Chaucer writes a 'feminine kind of romance' ( Burrow). Discuss with Essay

Chaucer writes a 'feminine kind of romance' ( Burrow). Discuss with reference to 3 canterbury tales - Essay Example n the battles and events of the past, such as the battles of Troy, the conquests of Alexander the Great or the chivalric traditions rising out of the Arthurian legend. Among these stories, the primary focus was typically placed upon the action of the story, the battles and the skirmishes that occurred between characters, and the aftermath of such behavior, such as the winning of the lady, the acquisition of worldly fame or the re-enforcement of nobility. However, not all stories followed this basic formula, especially as the written tradition began to grow through the 14th century. As writers began to experiment with various means of recording the stories that had been passed down through the oral tradition as well as working to develop stories of their own, new modes of expression began to emerge. For example, Colin Burrow assertively states that Chaucer wrote a feminine kind of romance. What is a feminine kind of romance and how does this apply to Chaucer? To answer these questions , the following paper will first define the characteristics of the kind of ‘feminine’ romance Burrow was discussing and then analyze three of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – the Wife of Bath, the Prioress and the Knight’s Tale – to determine whether this description applies. The concept of the feminine romance has a great deal to do with the underlying structural format of the novel, particularly as it relates to the issues surrounding gender and the differences between the various ways in which the genders relate to others. For example, studies continue to show even today that women place greater emphasis upon the concept of relationships while men place more emphasis upon action.2 It should not be surprising, therefore, to discover that feminine romances, as such, are primarily concerned with the relationships of characters rather than the actions they undertake. This includes a certain focus upon the emotional lives of the characters as opposed to their physical