today see Palladio’s creative designs as inspiring. The Villa Rotonda, one of the most famous buildings, has people referring to it as “the most beautiful building in the world” (Darrow). The differences accounted for between reception then and today are the remarkable artistry skills he portrayed in his masterpieces in the 16<sup>th</sup> century with little to no training. Many years have passed and  there are new and more advanced architects that we have in today’s society, yet, there is still no one that can match up to his amazing creativity.  My personal reaction to Palladio’s work is that I find his architecture inspiring to all who sees it. His designs and architecture are all around incomparable. His accomplishments have inspired many people, as well as, the books he had published with his ideas and designs recorded. Palladio’s work is particularly meaningful due to the fact that in every masterpiece he has built, you can tell he had put deep thought and passion into every piece of architecture. The precision and accuracy depicted in all his artistry has invented Renaissance style, which has expanded throughout many parts of the world.\r\n\r\nPalladio’s artistry has many similarities to another Roman architect, named Leon Alberti. Alberti’s art consisted of paintings, sculptures, and creative architecture. He has written a “handbook for artists explaining the principals of linear perspective” (Department of European Paintings) which is similar to the book that Palladio had published. Although both men were architects, each of them had different views and reasons as to what architecture meant to them. Palladio’s work involved precision and perfection to all parts of his artistry. He studied the liberal arts and found that he was a natural in architecture. His advisors got him accustomed to the liberal arts and ended up appointing him to reconstruct their abodes. They brought him back to Rome to “study and measure ancient buildings” with them (Culpepper). Alberti’s work was more than just constructing buildings to him; “it was a way to create meaning” (Department of European Paintings). Palladio’s art was based on symmetry and equilibrium, as for Alberti, his art consisted of geometrical perspectives and ideological designs. Palladio’s artistry is most significant for future generations to know about because it inspires people and expands their views on designs, architecture, and Roman artistry.\r\n\r\n Future generations need to be influenced by such unmitigated architecture considering it has inspired other and introduced them to different styles and cultures. Thus, having more auspicious architects willing to construct buildings that simulate Palladio’s architectural artistry to embellish today’s society.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf\">https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm\">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html\">http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html</a>\r\n\r\nDepartment of European Paintings. \"Architecture in Renaissance Italy\". In <em>Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History</em>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm (October 2002)\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanitic Tradition/ Gloria K Fiero- 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.','Palladio\'s Four Books on Architecture','','inherit','open','open','','881-revision-3','','','2011-04-06 21:48:51','2011-04-07 03:48:51','',881,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=884',0,'revision','',0),(885,34,'2011-04-06 21:49:08','2011-04-07 03:49:08','Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580) was an architect in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. In 1570, Palladio published a book called, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture,</span> which portrays a setting of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His main focus of architecture was churches, palaces, and villas. Every structure built was immaculate and perfectly symmetrical.\r\n\r\nOne of his most famous architectural structures was the Villa Rotonda. This carefully constructed piece of architecture has “represented the Renaissance distillation of Classical principals as applied to secular architecture” (Fiero) and led to many different styles of that era. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture</span> sets a mood of motivation and inspiration for other aspiring architects to help explore their artistic ideas and personal interpretation. Palladianism was typical of its era due to other architects with similar visions and structures in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The structures he built were perfectly constructed buildings that portrayed classic Ancient Greek and Roman art. Many other artisans designed buildings of the same art. Palladio’s masterpieces are described as the most imitated architecture in the Western world. He was known to be one of the most influential architects during his era. His work was unusual at the time because he was not a natural painter or carver, yet his artistry portrayed in his work has impeccable detail. Palladio’s architecture was received as one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture of his time. His fame rose to the top due to his well-known building designs and his numerous publications. “His ideas and style spread throughout the Italian Renaissance, and extended to England and ultimately America” (Culpepper).\r\n\r\nPeople today see Palladio’s creative designs as inspiring. The Villa Rotonda, one of the most famous buildings, has people referring to it as “the most beautiful building in the world” (Darrow). The differences accounted for between reception then and today are the remarkable artistry skills he portrayed in his masterpieces in the 16<sup>th</sup> century with little to no training. Many years have passed and  there are new and more advanced architects that we have in today’s society, yet, there is still no one that can match up to his amazing creativity.  My personal reaction to Palladio’s work is that I find his architecture inspiring to all who sees it. His designs and architecture are all around incomparable. His accomplishments have inspired many people, as well as, the books he had published with his ideas and designs recorded. Palladio’s work is particularly meaningful due to the fact that in every masterpiece he has built, you can tell he had put deep thought and passion into every piece of architecture. The precision and accuracy depicted in all his artistry has invented Renaissance style, which has expanded throughout many parts of the world.\r\n\r\nPalladio’s artistry has many similarities to another Roman architect, named Leon Alberti. Alberti’s art consisted of paintings, sculptures, and creative architecture. He has written a “handbook for artists explaining the principals of linear perspective” (Department of European Paintings) which is similar to the book that Palladio had published. Although both men were architects, each of them had different views and reasons as to what architecture meant to them. Palladio’s work involved precision and perfection to all parts of his artistry. He studied the liberal arts and found that he was a natural in architecture. His advisors got him accustomed to the liberal arts and ended up appointing him to reconstruct their abodes. They brought him back to Rome to “study and measure ancient buildings” with them (Culpepper). Alberti’s work was more than just constructing buildings to him; “it was a way to create meaning” (Department of European Paintings). Palladio’s art was based on symmetry and equilibrium, as for Alberti, his art consisted of geometrical perspectives and ideological designs. Palladio’s artistry is most significant for future generations to know about because it inspires people and expands their views on designs, architecture, and Roman artistry.\r\n\r\n Future generations need to be influenced by such unmitigated architecture considering it has inspired other and introduced them to different styles and cultures. Thus, having more auspicious architects willing to construct buildings that simulate Palladio’s architectural artistry to embellish today’s society.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf\">https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm\">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html\">http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html</a>\r\n\r\nDepartment of European Paintings. \"Architecture in Renaissance Italy\". In <em>Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History</em>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm (October 2002)\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanitic Tradition/ Gloria K Fiero- 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.','Palladio\'s Four Books on Architecture- Allie Tompkins','','inherit','open','open','','881-revision-4','','','2011-04-06 21:49:08','2011-04-07 03:49:08','',881,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=885',0,'revision','',0),(886,34,'2011-04-06 21:50:41','2011-04-07 03:50:41','Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580) was an architect in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. In 1570, Palladio published a book called, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture,</span> which portrays a setting of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His main focus of architecture was churches, palaces, and villas. Every structure built was immaculate and perfectly symmetrical.\n\nOne of his most famous architectural structures was the Villa Rotonda. This carefully constructed piece of architecture has “represented the Renaissance distillation of Classical principals as applied to secular architecture” (Fiero) and led to many different styles of that era. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture</span> sets a mood of motivation and inspiration for other aspiring architects to help explore their artistic ideas and personal interpretation. Palladianism was typical of its era due to other architects with similar visions and structures in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The structures he built were perfectly constructed buildings that portrayed classic Ancient Greek and Roman art. Many other artisans designed buildings of the same art. Palladio’s masterpieces are described as the most imitated architecture in the Western world. He was known to be one of the most influential architects during his era. His work was unusual at the time because he was not a natural painter or carver, yet his artistry portrayed in his work has impeccable detail. Palladio’s architecture was received as one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture of his time. His fame rose to the top due to his well-known building designs and his numerous publications. “His ideas and style spread throughout the Italian Renaissance, and extended to England and ultimately America” (Culpepper).\n\nPeople today see Palladio’s creative designs as inspiring. The Villa Rotonda, one of the most famous buildings, has people referring to it as “the most beautiful building in the world” (Darrow). The differences accounted for between reception then and today are the remarkable artistry skills he portrayed in his masterpieces in the 16<sup>th</sup> century with little to no training. Many years have passed and  there are new and more advanced architects that we have in today’s society, yet, there is still no one that can match up to his amazing creativity.  My personal reaction to Palladio’s work is that I find his architecture inspiring to all who sees it. His designs and architecture are all around incomparable. His accomplishments have inspired many people, as well as, the books he had published with his ideas and designs recorded. Palladio’s work is particularly meaningful due to the fact that in every masterpiece he has built, you can tell he had put deep thought and passion into every piece of architecture. The precision and accuracy depicted in all his artistry has invented Renaissance style, which has expanded throughout many parts of the world.\n\nPalladio’s artistry has many similarities to another Roman architect, named Leon Alberti. Alberti’s art consisted of paintings, sculptures, and creative architecture. He has written a “handbook for artists explaining the principals of linear perspective” (Department of European Paintings) which is similar to the book that Palladio had published. Although both men were architects, each of them had different views and reasons as to what architecture meant to them. Palladio’s work involved precision and perfection to all parts of his artistry. He studied the liberal arts and found that he was a natural in architecture. His advisors got him accustomed to the liberal arts and ended up appointing him to reconstruct their abodes. They brought him back to Rome to “study and measure ancient buildings” with them (Culpepper). Alberti’s work was more than just constructing buildings to him; “it was a way to create meaning” (Department of European Paintings). Palladio’s art was based on symmetry and equilibrium, as for Alberti, his art consisted of geometrical perspectives and ideological designs. Palladio’s artistry is most significant for future generations to know about because it inspires people and expands their views on designs, architecture, and Roman artistry.\n\n Future generations need to be influenced by such unmitigated architecture considering it has inspired other and introduced them to different styles and cultures. Thus, having more auspicious architects willing to construct buildings that simulate Palladio’s architectural artistry to embellish today’s society.\n\nWorks Cited\n\n<a href=\"https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf\">https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm\">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html\">http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html</a>\n\nDepartment of European Paintings. \"Architecture in Renaissance Italy\". In <em>Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History</em>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm (October 2002)\n\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanitic Tradition/ Gloria K Fiero- 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.','TompkinsAllie- Palladio\'s Four Books on Architecture-','','inherit','open','open','','881-autosave','','','2011-04-06 21:50:41','2011-04-07 03:50:41','',881,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=886',0,'revision','',0),(887,1,'2011-03-30 18:39:28','2011-03-31 00:39:28','class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-792\" /&gt;</a><p style=\"text-align: left\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-792 aligncenter\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/220px-Saint-Denis_-_Basilique_-2.jpg\" alt=\"center of the bacilica \" width=\"220\" height=\"298\" /></p>\r\nRebuilt and enlarged approximately four times from the 7th through 13th centuries, the Abbey church of Saint-Denis realized its unique status as pioneer in Gothic architecture under the innovative guidance of abbot Suger (1122-1151). These renovations of the obbey church between 1137-1144, form one of the most important architectures of the Middle Ages in providing a first-hand look at the transition from the Late Romanesque to Gothic architecture in France. <!--more-->Above the Romanesque crypt with its massive walls and semi-circular arches supported by low, thick columns, the new choir built under Suger\'s direction formed a double ambulatory with pointed arches and ribbed vaulting. This lighter, skeletal design permitted increased elevation and freed the walls from a primary load-bearing capacity, allowing extensive use of stained glass windows in a higher, more spacious, and light-filled interior. Sculptures on the church portals, meanwhile, developed into a level of figurative sophistication not seen since Late Antiquity. Art historians all agree that the church of St. Denis in France was the first place were gothic architecture was born. The basilica of ST. Denis became popular for different reasons one of the most important was the story of the cathedral and how it was build, according to the 9th century Carolingian legend, ST. Denis the first bishop of  Lutenia  (roman Paris ) was beheaded around AD 250 by Roman soldiers in Montmartre, but then walked away with his severed head in his hands beyond the center of Paris before dying. The legend said he was buried in a clandestine ceremony after his martyrdom near the roman town of Catalacus about 11 km north of Paris. In about A.D 475, ST. Denis was reburied in a Gallo-roman cemetery at the eventual site of the monastery named after his name. ST. Genevieve, patron of ST. Denis constructed the first church    in here to commemorate his name whose burial site begun to attract many pilgrims. The church of  ST. DENIS (France) should be preserved not just because of the incredible history inside its walls and structures, but because it was the burial place of French loyalty and one of the first churches that was created in gothic style.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The church    of ST. Denis has been recognized for many different reasons, amount the  most important was that ST. Denis church was one of the  first church that had the gothic structure. In fact, While Gothic cathedrals followed Saint-Denis in adopting a new look, their floor plan the Latin cross remained basically the same as that of the Romanesque church   .