middle class.
The Merchant outfits himself in fashionable attire, with his multicolored cloak and his forked beard. He is a member of the new, rising middle class that Chaucer the author belongs to.
How does Chaucer describe the merchant?
Chaucer presents the Merchant as a not entirely honorable man. He is a flashy dresser, in part to obscure his financial troubles from his money-changing activities.
How is the merchant portrayed in The Canterbury Tales?
Description. The Merchant is a very cynical man who has lots of disgust for his distasteful wife. This disgust runs his life he show lots of open hatred towards marriage and women all together it is common for the merchant to make guest uncomfortable with his relentless ranting.
- Nobility/Ruling Class – Knight and Squire.
- Clergy – Monk, Friar, Prioress, Parson, Summoner, Pardoner.
- Middle Class – Merchant, Doctor, Student, Wife of Bath.
- Peasants – Miller, Plowman, Skipper.
- Physical Characteristics, Clothing, and Accessories.
- Words, Experiences, and Personality Traits.
How is the merchant described in The Canterbury Tales prologue?
We know the merchant is the fashionista of the group because he’s wearing a cloak of “motley” (variegated, colorful pattern), a Flemish beaver hat, and has a forked beard, all of which were current fashions at this time period.
How did the merchant class come about?
The Middle Ages brought the rise of the merchant class in Europe. The growth in trade went hand-in-hand with the growth of the town in which the trade occurred. During this time, town populations began to grow exponentially, new trade routes were formed and the ability to transport on water became highly advanced.
Was the merchant really to be blamed?
(iv)Was the merchant really to be blamed? The wall that led to the thief’s death had collapsed because it had become weak after the thief had made a hole in it to sneak into the house of the merchant. Hence, the merchant was not to be blamed for the thief’s death.
What is the theme of merchant?
The main theme of The Merchant of Venice is the conflict between self interest and love. On the surface level, the major difference between Shylock the Jew and the Christian characters of the play is their level of compassion.
How is the merchant presented in the Merchants tale?
Taking this into account, Chaucer portrays the Merchant as a clearly thoughtless and disloyal husband who eagerly insults his wife of two months to complete strangers.
What were the roles and responsibilities of the merchant class?
The Role of Merchants
Merchants traveled from place-to-place buying and selling goods or services as needed to different villages. They were looked down upon for making personal profit off of others which was considered sinful or evil at the time.
Who is in the upper class in The Canterbury Tales?
The examples of the characters in this class include the Knight, dukes, and other aristocratic families, such as the Knight and his son, the Squire. All these people owned such luxurious possessions as horses, which signified wealth in Medieval England (Chaucer 132).
Who is middle class in Canterbury Tales?
And Chaucer’s interest in middle class characters, such as a cook, carpenter, miller, lawyer, merchant, clerk, physician reflects the rise of the middle class in the fourteenth century (Collin 1).
Which three classes has been represented in The Canterbury Tales?
Throughout “Canterbury Tales,” each of the characters fits into a certain type or class of person; the Knight being a noble upperclassman, the Miller is a peasant/tradesman, the Wife of Bath representing the women/middle class, and the Pardoner portraying the Clergyman.
What happened to the merchant at the end of the story?
Explanation: Basically Shylock is tricked by Portia in court. He ends up having to forfeit both his fortune and his faith. Portia then gives Antonio the ring and has him hand it to Bassanio.
The traders and merchants, who distributed and exchanged goods produced by others, were below the noble-priest class in the social pyramid. A sizable group of artisans and craftsmen, producing specialized goods, belonged to the lower economic classes.
Why were the merchants considered a low class?
The merchant, as a class, was discriminated against for not contributing to these essential duties, but rather for aiming to get rich himself. His pursuit of gain was considered against the laws of God, because he was not a producer of real goods, but rather a resaler, or a usurer.
What kind of man was the merchant?
He is kind, generous, and honest to Christians, and is loved and revered by all the Christians who know him, but not by the Jew Shylock, whom he himself scorns.
How did the merchant try to cheat God?
Answer. Answer: Merchant tried to cheat old lady by saying that there were 200 gold coins in his purse but lady is returning only 100. 4.
How does the merchant try to save his life?
How does the merchant try to save his life? Answer: He tries to do so by blaming the brick-layer for building a wall that was so weak that it collapsed on the thief, killing him.
How did the merchant get the punishment?
The merchant had not killed the thief. He was being punished only because his wall had fallen on the thief. Secondly, he said that his father had been to blame. But because his father had died, the king ordered the merchant to be executed in place of his father.
What is the message of the merchant’s tale?
to Regard the Merchant’s tale simply as a conventional piece of anti-feminist literature, exemplifying the faithlessness of married women, is to overlook the Merchant’s simultaneous concern with the role of the husband in matrimony and with his joint responsibility for the success or failure of his marriage.