Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London about the
year 1342. His father John Chaucer was a prosperous wine merchant. Chaucer, the
first English poet, Character painter, and realist was the true representative
of the Middle Ages.
The love of reading and other intellectual interests must have
been acquired by the poet while he was at school.
Around 1366 Chaucer married Philippi de Roet All that we know is
that he had two sons who later became members of the aristocratic class. Virgil
and Homer were his sources of inspiration.
The period of Chaucer was unrest due to foreign and
political wars. His literary career starts from 1368 when he wrote “The Book of
the Duchess”. ‘The House of Fame’ in 1374 and ‘The Prologue to the Canterbury
Tales’ made him very popular in prominent.
In Canterbury Tales, 29 pilgrims are going to the shrine of the
Martyr St. Thomas a Becket. Chaucer was among them and characterized them very
artistically. Chaucer used to represent abstract ideas and concepts through
color symbolism.
Significance of colors
There are different colors symbolically used in ‘The Prologue to
the Canterbury Tales’ by Geoffrey Chaucer; they are very significant. The
narrator related these colors to different characters. The beads of the collar
rosary of the Prioress were green. The Pardoner’s hair was yellow. The Doctor
of Physics dress was red and blue. The wife of Bath’s face was scarlet and
Miller’s upper coat was blue as well.
As mentioned earlier the narrator relates these colors to
different characters. The detailed descriptions of the colors are below.
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Blue Color
This color is one of trust, responsibility, honesty, and loyalty.
It is sincere, reserved and quiet, and doesn't like to make a fuss or draw
attention. It hates confrontation and likes to do things in its own way. In
Canterbury tales, this color is used in the characters of the Doctor of Physic,
the Miller, and the Reeve.
Dr of Physik is wearing a dress having a blue color in it. In this
character, it symbolizes trust, responsibility, and authority which people are
supposed to give to the doctor when interacting with him in general. “In sanguine
and in perse he clad was all, with taffeta and with sending all” One of the
characters “The Miller” is wearing a blue hood.
It could be associated with the planet Venus which would be a
reference to Miller’s bawdy tale and his supposed sexual incontinence. In
reference to Canace’s blue velvet mew in “The Squire’s tale” blue is explained
by Chaucer as being the color of constancy in love. “A long surcoat of perse
upon he had, and by his side he bore a rusty blade” From a color psychology
perspective, blue is reliable and responsible. This color exhibits an inner
security and confidence.
In a negative sense, it is rigid, deceitful and spiteful,
depressed and sad, too passive, self-righteous, superstitious and emotionally
unstable, too conservative and old-fashioned, predictable and weak,
unforgiving, aloof and frigid.
It can also indicate manipulation, unfaithfulness and being
untrustworthy which can be one of the interpretations Chaucer intended the
reader to perceive.
Grey Color
The color gray is an unemotional color. It is detached, neutral,
impartial and indecisive. In Canterbury tales the Prioress wears a wimple
draped to show off her well-formed nose, gray eyes, and a small red mouth.
“Full seemèly her wimple pinchèd was, headdress pleated her nose
tretis, her eyes grey as glass”
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Chaucer used the color grey to refer to the Prioress’ eyes
depicting her cold and emotionless behavior for mankind and with a sense of
pride for belonging to the aristocratic class.
From a color psychology perspective, gray is the color of
compromise - being neither black nor white, it is the transition between two
non-colors. Being both motionless and emotionless, gray is solid and stable,
creating a sense of calm and composure, relief from a chaotic world.
The color gray is subdued, quiet and reserved. It does not
stimulate, energize, rejuvenate or excite. Gray is generally conservative and
formal, but can also be modern.
Red Color
Red is the color of extremes. It is the color of passionate love,
seduction, violence, danger, anger, and adventure. Red was also associated with
fire and blood – energy and primal life forces in ancient times.
Red is also a magical and religious color. It symbolized
super-human heroism to the Greeks and is the color of the Christian
crucifixion. Red was almost as rare and as expensive as purple in ancient days
– a fact that may explain its magic and power.
In The Prologue to the Canterbury tales, the color red is used in
many characters. Squire is wearing a dress embroidered with “floured Whyte and
reede” which symbolizes his lust and his desire to seduce because is indulged
in courtly love and he spends all of his time trying to impress his lady.
Chaucer described the mouth of the Prioress as, “Hir mouth full
small, and therto soft and reed” Which symbolizes her good health as she takes
care of herself and her appearances way too much.
Doctor of Physics is also wearing a dress that has color red in
it; “In Sangwan and in pers he clad was all “The color red in his clothes
symbolizes the blood-as symbol of life as he is a practitioner and wants his
clients to perceive him as their life savior.
Red was also associated with luxury in old times because it was an
expensive and rarely available color. This also shows that Doctor of Physics is
earning loads of money.