\r\nIn contrast to the Romanesque church   , with its well-defined cubic volumes and its simple geometric harmonies, the Gothic cathedral was an intricate web of stone, a dynamic network of open and closed spaces that evoked a sense of unbounded extension. Learned churchmen might glean from these images a profound symbolic message, while less educated Christians might see in them a history of their faith and a mirror of daily experience. Science and Technology 1122 Abbot Suger combines pointed arches and rib vaults in remodeling the abbey church of Saint-Denis. This trend accompanied a proliferation of religious imagery and architectural detail that turned some Late Gothic church facades into encyclopedias in stone. Increasingly, images of Mary and depictions of her life came to adorn church portals, stained glass windows, altarpieces, and illuminated manuscripts. Stained Glass Stained glass was to the Gothic cathedral what mosaics were to the Early Christian church: a source of religious edification, a medium of divine light, and a delight to the eye. Legend had it that Abbot Suger, the first churchman to exploit the aesthetic potential of stained glass, produced blue glass by grinding up sapphires story that, although untrue, reflects the popular equation of precious gems with sacred glass. Drawing on this mystical bond between Jesus and light, Suger identified the lux nova (“new light”) of the Gothic church as the symbolic equivalent of God and the windows as mediators of God\'s love. But for Suger, light especially as it passed through the stained glass windows of the church also signified the sublime knowledge that accompanied the progressive purification of the ascending human spirit, sustained his belief that contemplation of the “many-colored gems” of church glass could transport the Christian from “the slime of this earth” to “the purity of heaven. The light symbolism that Suger embraced was as distinctive to medieval sermons and treatises as it was to the everyday liturgy of the church. Modern critics have recognized the Gothic style as a sophisticated and majestic expression of the age of faith. But, reflecting a shift of intellectual life from the monastery to the town, the Gothic cathedral was also the administrative seat (cathedra) of a bishop, the site of ecclesiastical authority, and an educational center fount of theological doctrine and divine precept. The Gothic cathedral, was large enough to hold the entire population of a town, (was the municipal center of gravity.) meaning that it was the center of attraction.\r\nThe church of ST.DENIS became immensely famous for the history of the loyal French loyalty as well as the way they were preserved. For instance, the surviving sculptural fragments include three heads in the Musée national du Moyen Age (former Musée de Cluny) as well as several original heads of apostles and kings from the Last Judgment. These Old Testament figures not only represented early protagonists of Christendom, but also alluded to the divine right of the French rulers, following in the succession of biblical kings. For example, the head of a queen from the central portal, possibly the Queen of Sheba, shares stylistic parallels with a sculpture of Eve\'s head at Autun Cathedral in Burgundy, attributed to the sculptor Giselbertus. Both share the same deep boring of their pupils, and \'worm-like\' strands of hair, and can thus be dated to around 1135-1140. In contrast, the jamb figures of the north portal (ca. 1130-1135) resemble those found at the St. Etienne Cathedral in Toulouse, which have a similar posture with crossed legs, as well as decorative jeweled borders.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Fragments of two conjoined heads of the apostles and the two elders, now at the Louvre, reveal the Gothic concern for sculptural volume in the heavy treatment of the flesh and the typical feature of thick rimmed eyes. This portal also contains the original 12th century carvings of the Dove and the Lamb, as well as God and Christ.\r\nThe north doorway now contains a 19th century relief of the Martyrdom of St. Denis as well as a statue of the Virgin on the trumeau. Here St. Denis is portrayed in his final hours holding his decapitated head, near the original 12th century carvings of the signs of the Zodiac on the doorjambs. The south portal illustrates the Last Communion of St. Denis, with the original heads replaced in the 19th century. A sculpture of St. Denis, carved in a fully developed naturalistic style of the early 13th century, was once located on the gable.\r\nSaint-Denis held several cloisters, at least one of which contained an interesting variety of Gothic art. The main cloister, constructed sometime after Suger\'s death and destroyed ca. 1751, has yielded the only remaining intact column sculpture of a king from Saint-Denis. Now preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, this intricately carved figure parallels sculptures on the west façade at Chartres. For all the history and its amazing sculpture the church of ST. DENIS should be preserved to show future generations the importance of history and how Christianity had  been built. In addition, the church of ST DENIS should be considered as one of the most important churches in the world because it has been recognized to be where gothic structure was born.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Work cited</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Bony, J. 1983. French Gothic Architecture of the 12th and 13th centuries. Berkeley, Los\r\nAngeles, and London, University of California Press.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Williamson, P. 1995. Gothic Sculpture. New Haven and London, Yale University Press.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Charles, W. 1988. The Abbey Church of Saint-Denis: Birthplace of Gothic Art and Architecture  Vol.4 No.2 of Athena Review.  London, university of California Press.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The humanistic tradition vol. 1 Fiero 6e.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Michel. 1973. Histoire de l\'abbaye royale de Saint-Denys en France: Lettre-préf. de M. le Duc de Bauffremont. Introd. de Hervé Pinoteau. 1. [Nachdr. d. Ausg. Paris, 1706]. - 1973. - 524 S. Paris: Éd. du Palais Royal Félibien.</p>','CHURCH OF ST. DENIS FRANCE ','','inherit','open','open','','790-revision-11','','','2011-03-30 18:39:28','2011-03-31 00:39:28','',790,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=887',0,'revision','',0),(888,1,'2011-04-06 21:49:39','2011-04-07 03:49:39','Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580) was an architect in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. In 1570, Palladio published a book called, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture,</span> which portrays a setting of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His main focus of architecture was churches, palaces, and villas. Every structure built was immaculate and perfectly symmetrical.\r\n\r\nOne of his most famous architectural structures was the Villa Rotonda. This carefully constructed piece of architecture has “represented the Renaissance distillation of Classical principals as applied to secular architecture” (Fiero) and led to many different styles of that era. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Palladio’s Four Books on Architecture</span> sets a mood of motivation and inspiration for other aspiring architects to help explore their artistic ideas and personal interpretation. Palladianism was typical of its era due to other architects with similar visions and structures in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. The structures he built were perfectly constructed buildings that portrayed classic Ancient Greek and Roman art. Many other artisans designed buildings of the same art. Palladio’s masterpieces are described as the most imitated architecture in the Western world. He was known to be one of the most influential architects during his era. His work was unusual at the time because he was not a natural painter or carver, yet his artistry portrayed in his work has impeccable detail. Palladio’s architecture was received as one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture of his time. His fame rose to the top due to his well-known building designs and his numerous publications. “His ideas and style spread throughout the Italian Renaissance, and extended to England and ultimately America” (Culpepper).\r\n\r\nPeople today see Palladio’s creative designs as inspiring. The Villa Rotonda, one of the most famous buildings, has people referring to it as “the most beautiful building in the world” (Darrow). The differences accounted for between reception then and today are the remarkable artistry skills he portrayed in his masterpieces in the 16<sup>th</sup> century with little to no training. Many years have passed and  there are new and more advanced architects that we have in today’s society, yet, there is still no one that can match up to his amazing creativity.  My personal reaction to Palladio’s work is that I find his architecture inspiring to all who sees it. His designs and architecture are all around incomparable. His accomplishments have inspired many people, as well as, the books he had published with his ideas and designs recorded. Palladio’s work is particularly meaningful due to the fact that in every masterpiece he has built, you can tell he had put deep thought and passion into every piece of architecture. The precision and accuracy depicted in all his artistry has invented Renaissance style, which has expanded throughout many parts of the world.\r\n\r\nPalladio’s artistry has many similarities to another Roman architect, named Leon Alberti. Alberti’s art consisted of paintings, sculptures, and creative architecture. He has written a “handbook for artists explaining the principals of linear perspective” (Department of European Paintings) which is similar to the book that Palladio had published. Although both men were architects, each of them had different views and reasons as to what architecture meant to them. Palladio’s work involved precision and perfection to all parts of his artistry. He studied the liberal arts and found that he was a natural in architecture. His advisors got him accustomed to the liberal arts and ended up appointing him to reconstruct their abodes. They brought him back to Rome to “study and measure ancient buildings” with them (Culpepper). Alberti’s work was more than just constructing buildings to him; “it was a way to create meaning” (Department of European Paintings). Palladio’s art was based on symmetry and equilibrium, as for Alberti, his art consisted of geometrical perspectives and ideological designs. Palladio’s artistry is most significant for future generations to know about because it inspires people and expands their views on designs, architecture, and Roman artistry.\r\n\r\n Future generations need to be influenced by such unmitigated architecture considering it has inspired other and introduced them to different styles and cultures. Thus, having more auspicious architects willing to construct buildings that simulate Palladio’s architectural artistry to embellish today’s society.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf\">https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/32825/ExhibitOverview_FINAL.pdf</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm\">http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html\">http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/091123-beltramini.html</a>\r\n\r\nDepartment of European Paintings. \"Architecture in Renaissance Italy\". In <em>Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History</em>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm (October 2002)\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanitic Tradition/ Gloria K Fiero- 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.','TompkinsAllie- Palladio\'s Four Books on Architecture-','','inherit','open','open','','881-revision-5','','','2011-04-06 21:49:39','2011-04-07 03:49:39','',881,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=888',0,'revision','',0),(889,1,'2011-04-06 21:36:56','2011-04-07 03:36:56','<em>The </em><em>Mandrake Root (La Mandragola) </em>was written by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1518. Machiavelli’s <em>Mandrake</em> is a comedic play about a young man, Callimaco, who is attracted to a young woman, Lucrezia, who is married to an older lawyer by the name of Nicia (Laine). The play takes place over a 24-hour time span (A.). In the play, Callimaco, a Florentine living in Paris, intends to never return to Florence due to the political turmoil that took over the city. But, hearing the tales of the beauty of a certain Lucrezia, he returns to see this woman and instantly falls in love.  With the help of his manservant Siro and the conman Ligurio, they devise a plan. Ligurio and Siro tell Nicia that Callimaco is a doctor who is specialized in fertility issues. Callimaco says that Lucrezia must drink a mandrake root potion to increase her libido, but the first man she sleeps with will die. He tells Nicia and Lucrezia she must go into the streets and find a random guy to sleep with the first time after the potion. Callimaco schemes to disguise himself as the random “victim” and a priest, Brother Timoteo, is paid to help in the scheme. Everything goes according to plan, except Callimaco reveals his love to Lucrezia and she falls for him and wants him as her full time lover (Invictus). Some of the themes evident in this piece are people’s ambition to get what they want, criticism of the church, fraud, trickery, deception, and unclear areas or morality (A.). Preservation is important because the messages revealed in the comedy can be applied to life, no matter the time period.<!--more-->\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/machiavelli1.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-874\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/machiavelli1-270x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"270\" height=\"300\" /></a>http://madamepickwickartblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/machiavelli1.jpg</p>\r\nAt the time of this publication, the Renaissance was in full force in Europe. Progress was seen as a process of improving the lot of the individual was a valued belief during this time. Classical humanism continued to spread from the heart of Italy to Western Europe (Fiero B3.21). Despite the plague’s negative effects, Italy continued to prosper in the profits from the Crusades. Religion wise, anticlericalism and intellectual skeptism was on the rise (Fiero B3.22). Christianity was beginning to emerge because it seemed to fit the secular beliefs and desires of the rising merchant class. Politically, the Italian city-states were not united and were independent of each other (Fiero B3.22). There were many civil wars between the city-states due to disagreements. Because many who fought were professional soldiers, or condottieri, who could be bought for their service, the papacy made no effort to unify the rivaling Italian city-states. Popes became involved in the fight for political power, and there were often alliances within city-states (Fiero B3.22). Some leaders of the church of Rome became known for self-indulgence and greed and some had mistresses, led attacks on other states, and lived in high levels of luxury (Fiero B3.38).\r\n\r\nThe Medici, or wealthy banking Florentine family, eventually gained leadership of the state. They ruled Florence for four generations because the local economic stability they brought (Fiero B3.22).\r\n\r\nThis piece is typical of its era because it expresses opinions on the political, religious, and other beliefs of the public at the time. It is theorized that Nicia represents the ineffective ruling class of Florence (Invictus). The priest in the play who is obsessed with making a profit obviously correlates to the greed of the medieval Catholic Church and pope hood. Lucrezia may represent Florence, or an object being desired, who becomes prey but goes along with it anyway due to lack of other options. This could reveal Machiavelli’s frustration with the city at the time (Invictus).\r\n\r\nThere were not many comedies produced during the time <em>The Mandrake</em> was published, so this was a refreshing play. More serious literature was being published during this time period. A hilarious play commenting on the flaws of human nature and self-centeredness was highly innovative (Teuber). It revealed the great lengths a person would go through in order to get what is desired. The ideas seen in the play could be applied to life at the time; it was a unique way for comment on society.\r\n\r\nThe <em>Mandrake Root</em> was greatly accepted during the time it was first performed. It was a huge sensation when it was first staged and one show had to be stopped after the fourth act due to the tremendous reception at the amphitheater (Invictus). It was popular for many years in Italy after it was released (Teuber). It was a hysterical piece that all ages could enjoy, while at the same time, the play could be applauded by the intellectuals who caught on to the hidden messages.\r\n\r\nToday, the play is still acknowledged for its allegorical meaning yet humorous plot. <em>The Mandrake</em> has even been the subject of a television movie in Romanian, Italian, and French productions (Invictus). Also, current stage versions have been performed recently (Invictus). If the play were not still popular, then it would not be as well known and reproduced as it is today. The themes of greed, desire, fraud, and trickery can be applied in life today, so although the original written script of the play may be lost, its plot and ideas live on.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Mandrake.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-875\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Mandrake-179x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"179\" height=\"300\" /></a>http://heml.mta.ca/wiki/images/c/ce/Mandrake.jpg</p>\r\nMy personal reaction to the work was one of laughter, happiness, and interest. Once I began reading the play, I could not help but become infatuated with the piece and had to keep reading to see the outcome. I could relate to Callimaco and found myself cheering for his deceitful plan to succeed. I found the idea of greed in the play specifically meaningful. Callimaco is greedy and takes advantage of his friends and Nicia’s stupidity to get his desired Lucrezia. The priest is greedy and takes money to cover for Callimaco as he sleeps with Lucrezia. I took away that greed can be a selfish fuel for people with a large desire for something.\r\n\r\nMachiavelli wrote a more serious piece of literature in 1513: <em>The Prince. </em>This piece expressed that the need for a strong state justified strong rule. The ruler must be cautious to whom to trust, be wise, ruthless, sustaining, and sacrificial, just to name a few qualities Machiavelli enforced (Fiero B3.39). In contrast with <em>The Mandrake, The Prince </em>was a political treatise and not a comedy at all. It was more serious and political views of Machiavelli were more obvious to the readers. <em>The Prince </em>was a favorite to many historical leaders, like Louis XIV, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Benito Mussolini. It is useful to all leaders because of the technical lessons taught (Laine).