Secularism and Spirituality: Chaucer’s Religion and the Second Nun’s Tale | ENGL 4188, Papers of English Language

Download Secularism and Spirituality: Chaucer’s Religion and the Second Nun’s Tale | ENGL 4188 and more Papers English Language in PDF only on Docsity! Ellison Student 1 Dr. Crafton ENGL 4188 April 10, 2002 Secularism v. Spirituality: Chaucer’s Religion and the Second Nun’s Tale In the General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes the men and women of the Church in extreme forms; most of these holy pilgrims, such as the Monk, the Friar, and Pardoner, are caricatures of objectionable parts of Catholic society. At a time when the power-hungry Catholic Church used the misery of peasants in order to obtain wealth, it is no wonder that one of the greatest writers of the Middle Ages used his works to comment on the religious politics of the day. Yet not all of Chaucer’s religious characters are failures in spirituality. His description of the Second Nun is of a truly pious woman who spends her life in the service of others; she claims this service as the very reason she tells her tale: And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse, That cause is of so greet confusioun, I have heer doon my feithful bisynesse, After the legende, in translacioun Right of thy glorious lyf and passioun 1 Ellison Thou with thy gerland wrought with rose and lilie – Thee meene I, mayde and martir, Seint Cecilie. (22-28) She is using her time wisely and in the service of her God, avoiding the easy-to-commit sin of sloth as she journeys on her horse, and aiding her comrades in the avoidance of this sin. In addition to saving the pilgrimage from sloth, she enlightens and teaches those around her, much like her beloved Saint Cecilia. However, while the character herself is fascinating and worthy of study alone, most intriguing is the choice of her tale. What is Chaucer’s purpose in having the character tell the tale of a saint, the only tale of its kind in the entire Canterbury Tales? Contrary to his usual expressions of satire and humor, Chaucer’s version of The Tale of Saint Cecilia is a serious tale told by a serious character. Chaucer does not only the tale to show off his writing abilities -- it is not simply a display of his incredible versatility as an author. Chaucer uses this tale to contrast his anti-church sentiments within the Canterbury Tales; it shows his great respect for spiritual beliefs and benefits him in making his argument against the Church. In essence, Chaucer is clearly defending his anti-secular position by showing his reverence and devotion to spirituality; his problems lie with the Church, not the faith. While very well known for his sardonic criticism of the Church, he is less often acknowledged for his appreciation and respect for the religion itself. 2 Ellison In order to be good Christians, they must not only worship the savior, but they must also remain “chaast.” How does this possibly come across as writing influenced by erotic artwork of the time? In attempting to use statistics to greater understand the tale, Weise has clearly missed the messages of faith, love, and marriage to god within the Tale of Saint Cecilia. An even larger argument stems from the idea that the Second Nun’s Tale does not show evidence of Chaucer’s love of religion. Supposedly the tale displays his contempt for the belief; critics cite structural problems and religious conflicts, and complain of the tale being “cold.” In Increase and Multiply in the Speech Acts of Chaucer’s Nun’s Priest, Second Nun, and Canon’s Yeoman, Fredrick Martin accuses Chaucer of creating a negative message concerning Christianity. Near the beginning of the tale, Cecilia, speaking to Valerian, claims to have a guardian angel who will “sle yow with the dede” should he touch her “in any way unclean” (155-157). Martin believes this passage to be in conflict with the Christian doctrine, stating: In one way it seems to be a direct, even insidious contradiction of Christian belief to posit the existence of an angel who will kill “with the dede” anyone who violates Cecile’s chastity and, in the process, commits a deadly sin. To accept the Second Nun’s version of things is the same 5 Ellison as denying every sinful person an opportunity to repent and seek absolution for committing a deadly sin. In that context, to place a single person’s virginity above the gift of God’s grace and mercy seems to be as much a denial of Christian truth as it is an affirmation of it. (1) While Martin’s point of view is understandable, he too has missed the deeper messages within tale. Christianity’s God has often been feared for his more “irrational” temperament; the nature that would drown the world in a terrible flood is the same disposition that would send an angel to protect the virginity of one tiny, seemingly insignificant person. Yet it must be pointed out that Valerian, at this point, is still a pagan, and therefore not able to receive the grace or forgiveness of God; the wrath of God against non-Christians has been stated very clearly by the Church (the Crusades, the Witch-Hunters), and so it should be no surprise that Valerian would be subject to the wrath of this entity if he harmed the protected Cecilia. Sherry L. Reames also points out problematic areas within the text, saying that “Chaucer leaves out every achievement of the men themselves (Valerian and Tiburce), mentioning only the miracles