Irony: the use of words to express something other than and especially the .
The ultimate expression of irony is shown in the works .
of Geoffrey Chaucer, in his book titled The Canterbury Tales. This book features various .
accounts of ironic situations, which through no mistake, shows corruption among people .
of the fourteenth century. Not just normal, everyday people, but respectable people, held .
in high regard by peasants and other such common folk. Geoffrey Chaucer illustrates an .
enormous amount of irony in his writings of the church to express the corruption of .
religious figures.
Chaucer's religious characters are supposed to be honorable, and abide by the .
laws of their religion, but there are certain instances that would prove their religious .
beliefs otherwise. Take the Nun for instance: the Nun, apart from other strange traits .
such as the fact that she acts more proper than she really is, wears a rosary around her .
wrist. But the irony is in the fact that the rosary does not have a cross on the end of it, it .
has a golden brooch. This brooch contains a crowned "a", and under it there are the .
words "Amor Vincit Omnia". This phrase loosely translates to "love conquers all". A .
religious figure such as a Nun is thought to carry a rosary with a cross, as well as stay out .
of the realm of sexual desire. So it is a blatant statement of non-compliance with her .
religion that she would deviate from both of these procedures.
Another example of irony is in the description of a character called the Monk. A .
good man in general, but not too keen on his duties as an eminent figure of religion. His .
favorite thing to do is hunt animals, wherever, whenever. This goes against the idea of .
his predecessors that hunting is somewhat sinful. But he chooses to do it anyway. And .
he does not enjoy fulfilling tasks such as studying his religion. He is not very true to his .
religion; rather, he is true to himself.