\r\n\r\nAlthough written in different styles, both pieces expressed Machiavellian beliefs on politics and society in one way or another, and both are still well known pieces of literature. <em> </em>\r\n\r\nThe fact that this comedy has alternate messages hidden within the plot is significant for future generations to know about. By simply reading a piece of literature and not searching for deeper meanings to apply to one’s own life, potential personal growth will be lost for generations to come. <em>The Mandrake</em> shows that all types of literature can have deeper themes, whether it is a comedy, poem, or novel, etc. It is important for generations to see how ideas expressed through writing can be comments on the way of life during the published time period. <em>The Mandrake</em> allows us to see views on the corruption of the church, society’s flawed morals, and other ideas. <em>The Mandrake</em> should be preserved so the themes of the piece can live on and be applied to future generations.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\nA., Dr. Mike. \"Summary of Machiavelli\'s La Mandragola.\" <em>Machiavelli</em>. Dr. Mike A., 2008. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://www.emachiavelli.com/Mandrasum.htm&gt;. I received a summary of the play and background information on the play.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B2.110-135. eBook. This is a humanities online textbook. I gathered information on Machiavelli, the Renaissance, and <em>The Prince</em> from this.\r\n\r\nInvictus, Sol. \"Everything2.\" <em>The Mandrake Root</em>. N.p., 11 Mar 2006. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://everything2.com/title/The+Mandrake+Root&gt;. I gathered information on the themes of the play and a summary of the play.\r\n\r\nLaine, Timo. \"Machiavelli on the Net.\" <em>timoroso.com</em>. Timo Laine, 26 Oct 2007. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://www.timoroso.com/philosophy/machiavelli/introduction#mandragola&gt;. I received a bit of information on the play itself and Machiavelli as an author.\r\n\r\nTeuber, Andreas. \"La Mandragola.\" <em>Niccolo (di Bernardo) Machiavelli</em>. N.p., 2010. Web. 5 Apr 2011. &lt;http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/machiavellibio.html#_lamandragola&gt;. I received information on how the play is perceived today and also information on Machiavelli.','Machiavelli\'s Mandrake','','inherit','open','open','','872-revision-3','','','2011-04-06 21:36:56','2011-04-07 03:36:56','',872,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=889',0,'revision','',0),(894,7,'2011-04-10 15:17:43','2011-04-10 21:17:43','','Canterbury_Tales','Woodcut from William Caxton\'s second edition of the Canterbury Tales printed in 1483','inherit','open','open','','canterbury_tales','','','2011-04-10 15:17:43','2011-04-10 21:17:43','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(895,7,'2011-04-10 15:21:05','2011-04-10 21:21:05','','images','Portrait of Chaucer','inherit','open','open','','images-4','','','2011-04-10 15:21:05','2011-04-10 21:21:05','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/images.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(896,7,'2011-04-10 15:37:28','2011-04-10 21:37:28','','older Chaucer','Portrait of Chaucer','inherit','open','open','','older-chaucer','','','2011-04-10 15:37:28','2011-04-10 21:37:28','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(897,7,'2011-04-10 15:42:34','2011-04-10 21:42:34','','dante--article_image','','inherit','open','open','','dante-article_image','','','2011-04-10 15:42:34','2011-04-10 21:42:34','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/dante-article_image.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(898,7,'2011-04-10 15:43:06','2011-04-10 21:43:06','','danteborder','From Dante\'s Divine Comedy','inherit','open','open','','danteborder','','','2011-04-10 15:43:06','2011-04-10 21:43:06','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/danteborder.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(899,7,'2011-04-10 15:47:48','2011-04-10 21:47:48','Detail of a manuscript in Milan\'s Biblioteca Trivulziana (MS 1080), written in 1337 by Francesco di ser Nardo da Barberino, showing the beginning of Dante\'s Comedy. ','250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit','Detail of manuscript Dante\'s Comedy ','inherit','open','open','','250px-ms_trivulziano_1080_incipit','','','2011-04-10 15:47:48','2011-04-10 21:47:48','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(900,7,'2011-04-10 15:57:30','2011-04-10 21:57:30','','1226626964.415016.pjpeg','Manuscript page from The Canterbury Tales','inherit','open','open','','1226626964-415016-pjpeg','','','2011-04-10 15:57:30','2011-04-10 21:57:30','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(901,7,'2011-04-10 16:01:29','2011-04-10 22:01:29','','1226626964.415016.pjpeg','','inherit','open','open','','1226626964-415016-pjpeg-2','','','2011-04-10 16:01:29','2011-04-10 22:01:29','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(902,7,'2011-04-10 16:15:23','2011-04-10 22:15:23','[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a>[/caption]\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><em>The Canterbury Tales</em></strong><strong>, </strong><strong>Geoffrey Chaucer</strong></p>\nThe debate and speculations surrounding the meaning, content, sequential arrangement, language, and completeness continue to haunt Geoffrey Chaucer’s <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>, written between 1387 and 1400. It is a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Yet this enduring classic tale reflects the everyday life of the common man, an overview of the political and religious climate of the day, and a cultural equivalent of the advice, “Things are not always as they seem…” (Gāius).<!--more--><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_894\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Woodcut from William Caxton&#039;s second edition of the Canterbury Tales printed in 1483\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales.png\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-894\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales-300x256.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"256\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The host of the Tabard assumes the role of “master of ceremonies” and oversees the competition. There are twenty-four narratives divulged by the pilgrims in succinct, theatrical scenes. Chaucer included characters from various backgrounds: \"</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">knight, prioress, monk; merchant, man of law, Franklin, scholarly clerk; miller, reeve, pardoner; wife of Bath and many others<span>” (Geoffrey Chaucer). He also chose a broad range of literary genres: allegorical tale, racy fabliau or bawdy comedy told in verse, alchemical account, saint’s life, courtly romance, beast fable, medieval sermon and in some cases a mix of more than one of these styles. Chaucer presents significant and extraordinary short story examples, two expositions in prose, and a religious facet with a distinct secular bent vis-à-vis the worldly pleasure and/or vises against the spiritual aspirations. In each scene, an animated argument or debate act as a “link” and typically to include at least one of the fellow pilgrims and possibly even the master of ceremonies.<span> </span>Though considered incomplete, <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>remains a cohesive work and not simply an assortment of incomplete remnants. The synthesis of these tales in the multifaceted descriptions and stories of the pilgrims is evident in it’s the “structure, the sketches, the links, and the tales” (---GC).</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_896\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\" caption=\"Portrait of Chaucer\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-896\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"252\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n<span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">It was an unstable and chaotic time in English history that served as the backdrop for the period of history when this important work was penned and a time of technological advancements in the literary genre.<span> </span><em>The Canterbury Tales</em> are among the first works of English literature to mention the use of paper as a medium, which was a fairly new development and allowed for distribution on a broad scale.<span> </span>The Western Schism mired down the</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> Catholic Church in controversy at a time when Christian authority in Europe was already under heavy fire. The Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and various other conflicts marked the end of King Richard II reign and a desperate time for Chaucer as many of his close friends were executed. These complex and tumultuous political events forced Chaucer to move to Kent; further R. T. Lenaghan stated in his 1970 lecture, “The ‘General Prologue’ is often called a picture of its age and, frequently in the next breath, a satire,”<span> </span>though some scholars caution against “…confusing the distinction between literature and history…”(Lenaghan). <span> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In his 2007 thesis, Michael Erik Bigley argues the quality of a musical expression both in lyrical and narrative text in <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em> Noting Louise Fradenberg argument that <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> taken as a whole exemplifies the limits of ideology and even Chaucer’s consciousness of these ideological limitations” (Fradenburg).<span> </span>Bigley states that, “…instead of a vehicle for the expression of an ideology, the means by which an entire range of ideologies are exposed for ethical critique” (Bigley).</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">A striking contrast is evident between Chaucer’s “spicy yarn” in the Prologue description of the </span><span>Wife of Bath with the her comically bawdy portrayal and Chaucer’s </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">suggestion of Alison, the Miller’s wife, in the Millers Tale when compared to a work by Marie de France, </span><em><span>Equitan</span></em><span>, which contains a relatively mildly and tame descriptive, yet racy (for the time) account of the appearance of the heroine of the story, “…passing tender of body sweet of vesture,… with a fragrant mouth, and a dainty nose…”<span> </span>Marie de France, of the Norman English court gave an account that was appropriate and stereotypical of the time. Chaucer, though taking inspiration from his contemporaries, pushed the boundaries of acceptability and catered to a less formal audience (de France).</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Chaucer makes use of vibrant and colorful descriptions to introduce each pilgrim’s character in the form of a “General Prologue;” thereby, providing his reader detail never before used in literature.</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> are assumed to have been quite popular during the time it was written and after Chaucer’s death. <span> </span>Eighty-three known manuscripts of this work from the late medieval times to early Renaissance period represents a number far exceeding any other vernacular literary text, surpassed only by the 116 manuscripts of <em>The Prick of Conscience</em> collection of poems. Scholars agree that these numbers are a clear indication of the popularity of the<em> Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Countering Tatlock’s essay, George Loomis summarizes his own thoughts as follows, “I have adduced in this paper justify our rejecting any notion of Chaucer as either a sycophantic timeserver, who merely echoed the sentiments of his patrons and associates, or of a cheerful philosopher who looked upon the follies and struggles of mankind with an amused detachment” (Loomis).</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Dolores Warwick Frese discusses in <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading</em>, Chaucer efforts as having compiled an innovative and intricate relationship within the Canterbury Tales and asserts that this masterwork is Chaucer’s final literary effort (Frese).</span></p>\n\n<!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">The authors’ personal reaction to The Canterbury tales after researching and reading only <em>The Knights Tale</em> leaves me eager to read more and study the meanings or morals found within each tale. Reading the original vernacular copy of Chaucer’s creation is not advised; however, it is quite interesting to read a translated version and then reference the original. <span> </span>Chaucer’s use of irony and his inclusion of so many different forms of literature of the day, from <span>bawdy comedy told in verse to alchemical account; from saint’s life to courtly romance</span> as with The Knights Tale is also a very intriguing component of this work and seems to challenge me to read on. The most meaningful aspects of this work, in the authors’ humble opinion, are its enduring appeal and broad-based audience. Throughout the centuries, Chaucer has been studied, applauded, criticized, defended, praised, and finally honored with the designation as “the first finder of our language.” <span> </span><span>(--- GC).<span> </span></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Comparing Dante Alighiere’s epic poem <em>The Divine Comedy,</em> written between 1308 and 1321, and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written primarily in the poetic form with two tales in prose between </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">1387 and 1400, we find similarities and differences.<span> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_900\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Manuscript page from The Canterbury Tales\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-900\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nFor instance, contempt for the Church is one characteristic exhibited by both Chaucer and Dante in their respective works. Chaucer colored his religious characters as dishonest, shady, and immoral while Dante demonstrates his disdain by simply inserts assorted Popes and Church hierarchy in their appropriate place in Hell. We also see a similarity in the energy of each work. The images expressed in Dante’s <em>Divine Comedy</em> are those of which nightmares and converts are made. Chaucer is more compassionate toward his reader with his engaging, though sometimes provocative work. His use of irony, comedy, <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">and parody, estates satire, and romance provides a rich diverse piece of literature while, demonstrating that there is no “Everyman;” each soul is different and nothing is as it seems. </span>\n\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_899\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"198\" caption=\"Detail of manuscript Dante&#039;s Comedy \"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-899\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nDante describes the journey through Hell in stages, providing a <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">substance and importance to the journey itself while Chaucer pays little attention to the pilgrimage itself.</span>\n\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> Dante casts himself in the role of the narrator in the style of an epic poem with many supporting characters as aids in telling his tale. After metaphorically losing his way from the right path, Dante carries his journey into the depths of Hell, representing mankind or “Everyman” much as Christian in </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Bunyan’s <em>Pilgrim’s Progress.</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> <span> </span>Chaucer, on the other hand, makes use of various literary styles, “which range from moral tales and beast fables to <em>fabliaux</em> of the most risqué and bawdy sort,” using various </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">protagonists</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> from different walks of life and the unknown “naïve” as the story tellers (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">). </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Each of the tales in Chaucer’s work is delivered by a third-person; a person who seemingly has a keen awareness of the goings on within the story and the tale is told from that person’s perspective. In this way, Chaucer allows the reader not only the ability to know the actions of the characters but also to “hear” their thoughts. <span> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In the most ironic twist within <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>is that, after delivering twenty-three stories, Chaucer composes a retraction and begs forgiveness for his sins including having written <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><em> </em></span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<em><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a></em>[/caption]\n\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The absolute necessities for survival are food, water, air to breathe and shelter; therefore, it is understood that these things must already be present for the survival of those we hope will one day discover this time capsule. After these necessities, what is it that we find most valuable for our surviving decedents?<span> </span>Money, jewels, status, and power: none of these things are of importance without knowledge and understanding. <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> re</span><span>presents “a literary cross-section of late medieval society” and is as relevant today and in the future as it was in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span>) The characters type casted from different classes and ranks of late medieval society in these narratives were, nonetheless, individuals with their own shortcoming, strengths, </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">faults, and assets. Pluck a group of individuals from various professions, classes and/or socio-economic backgrounds from our world today or that world we hope will discover our time capsule, and the stories are dynamically the same as found in <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>. These works are vital for the future of our survivors as a not only a master work of literature but a work that carries with it a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Perhaps, the single thread weaving through the entire work is a quote from another great storyteller or fabulist, Phaedrus of Rome, offers that single thread weaving through all of The Canterbury Tales: “<span class=\"huge\">Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many”(---G</span>).