Classic English Literature

Classic English Literature

Chaucer's use of vulgar and exaggeration to bring out humour makes his tale one of a kind. The idea of comedy and vulgar might not be funny to many but he has tried to bring out the essence of humour. Heroes and kings who is preferred between the two? One lives in the heart of the people while the other is a ceremonial idol. Humour and heroism are still key elements used in the English literature to bring out the mind of English writing.

In Chaucer's story "the miller's tale" humour has been used to bring out the theme. The type of humour that is portrayed in the story is exaggeration. It is also known as hyperbole. This is a common humour in literature. Exaggeration is used to intensify something or a situation that will eventually lead to humour. The intensity is something is sometimes not realistic. In the story of "The knights' tale" told in the millers tale a comic exaggeration is shown when Nicholas a student, intends to sleep with his landlord wife Alison. He tricks his landlord by telling him how God has spoken to him to sleep in a suspended tub. Nicholas and Alison mange to have sex but they are interrupted by a parish clerk called Absalom. Apparently he is attracted to Alison and kneels at the bedchamber (Miller 156). In the darkness, Absalom asks for a kiss and Alison offers him her buttocks. When he discovered he was pranked and runs enraged. He gets a red hot blade and approaches Alison for a kiss again. Nicholas who gets up to help himself sticks out his buttocks and breaks wind. Absalom enraged of the assault, burns Nicholas with the red hot blade that he got from the black smith. Nicholas cries in agony for water and John his landlord wakes up. From the cry of water, he thinks the floods have arrived. He breaks the chords that held the tab and falls on the floor and fractures his arm. Everyone wakes up and find John lying in the tub. Out of Nicholas's prophecy, everyone thinks his mad. The first exaggeration portrayed is when Absalom goes beside the bed of Alison and kisses her buttocks without knowing. If he loved her so why would he come back with a red hot blade to burn her? The second is when John the landlord is fooled to believe a prophecy that a flood is coming that is similar to the biblical event of Noah. The humour in the text is effective considering the author used exaggeration to bring out the humour (Miller 156).

For us to understand why Beowulf was portrayed a hero more than a king, we have to know the traits of a hero and who a king is. Then we see in relation to the text if Beowulf passed the character traits. The first characteristic of a hero is they are unexpected. When Beowulf heard that the king of the Danes is in danger, he relived himself from his master work and went on to assist the Danes. Heroes hide in obscurity waiting for their discovery. A little opportunity can make them step