Theme Of Satire In The Canterbury Tales

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The genre of satire is a category of literature in which vices, shortcomings, evil, and stupidity are held in derision. Take for example the most of the stories in the Canterbury tales. Most of those on the journey in the Canterbury tale have some sort of vice or shortcoming. Geoffrey Chaucer laid out their vices and shortcomings before the reader in such a way that instead of just accepting them the reader see the error of the character ways. This is the point of a satire, but when does this mockery step over the line of what Christians should mock or does it even cross that line? 1st Corinthians 4:8-13, “You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we …show more content…
Another example is that of Elijah and the attendants of Baal in 1st Kings 18:27 “And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” Satire is a perfectly acceptable form of reproof for a Christian, for that is the point to satire, to be a gentle reproof. What Christians should not do is mock, that is when we have crossed the line into a territory of
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