<span> </span></span></p>\n<!--more-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span><span> </span></span></span></p>\n&nbsp;\n<div class=\"mcePaste\" style=\"width: 1px;height: 1px;overflow: hidden\"><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n</div>','','','inherit','open','open','','892-revision','','','2011-04-10 16:15:23','2011-04-10 22:15:23','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=902',0,'revision','',0),(907,7,'2011-04-10 16:22:04','2011-04-10 22:22:04','<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><em> </em></strong></p>\n<strong><em> </em></strong>\n\n<strong><em>\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-300x35.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"35\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n</em></strong>\n\n<strong><em> </em></strong>\n\n<strong><em> </em></strong><strong> </strong>\n\nThe debate and speculations surrounding the meaning, content, sequential arrangement, language, and completeness continue to haunt Geoffrey Chaucer’s <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>, written between 1387 and 1400. It is a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Yet this enduring classic tale reflects the everyday life of the common man, an overview of the political and religious climate of the day, and a cultural equivalent of the advice, “Things are not always as they seem…” (Gāius).<!--more--><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_894\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Woodcut from William Caxton&#039;s second edition of the Canterbury Tales printed in 1483\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales.png\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-894\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales-300x256.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"256\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The host of the Tabard assumes the role of “master of ceremonies” and oversees the competition. There are twenty-four narratives divulged by the pilgrims in succinct, theatrical scenes. Chaucer included characters from various backgrounds: \"</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">knight, prioress, monk; merchant, man of law, Franklin, scholarly clerk; miller, reeve, pardoner; wife of Bath and many others<span>” (Geoffrey Chaucer). He also chose a broad range of literary genres: allegorical tale, racy fabliau or bawdy comedy told in verse, alchemical account, saint’s life, courtly romance, beast fable, medieval sermon and in some cases a mix of more than one of these styles. Chaucer presents significant and extraordinary short story examples, two expositions in prose, and a religious facet with a distinct secular bent vis-à-vis the worldly pleasure and/or vises against the spiritual aspirations. In each scene, an animated argument or debate act as a “link” and typically to include at least one of the fellow pilgrims and possibly even the master of ceremonies.<span> </span>Though considered incomplete, <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>remains a cohesive work and not simply an assortment of incomplete remnants. The synthesis of these tales in the multifaceted descriptions and stories of the pilgrims is evident in it’s the “structure, the sketches, the links, and the tales” (---GC).</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_896\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\" caption=\"Portrait of Chaucer\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-896\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"252\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n<span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">It was an unstable and chaotic time in English history that served as the backdrop for the period of history when this important work was penned and a time of technological advancements in the literary genre.<span> </span><em>The Canterbury Tales</em> are among the first works of English literature to mention the use of paper as a medium, which was a fairly new development and allowed for distribution on a broad scale.<span> </span>The Western Schism mired down the</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> Catholic Church in controversy at a time when Christian authority in Europe was already under heavy fire. The Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and various other conflicts marked the end of King Richard II reign and a desperate time for Chaucer as many of his close friends were executed. These complex and tumultuous political events forced Chaucer to move to Kent; further R. T. Lenaghan stated in his 1970 lecture, “The ‘General Prologue’ is often called a picture of its age and, frequently in the next breath, a satire,”<span> </span>though some scholars caution against “…confusing the distinction between literature and history…”(Lenaghan). <span> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In his 2007 thesis, Michael Erik Bigley argues the quality of a musical expression both in lyrical and narrative text in <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em> Noting Louise Fradenberg argument that <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> taken as a whole exemplifies the limits of ideology and even Chaucer’s consciousness of these ideological limitations” (Fradenburg).<span> </span>Bigley states that, “…instead of a vehicle for the expression of an ideology, the means by which an entire range of ideologies are exposed for ethical critique” (Bigley).</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">A striking contrast is evident between Chaucer’s “spicy yarn” in the Prologue description of the </span><span>Wife of Bath with the her comically bawdy portrayal and Chaucer’s </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">suggestion of Alison, the Miller’s wife, in the Millers Tale when compared to a work by Marie de France, </span><em><span>Equitan</span></em><span>, which contains a relatively mildly and tame descriptive, yet racy (for the time) account of the appearance of the heroine of the story, “…passing tender of body sweet of vesture,… with a fragrant mouth, and a dainty nose…”<span> </span>Marie de France, of the Norman English court gave an account that was appropriate and stereotypical of the time. Chaucer, though taking inspiration from his contemporaries, pushed the boundaries of acceptability and catered to a less formal audience (de France).</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Chaucer makes use of vibrant and colorful descriptions to introduce each pilgrim’s character in the form of a “General Prologue;” thereby, providing his reader detail never before used in literature.</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> are assumed to have been quite popular during the time it was written and after Chaucer’s death. <span> </span>Eighty-three known manuscripts of this work from the late medieval times to early Renaissance period represents a number far exceeding any other vernacular literary text, surpassed only by the 116 manuscripts of <em>The Prick of Conscience</em> collection of poems. Scholars agree that these numbers are a clear indication of the popularity of the<em> Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Countering Tatlock’s essay, George Loomis summarizes his own thoughts as follows, “I have adduced in this paper justify our rejecting any notion of Chaucer as either a sycophantic timeserver, who merely echoed the sentiments of his patrons and associates, or of a cheerful philosopher who looked upon the follies and struggles of mankind with an amused detachment” (Loomis).</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Dolores Warwick Frese discusses in <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading</em>, Chaucer efforts as having compiled an innovative and intricate relationship within the Canterbury Tales and asserts that this masterwork is Chaucer’s final literary effort (Frese).</span></p>\n<!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">The authors’ personal reaction to The Canterbury tales after researching and reading only <em>The Knights Tale</em> leaves me eager to read more and study the meanings or morals found within each tale. Reading the original vernacular copy of Chaucer’s creation is not advised; however, it is quite interesting to read a translated version and then reference the original. <span> </span>Chaucer’s use of irony and his inclusion of so many different forms of literature of the day, from <span>bawdy comedy told in verse to alchemical account; from saint’s life to courtly romance</span> as with The Knights Tale is also a very intriguing component of this work and seems to challenge me to read on. The most meaningful aspects of this work, in the authors’ humble opinion, are its enduring appeal and broad-based audience. Throughout the centuries, Chaucer has been studied, applauded, criticized, defended, praised, and finally honored with the designation as “the first finder of our language.” <span> </span><span>(--- GC).<span> </span></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Comparing Dante Alighiere’s epic poem <em>The Divine Comedy,</em> written between 1308 and 1321, and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written primarily in the poetic form with two tales in prose between </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">1387 and 1400, we find similarities and differences.<span> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_900\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Manuscript page from The Canterbury Tales\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-900\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nFor instance, contempt for the Church is one characteristic exhibited by both Chaucer and Dante in their respective works. Chaucer colored his religious characters as dishonest, shady, and immoral while Dante demonstrates his disdain by simply inserts assorted Popes and Church hierarchy in their appropriate place in Hell. We also see a similarity in the energy of each work. The images expressed in Dante’s <em>Divine Comedy</em> are those of which nightmares and converts are made. Chaucer is more compassionate toward his reader with his engaging, though sometimes provocative work. His use of irony, comedy, <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">and parody, estates satire, and romance provides a rich diverse piece of literature while, demonstrating that there is no “Everyman;” each soul is different and nothing is as it seems. </span>\n\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_899\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"198\" caption=\"Detail of manuscript Dante&#039;s Comedy \"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-899\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nDante describes the journey through Hell in stages, providing a <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">substance and importance to the journey itself while Chaucer pays little attention to the pilgrimage itself.</span>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> Dante casts himself in the role of the narrator in the style of an epic poem with many supporting characters as aids in telling his tale. After metaphorically losing his way from the right path, Dante carries his journey into the depths of Hell, representing mankind or “Everyman” much as Christian in </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Bunyan’s <em>Pilgrim’s Progress.</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> <span> </span>Chaucer, on the other hand, makes use of various literary styles, “which range from moral tales and beast fables to <em>fabliaux</em> of the most risqué and bawdy sort,” using various </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">protagonists</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> from different walks of life and the unknown “naïve” as the story tellers (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">). </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Each of the tales in Chaucer’s work is delivered by a third-person; a person who seemingly has a keen awareness of the goings on within the story and the tale is told from that person’s perspective. In this way, Chaucer allows the reader not only the ability to know the actions of the characters but also to “hear” their thoughts. <span> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In the most ironic twist within <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>is that, after delivering twenty-three stories, Chaucer composes a retraction and begs forgiveness for his sins including having written <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><em> </em></span></p>\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The absolute necessities for survival are food, water, air to breathe and shelter; therefore, it is understood that these things must already be present for the survival of those we hope will one day discover this time capsule. After these necessities, what is it that we find most valuable for our surviving decedents?<span> </span>Money, jewels, status, and power: none of these things are of importance without knowledge and understanding. <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> re</span><span>presents “a literary cross-section of late medieval society” and is as relevant today and in the future as it was in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span>) The characters type casted from different classes and ranks of late medieval society in these narratives were, nonetheless, individuals with their own shortcoming, strengths, </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">faults, and assets. Pluck a group of individuals from various professions, classes and/or socio-economic backgrounds from our world today or that world we hope will discover our time capsule, and the stories are dynamically the same as found in <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>. These works are vital for the future of our survivors as a not only a master work of literature but a work that carries with it a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Perhaps, the single thread weaving through the entire work is a quote from another great storyteller or fabulist, Phaedrus of Rome, offers that single thread weaving through all of The Canterbury Tales: “<span class=\"huge\">Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many”(---G</span>).<span> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;text-align: center\"><!--more--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;text-align: center\"><span>Works Cited</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Gāius Iūlius.<span> </span><em>Phaedrus Biography - (c.15 bc–c.ad50)</em>. <a href=\"http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html</span></a></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Cooper, Helen. <a href=\"http://www.gradesaver.com/the-canterbury-tales/\"><em><span style=\"color: windowtext;text-decoration: none\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em></a><em>.</em> Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-19-871155-7</span></p>\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>Lenghan, “R.T. Chaucer’s General Prologue as History and Literature.” <em>Comparative Studies in Society and History.</em> Cambridge University Press, New York. 1970. Vol. 12, No. 1, January 1970. Pages 73-82.</span></p>\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>de France, Maria. <em>Equitan. </em>THE TEMPLE PRESS AT LETCHWORTH IN GREAT BRITAIN.<span> </span><span>Translated by Eugene Mason, 1911. </span>Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Bradley Norton and PG Distributed Proofreaders. March 3, 2004. <a href=\"http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm</span></a>. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Fradenburg, Louise. “The Manciple\'s Servant Tongue: Politics and Poetry in the</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.75in\"><span>Canterbury Tales.” <em>ELH Volume </em>52 No.1 The Johns Hopkins University Press. Spring, 1985. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Bigley, Michael Erik. <em>MUSICALITY, SUBJECTIVITY, AND THE <span>CANTERBURY TALES. </span></em>The University of Montana. Missoula, MT. May 2007. Pg. 80 </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Loomis, Roger S.<em> <span>Was Chaucer A Laodicean?</span> </em></span><em><span>CHAUCER CRITICISM - THE CANTERBURY TALES,<strong> </strong></span></em><em><span>An Anthology.</span></em><span> Edited by Richard J. Schoeck and Jerome Taylor. Notre Dame Books. </span><span>Notre Dame (South Bend), IN. <span> </span>1960. Pg 291</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Frese, Dolores Warwick. <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading. </em>Gainesville University Press of Florida. 1991</span></p>\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\n\n<div class=\"mcePaste\" style=\"width: 1px;height: 1px;overflow: hidden\"><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\n\n</div>','The Canterbury Tales','','inherit','open','open','','892-revision-6','','','2011-04-10 16:22:04','2011-04-10 22:22:04','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=907',0,'revision','',0),(906,7,'2011-04-10 16:19:30','2011-04-10 22:19:30','<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-300x35.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"35\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n</em></strong><strong></strong></p>\r\nThe debate and speculations surrounding the meaning, content, sequential arrangement, language, and completeness continue to haunt Geoffrey Chaucer’s <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>, written between 1387 and 1400. It is a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Yet this enduring classic tale reflects the everyday life of the common man, an overview of the political and religious climate of the day, and a cultural equivalent of the advice, “Things are not always as they seem…” (Gāius).