The Monk's Tale

The form of tragedy depicted in "The Monk's Tale" is not that argued in Aristotle's Poetics, but rather "the medieval idea that the protagonist is victim rather than hero, raised up and then cast down by the workings of Fortune." The text, despite the Monk's insistence upon a strict, homogeneous definition of tragedy, presents as equally tragic a series of tales that diverges considerably in content, tone, and form. For example, the structure and matter of the tales of Ugolino and Nero are, effectively, mirror images of one another. Chaucer's intention may be to have the Monk present his literary dogma and overly strict generic classifications in such a way that they appear to the reader to be unconvincing. == Style ==

The metrical form of "The Monk's Tale" is the most complex of all the pilgrims', an eight-line stanza with rhyme scheme ABABBCBC. Usually, a strong, syntactical link exists between the fourth and fifth lines, which some literary theorists feel prevents the stanza from breaking in half. This metrical style gives an elevated, spacious tone to "The Monk's Tale" that is not always evidenced in the diction. In fact, the language is often simple and direct except in those instances of moralizing, whether discussing God or Fortune, when the vocabulary becomes weightier. ==See also==