Chaucer's Nun vs. Shakespeare's Hermia

     Of the many colorful characters described in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the one that draws my attention the most is the Nonne (nun).  Among the many members of the pilgrimage who belong to the clergy, she may be the one who defies the expected behavior the most.  Members of the clergy take a vow of poverty, and she does not behave as someone who has done so.  She is described wearing a cloak that is “most elegant,” as well as “A brooch of shining gold; inscribed thereon/Was, first of all, a crowned ‘A,’/And under, Amor vincit omnia.”(160-162) The quality of her clothing would imply that she is not taking her vow of poverty very seriously, and while the quote, “amor vincit omnia” (love conquers all) could easily be referring to a love for the church or God, it seems unlikely, and in that case highly inappropriate that a woman who has sworn herself to God would have something like that engraved on a gold brooch, or that she would even be wearing a golden brooch at all.  In addition to her attire contradicting everything that she should stand for, she is described as exhibiting “courtly” behavior, which implies that she spends far more time practicing such behavior than she would in prayer.

            A reader might wonder why a woman who holds such value in etiquette and courtly behavior would ever join the church.  I myself have to wonder if she was sent to join the church not by choice, but   In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Egeus, father to Hermia, threatens to either impose the death sentence on Hermia if she does not marry Demetrius, or send her to a convent.  Is the nun in the Canterbury tales simply someone like Hermia who was not fortunate enough to escape her family’s wishes?  This theory could explain why she behaves as a young lady at court should, or why she wears the brooch with the love quote inscription. 

Beowulf: The First True Hero

           When thinking of a true hero, we generally tend to think of someone who is selfless and loyal to his or her lord.  More often than not, the hero is the star of the story, and frequently displays acts of kindness, bravery, and fearlessness.  Beowulf has been described as the first heroic character in literature, and the inspiration for the creation of all heroes that came after. 

            Before Aragorn of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there was Beowulf, and many have even said that Tolkein received much of his inspiration for the series from the poem itself.  Beowulf is a hero, who despite the lack of request, travels from Geatland to Denmark to defeat the monster, Grendel.  His idea to travel across the sea is initially for sport, but it is also to free Hrothgar’s people from the ever-present fear of Grendel’s attacks, thus showing his first act of kindness. 

            Beowulf is brave, as he is well aware of the horror stories, which have sprouted from Grendel’s slaughtering of Danes, yet he still goes into battle with full confidence in his victory.  Although Beowulf is fearless, he is not recklessly so.  His character thinks before he acts, and if something happens to go awry in his battle, he is quick to assess the situation in an attempt to salvage the outcome.  When Grendel attacks and Beowulf finds out that he cannot penetrate his skin with his sword, he bravely hurls himself at the best and tears its arm off. 

            A hero is known for his or her loyalty and selflessness, and one of the most remarkable moments in the story—in my opinion—is when Beowulf is about to dive into the water to face Grendel’s mother.  He acknowledges the fact that he may not win this battle, and if that be the case, his men will not longer have a leader, or someone who will look out for their well-being.  That being said, he asks Hrothgar to make sure that his men are taken care of, should he perish, and that his prizes earned in Denmark be taken back to Hygelac, his king, as a sign of respect.

            After freeing the Danes from the demons that terrorized their land, Beowulf and his men return across the sea to Geatland, and Hygelac’s kingdom.  Upon returning, Hygelac’s speech to Beowulf makes it seem as though he did not have much faith in Beowulf when he initially began his venture across the sea, which gives the impression that Hygelac does not respect Beowulf as the Danes did.  Despite what our feelings might be when we read this, we notice that Beowulf remains loyal to his lord in all times, in all opinions.