<!--more--><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_894\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Woodcut from William Caxton&#039;s second edition of the Canterbury Tales printed in 1483\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales.png\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-894\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales-300x256.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"256\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The host of the Tabard assumes the role of “master of ceremonies” and oversees the competition. There are twenty-four narratives divulged by the pilgrims in succinct, theatrical scenes. Chaucer included characters from various backgrounds: \"</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">knight, prioress, monk; merchant, man of law, Franklin, scholarly clerk; miller, reeve, pardoner; wife of Bath and many others<span>” (Geoffrey Chaucer). He also chose a broad range of literary genres: allegorical tale, racy fabliau or bawdy comedy told in verse, alchemical account, saint’s life, courtly romance, beast fable, medieval sermon and in some cases a mix of more than one of these styles. Chaucer presents significant and extraordinary short story examples, two expositions in prose, and a religious facet with a distinct secular bent vis-à-vis the worldly pleasure and/or vises against the spiritual aspirations. In each scene, an animated argument or debate act as a “link” and typically to include at least one of the fellow pilgrims and possibly even the master of ceremonies.<span> </span>Though considered incomplete, <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>remains a cohesive work and not simply an assortment of incomplete remnants. The synthesis of these tales in the multifaceted descriptions and stories of the pilgrims is evident in it’s the “structure, the sketches, the links, and the tales” (---GC).</span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_896\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\" caption=\"Portrait of Chaucer\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-896\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"252\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">It was an unstable and chaotic time in English history that served as the backdrop for the period of history when this important work was penned and a time of technological advancements in the literary genre.<span> </span><em>The Canterbury Tales</em> are among the first works of English literature to mention the use of paper as a medium, which was a fairly new development and allowed for distribution on a broad scale.<span> </span>The Western Schism mired down the</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> Catholic Church in controversy at a time when Christian authority in Europe was already under heavy fire. The Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and various other conflicts marked the end of King Richard II reign and a desperate time for Chaucer as many of his close friends were executed. These complex and tumultuous political events forced Chaucer to move to Kent; further R. T. Lenaghan stated in his 1970 lecture, “The ‘General Prologue’ is often called a picture of its age and, frequently in the next breath, a satire,”<span> </span>though some scholars caution against “…confusing the distinction between literature and history…”(Lenaghan). <span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In his 2007 thesis, Michael Erik Bigley argues the quality of a musical expression both in lyrical and narrative text in <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em> Noting Louise Fradenberg argument that <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> taken as a whole exemplifies the limits of ideology and even Chaucer’s consciousness of these ideological limitations” (Fradenburg).<span> </span>Bigley states that, “…instead of a vehicle for the expression of an ideology, the means by which an entire range of ideologies are exposed for ethical critique” (Bigley).</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">A striking contrast is evident between Chaucer’s “spicy yarn” in the Prologue description of the </span><span>Wife of Bath with the her comically bawdy portrayal and Chaucer’s </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">suggestion of Alison, the Miller’s wife, in the Millers Tale when compared to a work by Marie de France, </span><em><span>Equitan</span></em><span>, which contains a relatively mildly and tame descriptive, yet racy (for the time) account of the appearance of the heroine of the story, “…passing tender of body sweet of vesture,… with a fragrant mouth, and a dainty nose…”<span> </span>Marie de France, of the Norman English court gave an account that was appropriate and stereotypical of the time. Chaucer, though taking inspiration from his contemporaries, pushed the boundaries of acceptability and catered to a less formal audience (de France).</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Chaucer makes use of vibrant and colorful descriptions to introduce each pilgrim’s character in the form of a “General Prologue;” thereby, providing his reader detail never before used in literature.</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> are assumed to have been quite popular during the time it was written and after Chaucer’s death. <span> </span>Eighty-three known manuscripts of this work from the late medieval times to early Renaissance period represents a number far exceeding any other vernacular literary text, surpassed only by the 116 manuscripts of <em>The Prick of Conscience</em> collection of poems. Scholars agree that these numbers are a clear indication of the popularity of the<em> Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Countering Tatlock’s essay, George Loomis summarizes his own thoughts as follows, “I have adduced in this paper justify our rejecting any notion of Chaucer as either a sycophantic timeserver, who merely echoed the sentiments of his patrons and associates, or of a cheerful philosopher who looked upon the follies and struggles of mankind with an amused detachment” (Loomis).</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Dolores Warwick Frese discusses in <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading</em>, Chaucer efforts as having compiled an innovative and intricate relationship within the Canterbury Tales and asserts that this masterwork is Chaucer’s final literary effort (Frese).</span></p>\r\n<!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">The authors’ personal reaction to The Canterbury tales after researching and reading only <em>The Knights Tale</em> leaves me eager to read more and study the meanings or morals found within each tale. Reading the original vernacular copy of Chaucer’s creation is not advised; however, it is quite interesting to read a translated version and then reference the original. <span> </span>Chaucer’s use of irony and his inclusion of so many different forms of literature of the day, from <span>bawdy comedy told in verse to alchemical account; from saint’s life to courtly romance</span> as with The Knights Tale is also a very intriguing component of this work and seems to challenge me to read on. The most meaningful aspects of this work, in the authors’ humble opinion, are its enduring appeal and broad-based audience. Throughout the centuries, Chaucer has been studied, applauded, criticized, defended, praised, and finally honored with the designation as “the first finder of our language.” <span> </span><span>(--- GC).<span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Comparing Dante Alighiere’s epic poem <em>The Divine Comedy,</em> written between 1308 and 1321, and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written primarily in the poetic form with two tales in prose between </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">1387 and 1400, we find similarities and differences.<span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_900\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Manuscript page from The Canterbury Tales\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-900\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nFor instance, contempt for the Church is one characteristic exhibited by both Chaucer and Dante in their respective works. Chaucer colored his religious characters as dishonest, shady, and immoral while Dante demonstrates his disdain by simply inserts assorted Popes and Church hierarchy in their appropriate place in Hell. We also see a similarity in the energy of each work. The images expressed in Dante’s <em>Divine Comedy</em> are those of which nightmares and converts are made. Chaucer is more compassionate toward his reader with his engaging, though sometimes provocative work. His use of irony, comedy, <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">and parody, estates satire, and romance provides a rich diverse piece of literature while, demonstrating that there is no “Everyman;” each soul is different and nothing is as it seems. </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_899\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"198\" caption=\"Detail of manuscript Dante&#039;s Comedy \"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-899\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nDante describes the journey through Hell in stages, providing a <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">substance and importance to the journey itself while Chaucer pays little attention to the pilgrimage itself.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> Dante casts himself in the role of the narrator in the style of an epic poem with many supporting characters as aids in telling his tale. After metaphorically losing his way from the right path, Dante carries his journey into the depths of Hell, representing mankind or “Everyman” much as Christian in </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Bunyan’s <em>Pilgrim’s Progress.</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> <span> </span>Chaucer, on the other hand, makes use of various literary styles, “which range from moral tales and beast fables to <em>fabliaux</em> of the most risqué and bawdy sort,” using various </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">protagonists</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> from different walks of life and the unknown “naïve” as the story tellers (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">). </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Each of the tales in Chaucer’s work is delivered by a third-person; a person who seemingly has a keen awareness of the goings on within the story and the tale is told from that person’s perspective. In this way, Chaucer allows the reader not only the ability to know the actions of the characters but also to “hear” their thoughts. <span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In the most ironic twist within <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>is that, after delivering twenty-three stories, Chaucer composes a retraction and begs forgiveness for his sins including having written <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><em> </em></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<em><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a></em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The absolute necessities for survival are food, water, air to breathe and shelter; therefore, it is understood that these things must already be present for the survival of those we hope will one day discover this time capsule. After these necessities, what is it that we find most valuable for our surviving decedents?<span> </span>Money, jewels, status, and power: none of these things are of importance without knowledge and understanding. <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> re</span><span>presents “a literary cross-section of late medieval society” and is as relevant today and in the future as it was in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span>) The characters type casted from different classes and ranks of late medieval society in these narratives were, nonetheless, individuals with their own shortcoming, strengths, </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">faults, and assets. Pluck a group of individuals from various professions, classes and/or socio-economic backgrounds from our world today or that world we hope will discover our time capsule, and the stories are dynamically the same as found in <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>. These works are vital for the future of our survivors as a not only a master work of literature but a work that carries with it a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Perhaps, the single thread weaving through the entire work is a quote from another great storyteller or fabulist, Phaedrus of Rome, offers that single thread weaving through all of The Canterbury Tales: “<span class=\"huge\">Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many”(---G</span>).<span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span><span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt;-->\r\n/* Style Definitions */\r\ntable.MsoNormalTable\r\n{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\r\nmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\r\nmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\r\nmso-style-noshow:yes;\r\nmso-style-priority:99;\r\nmso-style-qformat:yes;\r\nmso-style-parent:\"\";\r\nmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\r\nmso-para-margin-top:0in;\r\nmso-para-margin-right:0in;\r\nmso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;\r\nmso-para-margin-left:0in;\r\nline-height:115%;\r\nmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\r\nfont-size:11.0pt;\r\nfont-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\";\r\nmso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;\r\nmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\r\nmso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;\r\nmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\r\nmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\r\nmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;text-align: center\"><span>Works Cited</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Gāius Iūlius.<span> </span><em>Phaedrus Biography - (c.15 bc–c.ad50)</em>. <a href=\"http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html</span></a></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Cooper, Helen. <a href=\"http://www.gradesaver.com/the-canterbury-tales/\"><em><span style=\"color: windowtext;text-decoration: none\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em></a><em>.</em> Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-19-871155-7</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>Lenghan, “R.T. Chaucer’s General Prologue as History and Literature.” <em>Comparative Studies in Society and History.</em> Cambridge University Press, New York. 1970. Vol. 12, No. 1, January 1970. Pages 73-82.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>de France, Maria. <em>Equitan. </em>THE TEMPLE PRESS AT LETCHWORTH IN GREAT BRITAIN.<span> </span><span>Translated by Eugene Mason, 1911. </span>Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Bradley Norton and PG Distributed Proofreaders. March 3, 2004. <a href=\"http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Fradenburg, Louise. “The Manciple\'s Servant Tongue: Politics and Poetry in the</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.75in\"><span>Canterbury Tales.” <em>ELH Volume </em>52 No.1 The Johns Hopkins University Press. Spring, 1985. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Bigley, Michael Erik. <em>MUSICALITY, SUBJECTIVITY, AND THE <span>CANTERBURY TALES. </span></em>The University of Montana. Missoula, MT. May 2007. Pg. 80 </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Loomis, Roger S.<em> <span>Was Chaucer A Laodicean?</span> </em></span><em><span>CHAUCER CRITICISM - THE CANTERBURY TALES,<strong> </strong></span></em><em><span>An Anthology.</span></em><span> Edited by Richard J. Schoeck and Jerome Taylor. Notre Dame Books. </span><span>Notre Dame (South Bend), IN. <span> </span>1960. Pg 291</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Frese, Dolores Warwick. <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading. </em>Gainesville University Press of Florida. 1991</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"mcePaste\" style=\"width: 1px;height: 1px;overflow: hidden\"><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n</div>','The Canterbury Tales','','inherit','open','open','','892-revision-5','','','2011-04-10 16:19:30','2011-04-10 22:19:30','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=906',0,'revision','',0),(903,7,'2011-04-10 16:16:42','2011-04-10 22:16:42','[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><em>The Canterbury Tales</em></strong><strong>, </strong><strong>Geoffrey Chaucer</strong></p>\r\nThe debate and speculations surrounding the meaning, content, sequential arrangement, language, and completeness continue to haunt Geoffrey Chaucer’s <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>, written between 1387 and 1400. It is a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Yet this enduring classic tale reflects the everyday life of the common man, an overview of the political and religious climate of the day, and a cultural equivalent of the advice, “Things are not always as they seem…” (Gāius).<!--more--><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_894\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Woodcut from William Caxton&#039;s second edition of the Canterbury Tales printed in 1483\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales.png\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-894\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales-300x256.