The Monk's Tale
Appropriate
- In most cases this story would not be appropriate for a Monk to tell.
- Studies, prays, and performs manual labor.
- But this Monk is not like other Monks.
- Rebellious, ignores rules, and lives and controls his own life.
The Tale of Ugolino of Pisa
Literary Elements
The Moral
- Ugolino of Pisa was imprisoned with his children.
- Fed little food.
- His children would come to him crying and eventually die in his lap
- He eventually began to gnaw his arm off in grief.
- His other children saw this and thought he was doing it out of hunger; they offered their arms and flesh.
- They all died
- Mentions that it is told in more detail in the Dante's Divine Comedy
- Third person omniscient
- Satire
- Irony
- The moral that is most present in this story would be family sacrifice
- Also, "For sure it is, if fortune decides to flee, No man may stay her course or keep his hold; Let no one trust a blind prosperity."
The Summary: Prologue
Moral explanation
- The Host explains how he wishes his wife could hear the tale of Prudence.
- The Monk promises a tale of the Edward the Confessor, but first, announces he will tell some tragedies.