Christ works – not even through them any longer, but for them” (54). She also points out the problems with Chaucer’s more concise version of the tale, arguing that “events just seem to happen” (53). There are, 6 Ellison however, those who do not view the legend as deficient in detail; Eileen Jankowski addresses the argument best by stating: Thus unlike many of the Canterbury Tales that tease out various themes and motifs, the Second Nun’s Tale offers a saint’s life stripped to essentials. Old men and angels appear to deliver their messages, then vanish when their task is done; conversions follow swiftly upon one another without exploration of the process involved; and even the trial scene, the “high point” of the narrative, moves so swiftly that logical gaps in argumentation occur. Chaucer, by choosing this particular saint’s life that stresses the urgency of immediate “assent,” momentarily shifts the Canterbury Tales into an apocalyptic narrative mode where marvels and wonders increase, ordinary human experience takes on new meaning, and plodding, digressive earthly time is replaced by a vision of a heaven that “is swift and round and eek brennynge.” (131) Ms. Jankowski is right by all accounts: Chaucer’s short version of the tale serves to accentuate the religious tones and places its gaze on the awe-inspiring Saint Cecilia instead of the more common followers. While her followers and converts are important, they mainly assist in revealing the miracle of her teachings. The title reads: The Tale of Saint Cecilia -- not “The Tale of Valerian and Tiburce.” Brother 7 Ellison And if that it a verray aungel bee, Thanne wol I doon as thou hast prayed me; And if thou love another man, forsothe Right with this swerd thanne wol I sle yow bothe. (162-168) Obviously worried that his new wife may already be cheating on him, he has already begun to foster jealousy; however, he may also be a little afraid of the truth: that her angel is actually real, which would in turn threaten his entire belief system. In any case, the emotions he feels at this time are written very plainly, showing him to be a very emotional character within the story. After his Baptism, given the option of being granted any wish, Valerian only requests for his beloved brother, Tiburce, to also become enlightened: “I have a brother,” quod Valerian tho, “That in this world I love no man so. I pray yow that my brother may han grace, To knowe the trouth, as I do in this place.” (235-238) His love is so great that, although the angel will bestow upon Valerian any desire as a reward for his newfound belief, his only thoughts are of his brother, whom he loves more than any other “in this world” (236). Also given highly emotional characteristics, Cecilia greets Tiburce with eager affection, obviously thrilled that he has become enlightened. Chaucer writes: “And she gan kisse his brest, that herde this, / And was ful glad he koude trouth espye. / “This day I take thee 10 Ellison for myn alle…” (290-292). These are not the words of a heartless automaton – these are the words of someone who sincerely feels affection for another human being. The imagery of Cecilia being so friendly and familiar with Tiburce shows the Saint in a delightfully comfortable and comforting moment, and serves to make her even more distinctive because of her genuine human sentiments. Other critics agree; in response to the accusations of the tale being unfeeling and insensitive to religion, Jankowski again stands by the messages within the tale: Pearsall flatly states there is “little or no human feeling in the Second Nun’s Tale, and no sense of pain or fear.” Yet Pope Urban, Maximus, and Almachius’ ministers weep, Tiburce expresses great fear of being burned with Urban, Cecilia welcomes Tiburce into the fold with a kiss, and at the end she lives in torment for three days before dying. (143) In short, Chaucer’s version of the tale is anything but heartless. The characters are people who experience genuine emotions, reacting appropriately and understandably to various circumstances and environments. The Second Nun’s Tale is obviously a display of Chaucer’s respect and awe for the spiritual; it also serves to seal his political 11 Ellison statement against the Catholic Church. In The Unhidden Piety of Chaucer’s “Seint Cecilie,” Joseph Grossi explains: More than a mere artifact, the purified religious devotion shown by Pope Urban, Cecilie, and her converts is meant to remind readers of papal Rome’s true spiritual mission beneath the layers of secular acculturation that had obscured it all but totally in Chaucer’s own day. If this interpretation be granted, then the “conventional form of sentimental piety” that Aers detects in the tale may have been intended to make late medieval readers ponder not only transcendence but also the papacy’s signal failure to practice it. (299) The spirituality displayed by the characters in the tale is purposefully used to remind the reader of what “true faith practiced well” looks like; Chaucer has already spent considerable time reminding the reader of the deep corruption within the Church. Bernard Huppé writes of the Second Nun’s Tale: In itself it is a beautifully told tale, full of Chaucer’s highest melody. It illuminates the symbolism of St. Cecelia, who was wife, virgin, and martyr, and thus illustrates the perfection of the apostolic life with its combination of active and contemplative perfections. (230) 12