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"256\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The host of the Tabard assumes the role of “master of ceremonies” and oversees the competition. There are twenty-four narratives divulged by the pilgrims in succinct, theatrical scenes. Chaucer included characters from various backgrounds: \"</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">knight, prioress, monk; merchant, man of law, Franklin, scholarly clerk; miller, reeve, pardoner; wife of Bath and many others<span>” (Geoffrey Chaucer). He also chose a broad range of literary genres: allegorical tale, racy fabliau or bawdy comedy told in verse, alchemical account, saint’s life, courtly romance, beast fable, medieval sermon and in some cases a mix of more than one of these styles. Chaucer presents significant and extraordinary short story examples, two expositions in prose, and a religious facet with a distinct secular bent vis-à-vis the worldly pleasure and/or vises against the spiritual aspirations. In each scene, an animated argument or debate act as a “link” and typically to include at least one of the fellow pilgrims and possibly even the master of ceremonies.<span> </span>Though considered incomplete, <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>remains a cohesive work and not simply an assortment of incomplete remnants. The synthesis of these tales in the multifaceted descriptions and stories of the pilgrims is evident in it’s the “structure, the sketches, the links, and the tales” (---GC).</span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_896\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\" caption=\"Portrait of Chaucer\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-896\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"252\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">It was an unstable and chaotic time in English history that served as the backdrop for the period of history when this important work was penned and a time of technological advancements in the literary genre.<span> </span><em>The Canterbury Tales</em> are among the first works of English literature to mention the use of paper as a medium, which was a fairly new development and allowed for distribution on a broad scale.<span> </span>The Western Schism mired down the</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> Catholic Church in controversy at a time when Christian authority in Europe was already under heavy fire. The Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and various other conflicts marked the end of King Richard II reign and a desperate time for Chaucer as many of his close friends were executed. These complex and tumultuous political events forced Chaucer to move to Kent; further R. T. Lenaghan stated in his 1970 lecture, “The ‘General Prologue’ is often called a picture of its age and, frequently in the next breath, a satire,”<span> </span>though some scholars caution against “…confusing the distinction between literature and history…”(Lenaghan). <span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In his 2007 thesis, Michael Erik Bigley argues the quality of a musical expression both in lyrical and narrative text in <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em> Noting Louise Fradenberg argument that <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> taken as a whole exemplifies the limits of ideology and even Chaucer’s consciousness of these ideological limitations” (Fradenburg).<span> </span>Bigley states that, “…instead of a vehicle for the expression of an ideology, the means by which an entire range of ideologies are exposed for ethical critique” (Bigley).</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">A striking contrast is evident between Chaucer’s “spicy yarn” in the Prologue description of the </span><span>Wife of Bath with the her comically bawdy portrayal and Chaucer’s </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">suggestion of Alison, the Miller’s wife, in the Millers Tale when compared to a work by Marie de France, </span><em><span>Equitan</span></em><span>, which contains a relatively mildly and tame descriptive, yet racy (for the time) account of the appearance of the heroine of the story, “…passing tender of body sweet of vesture,… with a fragrant mouth, and a dainty nose…”<span> </span>Marie de France, of the Norman English court gave an account that was appropriate and stereotypical of the time. Chaucer, though taking inspiration from his contemporaries, pushed the boundaries of acceptability and catered to a less formal audience (de France).</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Chaucer makes use of vibrant and colorful descriptions to introduce each pilgrim’s character in the form of a “General Prologue;” thereby, providing his reader detail never before used in literature.</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> are assumed to have been quite popular during the time it was written and after Chaucer’s death. <span> </span>Eighty-three known manuscripts of this work from the late medieval times to early Renaissance period represents a number far exceeding any other vernacular literary text, surpassed only by the 116 manuscripts of <em>The Prick of Conscience</em> collection of poems. Scholars agree that these numbers are a clear indication of the popularity of the<em> Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Countering Tatlock’s essay, George Loomis summarizes his own thoughts as follows, “I have adduced in this paper justify our rejecting any notion of Chaucer as either a sycophantic timeserver, who merely echoed the sentiments of his patrons and associates, or of a cheerful philosopher who looked upon the follies and struggles of mankind with an amused detachment” (Loomis).</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Dolores Warwick Frese discusses in <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading</em>, Chaucer efforts as having compiled an innovative and intricate relationship within the Canterbury Tales and asserts that this masterwork is Chaucer’s final literary effort (Frese).</span></p>\r\n\r\n<!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">The authors’ personal reaction to The Canterbury tales after researching and reading only <em>The Knights Tale</em> leaves me eager to read more and study the meanings or morals found within each tale. Reading the original vernacular copy of Chaucer’s creation is not advised; however, it is quite interesting to read a translated version and then reference the original. <span> </span>Chaucer’s use of irony and his inclusion of so many different forms of literature of the day, from <span>bawdy comedy told in verse to alchemical account; from saint’s life to courtly romance</span> as with The Knights Tale is also a very intriguing component of this work and seems to challenge me to read on. The most meaningful aspects of this work, in the authors’ humble opinion, are its enduring appeal and broad-based audience. Throughout the centuries, Chaucer has been studied, applauded, criticized, defended, praised, and finally honored with the designation as “the first finder of our language.” <span> </span><span>(--- GC).<span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Comparing Dante Alighiere’s epic poem <em>The Divine Comedy,</em> written between 1308 and 1321, and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written primarily in the poetic form with two tales in prose between </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">1387 and 1400, we find similarities and differences.<span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_900\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Manuscript page from The Canterbury Tales\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-900\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nFor instance, contempt for the Church is one characteristic exhibited by both Chaucer and Dante in their respective works. Chaucer colored his religious characters as dishonest, shady, and immoral while Dante demonstrates his disdain by simply inserts assorted Popes and Church hierarchy in their appropriate place in Hell. We also see a similarity in the energy of each work. The images expressed in Dante’s <em>Divine Comedy</em> are those of which nightmares and converts are made. Chaucer is more compassionate toward his reader with his engaging, though sometimes provocative work. His use of irony, comedy, <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">and parody, estates satire, and romance provides a rich diverse piece of literature while, demonstrating that there is no “Everyman;” each soul is different and nothing is as it seems. </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_899\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"198\" caption=\"Detail of manuscript Dante&#039;s Comedy \"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-899\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nDante describes the journey through Hell in stages, providing a <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">substance and importance to the journey itself while Chaucer pays little attention to the pilgrimage itself.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> Dante casts himself in the role of the narrator in the style of an epic poem with many supporting characters as aids in telling his tale. After metaphorically losing his way from the right path, Dante carries his journey into the depths of Hell, representing mankind or “Everyman” much as Christian in </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Bunyan’s <em>Pilgrim’s Progress.</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> <span> </span>Chaucer, on the other hand, makes use of various literary styles, “which range from moral tales and beast fables to <em>fabliaux</em> of the most risqué and bawdy sort,” using various </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">protagonists</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> from different walks of life and the unknown “naïve” as the story tellers (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">). </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Each of the tales in Chaucer’s work is delivered by a third-person; a person who seemingly has a keen awareness of the goings on within the story and the tale is told from that person’s perspective. In this way, Chaucer allows the reader not only the ability to know the actions of the characters but also to “hear” their thoughts. <span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In the most ironic twist within <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>is that, after delivering twenty-three stories, Chaucer composes a retraction and begs forgiveness for his sins including having written <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><em> </em></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<em><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a></em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The absolute necessities for survival are food, water, air to breathe and shelter; therefore, it is understood that these things must already be present for the survival of those we hope will one day discover this time capsule. After these necessities, what is it that we find most valuable for our surviving decedents?<span> </span>Money, jewels, status, and power: none of these things are of importance without knowledge and understanding. <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> re</span><span>presents “a literary cross-section of late medieval society” and is as relevant today and in the future as it was in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span>) The characters type casted from different classes and ranks of late medieval society in these narratives were, nonetheless, individuals with their own shortcoming, strengths, </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">faults, and assets. Pluck a group of individuals from various professions, classes and/or socio-economic backgrounds from our world today or that world we hope will discover our time capsule, and the stories are dynamically the same as found in <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>. These works are vital for the future of our survivors as a not only a master work of literature but a work that carries with it a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Perhaps, the single thread weaving through the entire work is a quote from another great storyteller or fabulist, Phaedrus of Rome, offers that single thread weaving through all of The Canterbury Tales: “<span class=\"huge\">Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many”(---G</span>).<span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n</span></span></p>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span><span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt;--> \r\n /* Style Definitions */\r\n table.MsoNormalTable\r\n	{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\r\n	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\r\n	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\r\n	mso-style-noshow:yes;\r\n	mso-style-priority:99;\r\n	mso-style-qformat:yes;\r\n	mso-style-parent:\"\";\r\n	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\r\n	mso-para-margin-top:0in;\r\n	mso-para-margin-right:0in;\r\n	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;\r\n	mso-para-margin-left:0in;\r\n	line-height:115%;\r\n	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;\r\n	font-size:11.0pt;\r\n	font-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\";\r\n	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;\r\n	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\r\n	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;\r\n	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\r\n	mso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\r\n	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}\r\n \r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;text-align: center\"><span>Works Cited</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Gāius Iūlius.<span> </span><em>Phaedrus Biography - (c.15 bc–c.ad50)</em>. <a href=\"http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html</span></a></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Cooper, Helen. <a href=\"http://www.gradesaver.com/the-canterbury-tales/\"><em><span style=\"color: windowtext;text-decoration: none\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em></a><em>.</em> Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-19-871155-7</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>Lenghan, “R.T. Chaucer’s General Prologue as History and Literature.” <em>Comparative Studies in Society and History.</em> Cambridge University Press, New York. 1970. Vol. 12, No. 1, January 1970. Pages 73-82.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>de France, Maria. <em>Equitan. </em>THE TEMPLE PRESS AT LETCHWORTH IN GREAT BRITAIN.<span> </span><span>Translated by Eugene Mason, 1911. </span>Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Bradley Norton and PG Distributed Proofreaders. March 3, 2004. <a href=\"http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Fradenburg, Louise. “The Manciple\'s Servant Tongue: Politics and Poetry in the</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.75in\"><span>Canterbury Tales.” <em>ELH Volume </em>52 No.1 The Johns Hopkins University Press. Spring, 1985. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Bigley, Michael Erik. <em>MUSICALITY, SUBJECTIVITY, AND THE <span>CANTERBURY TALES. </span></em>The University of Montana. Missoula, MT. May 2007. Pg. 80 </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Loomis, Roger S.<em> <span>Was Chaucer A Laodicean?</span> </em></span><em><span>CHAUCER CRITICISM - THE CANTERBURY TALES,<strong> </strong></span></em><em><span>An Anthology.</span></em><span> Edited by Richard J. Schoeck and Jerome Taylor. Notre Dame Books. </span><span>Notre Dame (South Bend), IN. <span> </span>1960. Pg 291</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Frese, Dolores Warwick. <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading. </em>Gainesville University Press of Florida. 1991</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"mcePaste\" style=\"width: 1px;height: 1px;overflow: hidden\"><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n</div>','','','inherit','open','open','','892-revision-2','','','2011-04-10 16:16:42','2011-04-10 22:16:42','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=903',0,'revision','',0),(904,7,'2011-04-10 16:17:01','2011-04-10 22:17:01','[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><em>The Canterbury Tales</em></strong><strong>, </strong><strong>Geoffrey Chaucer</strong></p>\r\nThe debate and speculations surrounding the meaning, content, sequential arrangement, language, and completeness continue to haunt Geoffrey Chaucer’s <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>, written between 1387 and 1400. It is a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Yet this enduring classic tale reflects the everyday life of the common man, an overview of the political and religious climate of the day, and a cultural equivalent of the advice, “Things are not always as they seem…” (Gāius).<!--more--><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_894\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Woodcut from William Caxton&#039;s second edition of the Canterbury Tales printed in 1483\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales.png\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-894\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales-300x256.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"256\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The host of the Tabard assumes the role of “master of ceremonies” and oversees the competition. There are twenty-four narratives divulged by the pilgrims in succinct, theatrical scenes. Chaucer included characters from various backgrounds: \"</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">knight, prioress, monk; merchant, man of law, Franklin, scholarly clerk; miller, reeve, pardoner; wife of Bath and many others<span>” (Geoffrey Chaucer). He also chose a broad range of literary genres: allegorical tale, racy fabliau or bawdy comedy told in verse, alchemical account, saint’s life, courtly romance, beast fable, medieval sermon and in some cases a mix of more than one of these styles. Chaucer presents significant and extraordinary short story examples, two expositions in prose, and a religious facet with a distinct secular bent vis-à-vis the worldly pleasure and/or vises against the spiritual aspirations. In each scene, an animated argument or debate act as a “link” and typically to include at least one of the fellow pilgrims and possibly even the master of ceremonies.