Humor, Irony and Satire in Chaucer's The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales

Chaucer is the first great humorist in English literature. He is an artist who uses a variety of
humors. He makes the common reader laugh and the intelligent reader smile. The purpose of humor
in Chaucer's poem is not to hurt others, but show how things or people are. It is said that Chaucer's
humor is gentle because he has a deep affection for humanity. He is a lover of mankind, a
philanthropist. He loves men equally, whether good or bad. He neither condemns fools nor shows
disgust for rascals. He gently unmasks their nature, manner or behavior. He wants to give pleasure by
portraying their funny traits artistically.

Chaucer’s poetry represents his versatility and greatness as a poet. In many respects, he is a
pioneer. He is a storyteller, novelist, descriptive poet as well as narrative poet, humorist, and above all
a realistic writer. Describing the variety of characters in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales Dryden once said:
“Here is God's plenty”. The pilgrims who collect at the Tabard for the journey to Canterbury belong to
different classes and businesses. They have different attitudes, nature, dress, and features. Moreover,
they are individuals as well as types at the same time. They are not only people of his age but
universal characters of all ages. These characters are real human beings of flesh and blood, and not
mere phantoms of brain. Chaucer uses humour, irony and satire for depicting these characters. In the
Prologue to Canterbury Tales humour is all pervasive. This humour is mainly in the shape of irony and
satire.

In the beginning of The Prologue Chaucer proposes to show us people belonging to various
classes of society. He says:

To inform you of the state of everyone

Of all of these, as it appeared to me,

And who they were, and what was their degree;

And even how arrayed there at the inn.

The pilgrims in The Prologue belong to church, agricultural class and to the business class.
Though the Knight is a serious character but his son, the Squire has love-insomnia, which is source of
humour. He loves so hotly that at night-time he slept no more than does a nightingale. Again, the
picture of the Clerk is humorous as his horse is as weak as a rake and he himself is no better.
Similarly, when we are told about the Prioress:

Neat was her cloak, as I was well aware

Of coral small about her arm she’d bear;

A string of beads and gauded all with green;

 And therefrom hung a brooch of golden sheen.

We are also told that the forehead of the Prioress was fair and “almost a span abroad” we are amused
to know her dimensions. The irony is that though she is a Prioress, yet she indulged in love-making.

Chaucer’s characterization is humorously satirical. In case of the Squire and Clerk, discussed
above, it is pure humour for its own sake. Sometimes he uses irony for depicting the characters.
However, he does not aim at reforming people. He finds amusement in the activities, nature and
temperament of the people. He never seems angry at the weaknesses and shortcomings of human
beings. He appears very tolerant. This makes his irony, satire and humour delightful and free from
pessimism.

Chaucer's humor becomes broad and semi farcical in the case of the Wife of Bath. She was a
little deaf and gap-toothed. All her life she was an honorable woman. She had five husbands, and
many other lovers. All the remedies of love were at her fingertips. There is an ironic humor in the case
of the Doctor of Physic. Chaucer satirises the Doctor and the Lawyer, who make money out of foul
practices. The Doctor earns maximum during plague. In depicting the Doctor, the poet paints a picture
of medieval age when astronomy and astrology were important factors in treating patients. About him,
Chaucer writes:

He kept the gold he gained from pestilence

For gold in physic is a fine cordial

And therefore loved he gold exceedingly all.

Chaucer's humor becomes coarse and rough when he presents the Miller and the Reeve. The satirical
tone of Chaucer's humor is well represented in the character of the Monk, the Friar, the Pardoner and
the Summoner. About him Chaucer says:

Why, he would suffer, for a quart of wine,

Some good fellow to have his concubine…

Thus, he brings the corruption prevalent in the church to the fore. Materialistic and amorous things
became the part and parcel of the life of religious people. Chaucer mildly satirizes the monk who
became a worldly person and loved hunting and riding. The Pardoner was a cheat and a hypocrite. By
his feigned flattery he duped innocent persons and squeezed money out of their pockets. Here
Chaucer’s satire on the ecclesiasts is obvious.

Chaucer’s humor is not tinged with bitter satire. Chaucer looked on and smiled on the follies of
the people. He was a master of irony and sympathetic humor. Chaucer's humor is almost innocent
fun. The satire he uses is hardly coarse or severe. He does not lash the strongholds of corruption
mercilessly; he simply laughs at them and makes us laugh. His interest seems to lay in the portraiture
rather than in exposure. Thus we find that humor including irony and satire is an important part of
Chaucer's characterization of the pilgrims in the Prologue.