The Monk's Tale
The Monk's Tale Summary
"The Monk's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" is a collection of tragic stories about the downfall of various figures from history and mythology. The Monk, a religious man who defies the typical monk image with his love for hunting and opulence, tells this tale.
Here's a summary in modern English:
- The Monk relates a series of 17 tragedies, each story illustrating how fortune can bring about the downfall of the mighty. His intention is to show that this world's prosperity is transient and unreliable.
- Some of the notable tales include:
- The story of Lucifer, who was cast down from Heaven for his pride.
- The tragedy of Adam, who was expelled from Paradise because of his disobedience.
- The story of Samson, who was betrayed by his lover Delilah and lost his strength.
- The tale of Hercules, who dies after putting on a poisoned shirt sent by Dianira. The Monk mentions accounts blaming Nessus and declines to accuse her. Chaucer, Fragment VII, lines 2119-2135.
- The narrative of Nebuchadnezzar, who loses his position and lives like a beast before God restores his reason.
- The tale of Belshazzar, who saw the "writing on the wall" foretelling his doom.
- The story of Zenobia, the warrior queen of Palmyra, who was ultimately defeated and paraded through Rome in chains.
- The tale of King Pedro of Spain, King Peter of Cyprus, Bernabo Visconti, and Ugolino of Pisa, all who met tragic ends.
- The Monk presents these stories as warnings about the instability of earthly prosperity and the reversals of Fortune. Their particular causes differ, so divine punishment should not be assumed to explain every downfall. Lines 1973-1982 and 1991-1998.
- The Monk's series of tales is interrupted by the Knight, who is weary of these depressing stories. He asks for a tale with a happier tone, thus ending the Monk's string of tragedies. Prologue to the Nun's Priest's Tale, Fragment VII, lines 2767-2780.
"The Monk's Tale" serves as a didactic narrative warning against pride and the transience of fortune. It also offers a stark contrast to the lighter and more humorous tales in "The Canterbury Tales."
Source and reading notes
The text is available in Harvard's Middle English text and interlinear translation. Useful passages include the Monk's definition of tragedy (VII.1973-1982), Samson and Dalilah (2063-2070), Hercules and Dianira (2119-2135), and Nebuchadnezzar's loss and recovery (2167-2182). These references concern Chaucer's telling, which should be distinguished from other versions of the same stories.
Harvard's commentary identifies the collection's seventeen narratives and its varied sources. The shared downward movement supplies a comparison across stories, while the Knight's interruption introduces a listener who wants a different narrative pattern.