<span> </span>Though considered incomplete, <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>remains a cohesive work and not simply an assortment of incomplete remnants. The synthesis of these tales in the multifaceted descriptions and stories of the pilgrims is evident in it’s the “structure, the sketches, the links, and the tales” (---GC).</span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_896\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\" caption=\"Portrait of Chaucer\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-896\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"252\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">It was an unstable and chaotic time in English history that served as the backdrop for the period of history when this important work was penned and a time of technological advancements in the literary genre.<span> </span><em>The Canterbury Tales</em> are among the first works of English literature to mention the use of paper as a medium, which was a fairly new development and allowed for distribution on a broad scale.<span> </span>The Western Schism mired down the</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> Catholic Church in controversy at a time when Christian authority in Europe was already under heavy fire. The Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and various other conflicts marked the end of King Richard II reign and a desperate time for Chaucer as many of his close friends were executed. These complex and tumultuous political events forced Chaucer to move to Kent; further R. T. Lenaghan stated in his 1970 lecture, “The ‘General Prologue’ is often called a picture of its age and, frequently in the next breath, a satire,”<span> </span>though some scholars caution against “…confusing the distinction between literature and history…”(Lenaghan). <span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In his 2007 thesis, Michael Erik Bigley argues the quality of a musical expression both in lyrical and narrative text in <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em> Noting Louise Fradenberg argument that <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> taken as a whole exemplifies the limits of ideology and even Chaucer’s consciousness of these ideological limitations” (Fradenburg).<span> </span>Bigley states that, “…instead of a vehicle for the expression of an ideology, the means by which an entire range of ideologies are exposed for ethical critique” (Bigley).</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">A striking contrast is evident between Chaucer’s “spicy yarn” in the Prologue description of the </span><span>Wife of Bath with the her comically bawdy portrayal and Chaucer’s </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">suggestion of Alison, the Miller’s wife, in the Millers Tale when compared to a work by Marie de France, </span><em><span>Equitan</span></em><span>, which contains a relatively mildly and tame descriptive, yet racy (for the time) account of the appearance of the heroine of the story, “…passing tender of body sweet of vesture,… with a fragrant mouth, and a dainty nose…”<span> </span>Marie de France, of the Norman English court gave an account that was appropriate and stereotypical of the time. Chaucer, though taking inspiration from his contemporaries, pushed the boundaries of acceptability and catered to a less formal audience (de France).</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Chaucer makes use of vibrant and colorful descriptions to introduce each pilgrim’s character in the form of a “General Prologue;” thereby, providing his reader detail never before used in literature.</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> are assumed to have been quite popular during the time it was written and after Chaucer’s death. <span> </span>Eighty-three known manuscripts of this work from the late medieval times to early Renaissance period represents a number far exceeding any other vernacular literary text, surpassed only by the 116 manuscripts of <em>The Prick of Conscience</em> collection of poems. Scholars agree that these numbers are a clear indication of the popularity of the<em> Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Countering Tatlock’s essay, George Loomis summarizes his own thoughts as follows, “I have adduced in this paper justify our rejecting any notion of Chaucer as either a sycophantic timeserver, who merely echoed the sentiments of his patrons and associates, or of a cheerful philosopher who looked upon the follies and struggles of mankind with an amused detachment” (Loomis).</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Dolores Warwick Frese discusses in <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading</em>, Chaucer efforts as having compiled an innovative and intricate relationship within the Canterbury Tales and asserts that this masterwork is Chaucer’s final literary effort (Frese).</span></p>\r\n<!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">The authors’ personal reaction to The Canterbury tales after researching and reading only <em>The Knights Tale</em> leaves me eager to read more and study the meanings or morals found within each tale. Reading the original vernacular copy of Chaucer’s creation is not advised; however, it is quite interesting to read a translated version and then reference the original. <span> </span>Chaucer’s use of irony and his inclusion of so many different forms of literature of the day, from <span>bawdy comedy told in verse to alchemical account; from saint’s life to courtly romance</span> as with The Knights Tale is also a very intriguing component of this work and seems to challenge me to read on. The most meaningful aspects of this work, in the authors’ humble opinion, are its enduring appeal and broad-based audience. Throughout the centuries, Chaucer has been studied, applauded, criticized, defended, praised, and finally honored with the designation as “the first finder of our language.” <span> </span><span>(--- GC).<span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Comparing Dante Alighiere’s epic poem <em>The Divine Comedy,</em> written between 1308 and 1321, and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written primarily in the poetic form with two tales in prose between </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">1387 and 1400, we find similarities and differences.<span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_900\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Manuscript page from The Canterbury Tales\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-900\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nFor instance, contempt for the Church is one characteristic exhibited by both Chaucer and Dante in their respective works. Chaucer colored his religious characters as dishonest, shady, and immoral while Dante demonstrates his disdain by simply inserts assorted Popes and Church hierarchy in their appropriate place in Hell. We also see a similarity in the energy of each work. The images expressed in Dante’s <em>Divine Comedy</em> are those of which nightmares and converts are made. Chaucer is more compassionate toward his reader with his engaging, though sometimes provocative work. His use of irony, comedy, <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">and parody, estates satire, and romance provides a rich diverse piece of literature while, demonstrating that there is no “Everyman;” each soul is different and nothing is as it seems. </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_899\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"198\" caption=\"Detail of manuscript Dante&#039;s Comedy \"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-899\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nDante describes the journey through Hell in stages, providing a <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">substance and importance to the journey itself while Chaucer pays little attention to the pilgrimage itself.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> Dante casts himself in the role of the narrator in the style of an epic poem with many supporting characters as aids in telling his tale. After metaphorically losing his way from the right path, Dante carries his journey into the depths of Hell, representing mankind or “Everyman” much as Christian in </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Bunyan’s <em>Pilgrim’s Progress.</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> <span> </span>Chaucer, on the other hand, makes use of various literary styles, “which range from moral tales and beast fables to <em>fabliaux</em> of the most risqué and bawdy sort,” using various </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">protagonists</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> from different walks of life and the unknown “naïve” as the story tellers (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">). </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Each of the tales in Chaucer’s work is delivered by a third-person; a person who seemingly has a keen awareness of the goings on within the story and the tale is told from that person’s perspective. In this way, Chaucer allows the reader not only the ability to know the actions of the characters but also to “hear” their thoughts. <span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In the most ironic twist within <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>is that, after delivering twenty-three stories, Chaucer composes a retraction and begs forgiveness for his sins including having written <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><em> </em></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<em><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a></em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The absolute necessities for survival are food, water, air to breathe and shelter; therefore, it is understood that these things must already be present for the survival of those we hope will one day discover this time capsule. After these necessities, what is it that we find most valuable for our surviving decedents?<span> </span>Money, jewels, status, and power: none of these things are of importance without knowledge and understanding. <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> re</span><span>presents “a literary cross-section of late medieval society” and is as relevant today and in the future as it was in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span>) The characters type casted from different classes and ranks of late medieval society in these narratives were, nonetheless, individuals with their own shortcoming, strengths, </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">faults, and assets. Pluck a group of individuals from various professions, classes and/or socio-economic backgrounds from our world today or that world we hope will discover our time capsule, and the stories are dynamically the same as found in <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>. These works are vital for the future of our survivors as a not only a master work of literature but a work that carries with it a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Perhaps, the single thread weaving through the entire work is a quote from another great storyteller or fabulist, Phaedrus of Rome, offers that single thread weaving through all of The Canterbury Tales: “<span class=\"huge\">Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many”(---G</span>).<span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span><span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt;-->\r\n/* Style Definitions */\r\ntable.MsoNormalTable\r\n{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\r\nmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\r\nmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\r\nmso-style-noshow:yes;\r\nmso-style-priority:99;\r\nmso-style-qformat:yes;\r\nmso-style-parent:\"\";\r\nmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\r\nmso-para-margin-top:0in;\r\nmso-para-margin-right:0in;\r\nmso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;\r\nmso-para-margin-left:0in;\r\nline-height:115%;\r\nmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\r\nfont-size:11.0pt;\r\nfont-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\";\r\nmso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;\r\nmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\r\nmso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;\r\nmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\r\nmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\r\nmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;text-align: center\"><span>Works Cited</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Gāius Iūlius.<span> </span><em>Phaedrus Biography - (c.15 bc–c.ad50)</em>. <a href=\"http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html</span></a></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Cooper, Helen. <a href=\"http://www.gradesaver.com/the-canterbury-tales/\"><em><span style=\"color: windowtext;text-decoration: none\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em></a><em>.</em> Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-19-871155-7</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>Lenghan, “R.T. Chaucer’s General Prologue as History and Literature.” <em>Comparative Studies in Society and History.</em> Cambridge University Press, New York. 1970. Vol. 12, No. 1, January 1970. Pages 73-82.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>de France, Maria. <em>Equitan. </em>THE TEMPLE PRESS AT LETCHWORTH IN GREAT BRITAIN.<span> </span><span>Translated by Eugene Mason, 1911. </span>Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Bradley Norton and PG Distributed Proofreaders. March 3, 2004. <a href=\"http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Fradenburg, Louise. “The Manciple\'s Servant Tongue: Politics and Poetry in the</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.75in\"><span>Canterbury Tales.” <em>ELH Volume </em>52 No.1 The Johns Hopkins University Press. Spring, 1985. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Bigley, Michael Erik. <em>MUSICALITY, SUBJECTIVITY, AND THE <span>CANTERBURY TALES. </span></em>The University of Montana. Missoula, MT. May 2007. Pg. 80 </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Loomis, Roger S.<em> <span>Was Chaucer A Laodicean?</span> </em></span><em><span>CHAUCER CRITICISM - THE CANTERBURY TALES,<strong> </strong></span></em><em><span>An Anthology.</span></em><span> Edited by Richard J. Schoeck and Jerome Taylor. Notre Dame Books. </span><span>Notre Dame (South Bend), IN. <span> </span>1960. Pg 291</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Frese, Dolores Warwick. <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading. </em>Gainesville University Press of Florida. 1991</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"mcePaste\" style=\"width: 1px;height: 1px;overflow: hidden\"><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n</div>','The Canterbury Tales','','inherit','open','open','','892-revision-3','','','2011-04-10 16:17:01','2011-04-10 22:17:01','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=904',0,'revision','',0),(905,7,'2011-04-10 16:17:12','2011-04-10 22:17:12','[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><em>The Canterbury Tales</em></strong><strong>, </strong><strong>Geoffrey Chaucer</strong></p>\r\nThe debate and speculations surrounding the meaning, content, sequential arrangement, language, and completeness continue to haunt Geoffrey Chaucer’s <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>, written between 1387 and 1400. It is a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Yet this enduring classic tale reflects the everyday life of the common man, an overview of the political and religious climate of the day, and a cultural equivalent of the advice, “Things are not always as they seem…” (Gāius).<!--more--><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_894\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Woodcut from William Caxton&#039;s second edition of the Canterbury Tales printed in 1483\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales.png\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-894\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Canterbury_Tales-300x256.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"256\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The host of the Tabard assumes the role of “master of ceremonies” and oversees the competition. There are twenty-four narratives divulged by the pilgrims in succinct, theatrical scenes. Chaucer included characters from various backgrounds: \"</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">knight, prioress, monk; merchant, man of law, Franklin, scholarly clerk; miller, reeve, pardoner; wife of Bath and many others<span>” (Geoffrey Chaucer). He also chose a broad range of literary genres: allegorical tale, racy fabliau or bawdy comedy told in verse, alchemical account, saint’s life, courtly romance, beast fable, medieval sermon and in some cases a mix of more than one of these styles. Chaucer presents significant and extraordinary short story examples, two expositions in prose, and a religious facet with a distinct secular bent vis-à-vis the worldly pleasure and/or vises against the spiritual aspirations. In each scene, an animated argument or debate act as a “link” and typically to include at least one of the fellow pilgrims and possibly even the master of ceremonies.<span> </span>Though considered incomplete, <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>remains a cohesive work and not simply an assortment of incomplete remnants. The synthesis of these tales in the multifaceted descriptions and stories of the pilgrims is evident in it’s the “structure, the sketches, the links, and the tales” (---GC).</span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_896\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\" caption=\"Portrait of Chaucer\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-896\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/older-Chaucer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"252\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">It was an unstable and chaotic time in English history that served as the backdrop for the period of history when this important work was penned and a time of technological advancements in the literary genre.<span> </span><em>The Canterbury Tales</em> are among the first works of English literature to mention the use of paper as a medium, which was a fairly new development and allowed for distribution on a broad scale.<span> </span>The Western Schism mired down the</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> Catholic Church in controversy at a time when Christian authority in Europe was already under heavy fire. The Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and various other conflicts marked the end of King Richard II reign and a desperate time for Chaucer as many of his close friends were executed. These complex and tumultuous political events forced Chaucer to move to Kent; further R. T. Lenaghan stated in his 1970 lecture, “The ‘General Prologue’ is often called a picture of its age and, frequently in the next breath, a satire,”<span> </span>though some scholars caution against “…confusing the distinction between literature and history…”(Lenaghan). <span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In his 2007 thesis, Michael Erik Bigley argues the quality of a musical expression both in lyrical and narrative text in <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em> Noting Louise Fradenberg argument that <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> taken as a whole exemplifies the limits of ideology and even Chaucer’s consciousness of these ideological limitations” (Fradenburg).<span> </span>Bigley states that, “…instead of a vehicle for the expression of an ideology, the means by which an entire range of ideologies are exposed for ethical critique” (Bigley).</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Contemporary works of note at the time of <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> may be found in works such as Juan Ruiz’ <em>The Book of Good Love</em> or <em>Decameron</em> by Boccaccio and works which acted in many instances as inspiration for some of Chaucer’s work. In <em>Decameron</em>, the main characters are all young, unsullied, affluent and each of the seven women and three men have traditional names very much the literary stereotype. Chaucer’s protagonists, on the other hand, are of differing backgrounds and most were simply middle class; reflecting Chaucer’s own situation. We also note a difference in the subject matter of the tales told in each work, the delivery of the tale, and the personalities. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">A striking contrast is evident between Chaucer’s “spicy yarn” in the Prologue description of the </span><span>Wife of Bath with the her comically bawdy portrayal and Chaucer’s </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">suggestion of Alison, the Miller’s wife, in the Millers Tale when compared to a work by Marie de France, </span><em><span>Equitan</span></em><span>, which contains a relatively mildly and tame descriptive, yet racy (for the time) account of the appearance of the heroine of the story, “…passing tender of body sweet of vesture,… with a fragrant mouth, and a dainty nose…”<span> </span>Marie de France, of the Norman English court gave an account that was appropriate and stereotypical of the time. Chaucer, though taking inspiration from his contemporaries, pushed the boundaries of acceptability and catered to a less formal audience (de France).</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Chaucer makes use of vibrant and colorful descriptions to introduce each pilgrim’s character in the form of a “General Prologue;” thereby, providing his reader detail never before used in literature.</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> are assumed to have been quite popular during the time it was written and after Chaucer’s death. <span> </span>Eighty-three known manuscripts of this work from the late medieval times to early Renaissance period represents a number far exceeding any other vernacular literary text, surpassed only by the 116 manuscripts of <em>The Prick of Conscience</em> collection of poems. Scholars agree that these numbers are a clear indication of the popularity of the<em> Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Countering Tatlock’s essay, George Loomis summarizes his own thoughts as follows, “I have adduced in this paper justify our rejecting any notion of Chaucer as either a sycophantic timeserver, who merely echoed the sentiments of his patrons and associates, or of a cheerful philosopher who looked upon the follies and struggles of mankind with an amused detachment” (Loomis).</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Dolores Warwick Frese discusses in <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading</em>, Chaucer efforts as having compiled an innovative and intricate relationship within the Canterbury Tales and asserts that this masterwork is Chaucer’s final literary effort (Frese).</span></p>\r\n<!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">The authors’ personal reaction to The Canterbury tales after researching and reading only <em>The Knights Tale</em> leaves me eager to read more and study the meanings or morals found within each tale. Reading the original vernacular copy of Chaucer’s creation is not advised; however, it is quite interesting to read a translated version and then reference the original. <span> </span>Chaucer’s use of irony and his inclusion of so many different forms of literature of the day, from <span>bawdy comedy told in verse to alchemical account; from saint’s life to courtly romance</span> as with The Knights Tale is also a very intriguing component of this work and seems to challenge me to read on. The most meaningful aspects of this work, in the authors’ humble opinion, are its enduring appeal and broad-based audience. Throughout the centuries, Chaucer has been studied, applauded, criticized, defended, praised, and finally honored with the designation as “the first finder of our language.” <span> </span><span>(--- GC).<span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Comparing Dante Alighiere’s epic poem <em>The Divine Comedy,</em> written between 1308 and 1321, and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written primarily in the poetic form with two tales in prose between </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">1387 and 1400, we find similarities and differences.<span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_900\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Manuscript page from The Canterbury Tales\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-900\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1226626964.415016.pjpeg-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nFor instance, contempt for the Church is one characteristic exhibited by both Chaucer and Dante in their respective works. Chaucer colored his religious characters as dishonest, shady, and immoral while Dante demonstrates his disdain by simply inserts assorted Popes and Church hierarchy in their appropriate place in Hell. We also see a similarity in the energy of each work. The images expressed in Dante’s <em>Divine Comedy</em> are those of which nightmares and converts are made. Chaucer is more compassionate toward his reader with his engaging, though sometimes provocative work. His use of irony, comedy, <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">and parody, estates satire, and romance provides a rich diverse piece of literature while, demonstrating that there is no “Everyman;” each soul is different and nothing is as it seems. </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_899\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"198\" caption=\"Detail of manuscript Dante&#039;s Comedy \"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-899\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/250px-MS_Trivulziano_1080_incipit-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nDante describes the journey through Hell in stages, providing a <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">substance and importance to the journey itself while Chaucer pays little attention to the pilgrimage itself.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> Dante casts himself in the role of the narrator in the style of an epic poem with many supporting characters as aids in telling his tale. After metaphorically losing his way from the right path, Dante carries his journey into the depths of Hell, representing mankind or “Everyman” much as Christian in </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Bunyan’s <em>Pilgrim’s Progress.</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> <span> </span>Chaucer, on the other hand, makes use of various literary styles, “which range from moral tales and beast fables to <em>fabliaux</em> of the most risqué and bawdy sort,” using various </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">protagonists</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"> from different walks of life and the unknown “naïve” as the story tellers (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">). </span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\">Each of the tales in Chaucer’s work is delivered by a third-person; a person who seemingly has a keen awareness of the goings on within the story and the tale is told from that person’s perspective. In this way, Chaucer allows the reader not only the ability to know the actions of the characters but also to “hear” their thoughts. <span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">In the most ironic twist within <em>The Canterbury Tales </em>is that, after delivering twenty-three stories, Chaucer composes a retraction and begs forgiveness for his sins including having written <em>The Canterbury Tales.</em></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><em> </em></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<em><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a></em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] -->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">The absolute necessities for survival are food, water, air to breathe and shelter; therefore, it is understood that these things must already be present for the survival of those we hope will one day discover this time capsule. After these necessities, what is it that we find most valuable for our surviving decedents?<span> </span>Money, jewels, status, and power: none of these things are of importance without knowledge and understanding. <em>The Canterbury Tales</em> re</span><span>presents “a literary cross-section of late medieval society” and is as relevant today and in the future as it was in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. (</span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Fiero</span><span>) The characters type casted from different classes and ranks of late medieval society in these narratives were, nonetheless, individuals with their own shortcoming, strengths, </span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">faults, and assets. Pluck a group of individuals from various professions, classes and/or socio-economic backgrounds from our world today or that world we hope will discover our time capsule, and the stories are dynamically the same as found in <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>. These works are vital for the future of our survivors as a not only a master work of literature but a work that carries with it a sophisticated example of rhetorical forms, linguistic styles, diversity, and history. Perhaps, the single thread weaving through the entire work is a quote from another great storyteller or fabulist, Phaedrus of Rome, offers that single thread weaving through all of The Canterbury Tales: “<span class=\"huge\">Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many”(---G</span>).<span> </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"><span> </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_893\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Library of Congress North Reading Room mural\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-893\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1380px-Canterbury-west-Winter-Highsmith-1024x122.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"122\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%\"><span><span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt;-->\r\n/* Style Definitions */\r\ntable.MsoNormalTable\r\n{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\r\nmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\r\nmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\r\nmso-style-noshow:yes;\r\nmso-style-priority:99;\r\nmso-style-qformat:yes;\r\nmso-style-parent:\"\";\r\nmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\r\nmso-para-margin-top:0in;\r\nmso-para-margin-right:0in;\r\nmso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;\r\nmso-para-margin-left:0in;\r\nline-height:115%;\r\nmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\r\nfont-size:11.0pt;\r\nfont-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\";\r\nmso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;\r\nmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\r\nmso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;\r\nmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\r\nmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\r\nmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;text-align: center\"><span>Works Cited</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Gāius Iūlius.<span> </span><em>Phaedrus Biography - (c.15 bc–c.ad50)</em>. <a href=\"http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5145/G%C4%81ius-I%C5%ABlius-Phaedrus.html</span></a></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Cooper, Helen. <a href=\"http://www.gradesaver.com/the-canterbury-tales/\"><em><span style=\"color: windowtext;text-decoration: none\">The Canterbury Tales</span></em></a><em>.</em> Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-19-871155-7</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>Lenghan, “R.T. Chaucer’s General Prologue as History and Literature.” <em>Comparative Studies in Society and History.</em> Cambridge University Press, New York. 1970. Vol. 12, No. 1, January 1970. Pages 73-82.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>de France, Maria. <em>Equitan. </em>THE TEMPLE PRESS AT LETCHWORTH IN GREAT BRITAIN.<span> </span><span>Translated by Eugene Mason, 1911. </span>Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Bradley Norton and PG Distributed Proofreaders. March 3, 2004. <a href=\"http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11417/11417-h/11417-h.htm</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Fradenburg, Louise. “The Manciple\'s Servant Tongue: Politics and Poetry in the</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.75in\"><span>Canterbury Tales.” <em>ELH Volume </em>52 No.1 The Johns Hopkins University Press. Spring, 1985. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Bigley, Michael Erik. <em>MUSICALITY, SUBJECTIVITY, AND THE <span>CANTERBURY TALES. </span></em>The University of Montana. Missoula, MT. May 2007. Pg. 80 </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Loomis, Roger S.<em> <span>Was Chaucer A Laodicean?</span> </em></span><em><span>CHAUCER CRITICISM - THE CANTERBURY TALES,<strong> </strong></span></em><em><span>An Anthology.</span></em><span> Edited by Richard J. Schoeck and Jerome Taylor. Notre Dame Books. </span><span>Notre Dame (South Bend), IN. <span> </span>1960. Pg 291</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;line-height: normal\"><span>Frese, Dolores Warwick. <em>An Ars Legendi for Chaucers’ Canterbury Tales: Re-constructive Reading. </em>Gainesville University Press of Florida. 1991</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"meanings-body\" style=\"margin-left: 0.25in\"><span>\"Geoffrey Chaucer.\" 2011. Biography.com. 27 Mar 2011, 10:46 <a href=\"http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">http://www.biography.com/articles/Geoffrey-Chaucer-9245691</span></a>. </span></p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"mcePaste\" style=\"width: 1px;height: 1px;overflow: hidden\"><!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;!  v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;     &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0 false    false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                           &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;!   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:&quot;Table Normal&quot;; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-qformat:yes; 	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin-top:0in; 	mso-para-margin-right:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; 	mso-para-margin-left:0in; 	line-height:115%; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:11.0pt; 	font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; 	mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; 	mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; 	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; 	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} --> <!--[endif] --><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;  &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;   &lt;![endif]-->&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: .0001pt;line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Though no surviving manuscripts in Chaucer’s own hand exist, there are eighty-three originally circulated hand-copied manuscripts that still in existence. Of these, fifty-five are complete manuscripts and twenty-eight are fragments.<span> </span>The first printed copies were produced sometime in the early fifteenth century.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\">Written in Middle English by “the first finder of our language,” Geoffrey Chaucer, <em>The Canterbury Tales</em><span> is collections of narratives, portraying twenty-eight pilgrims, strangers all, who agree to engage in a storytelling challenge as they journey to and from the shrine of </span>Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, Kent (Cooper).<span> </span><span>An agreement is struck at the Tabard Inn in Southwark which is located across the Thames from London (Geoffrey Chaucer). <span> </span></span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;line-height: 200%\"> </span></p>\r\n\r\n</div>','The Canterbury Tales','','inherit','open','open','','892-revision-4','','','2011-04-10 16:17:12','2011-04-10 22:17:12','',892,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=905',0,'revision','',0),