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In the character of Wife of the Bath red color is used twice,
firstly in her clothing “Hir hosen weren of fun scarlet reed” and secondly
while describing her face “Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe”
Her use of red stockings can suggest her lusty nature. She had
seven husbands. Her bold, fair, the red face can symbolize her good health or
her hot-tempered as she couldn’t bear if someone would perform an offering before
her.
White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity.
It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and
cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation.
White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith
and purity.
Chaucer used the color white to describe the neck of Friar, “His
neck whit was as the flour-de-lays “, which symbolized his beauty. Squire, is
also wearing clothes having white-colored flowers in them; “Al ful of fresshe
floures, Whyte and reede” , here the color white can belie the nature of the
Squire, as he is neither innocent nor pure or holy. He is not sincere about his
job. He avoids responsibilities and keeps himself indulged in lustful
activities and merry-making throughout the day mourning.
The Color Gold
The color gold is the color of extravagance, wealth, riches, and
excess, and shares several of the same attributes as the color yellow. The
color gold is a warm color that can be either bright and cheerful or somber and
traditional. The color gold is the cousin to the color yellow and the color
brown and is also associated with illumination, love, compassion, courage,
passion, magic, and wisdom.
Gold is a precious metal that is associated with wealth, grandeur,
and prosperity, as well as sparkle, glitz, and glamour. Gold is the official
fiftieth wedding anniversary gift, with copper as the official seventh wedding
anniversary gift and bronze as the official eighth wedding anniversary gift.
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Gold gemstones are believed to increase personal wisdom and power,
aid in health and wellness, create success and prosperity and illuminate the
path toward your goal.
Other meanings associated with the color gold:
The term “fool’s gold” refers to anything mistaken for gold, or
something worthless.
The phrase “gold star” is used to signify praise, accomplishment,
and commendation.
The saying “solid gold” refers to superior, high-quality,
outstanding, and the best of the best.
The term “gold standard” is a measure of the best, quality, and
excellence.
The phrase “gold brick” is used about a trick, cheat, or
actions of deceit.
The phrase “good as gold” means, that something is valuable or
positive.
The expression “golden child” refers to a favored person.
The expression “gold digger” describes someone who is only after a
person’s money.
In Canterbury Tales:
Miller’s “thombe of gold” was a direct reference, of course,
to his cheating ways on the scale with his customers’ grain and flour. Millers
were proverbially thought of as thieves, and the reference to “gold’’ – not
only metal but a color – meant that his thumb was heavy indeed.
It is also a suggestion of his inhumanity, for if a part of his
body could be other than flesh, he was less than human and not as worthy of
respect or sympathy as a true human being.
Gold and red are often spoken of together in medieval verse and the parallel with his red hair (which, of course, is really orange, or red–gold) could be continued here. Or, it could be that he is so enamored of profit, in the form of stolen grain or flour or in gold itself that his thumb has become made of it.
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Moving on to the description of the parish clerk Absalon, another
riot of color attributes are given to him:
His hair was all in golden curls and shone:
Just like a fan, it strutted outwards, starting
To left and right from an accomplished parting
The clerk’s golden curls would have been proverbial for a wanton
youthful lover and might have looked incongruous in his drab role of clerk.
Finally, when a “golden ring”. This is a continuation of the theme
of Alison as being a woman of easy virtue, bordering, perhaps, on prostitution.
Absalom, in his contempt, makes it clear that her virtue (whether she is being
faithless to her husband or faithless to Absalom) can be bought by such a
trinket, hearkening back to the description of her metallic finery at the
beginning of the tale.
In fact, instead of a golden ring, Nicholas, attempting to
“improve upon the jape” (Ibid) receives a painful burn from a hot colter and
the parallel between gold/red and flame Absalon returns to take his revenge on
Nicholas and Alison, he significantly offers Alison is continued.
Ruddy Color
Chaucer in his Prolong to the Canterbury Tales, three major symbols can be found. These symbols are objects, figures, and colors
that Chaucer used to represent abstract ideas and concepts.
To the description, the colors employed by Chaucer were important
not only for the vividness of the description to help to make the mental image
for the readers but also for the clues to the nature of the characters
described.” Color symbolism was far more important in medieval society than it
is today”.
Synonyms for Ruddy
Blooming, florid, full blood, red, rosy, rubicund.
Meaning of ruddy:
Good health, overflow of lust and worldly desire.
In the 13th century ruddy color was used in literature. In middle
English RUDI is from old English ruding, from rudu redness; akin to Old English
read red –from at Red. Chaucer’s poetry is almost entirely innocent of poetic
diction, which is quite understandable.
Six color terms are applied to his poetry; golden, ruddy, grey
scarlet, and white. Being ruddy of the face has been described as armors,
foolish, and deceitful which indeed Absalon is.
Ruddy color is used in different situations having different
having various shades i-e ruddy –brown, ruddy golden, ruddy – yellow.
According to Samuel Johnson in his dictionary (1755) define ruddy
as “ Approaching to redness”. Johnson was thinking of Dryden’s line.
“A crown of ruddy golden in closed her blow”. By this time, in the 18th century, it had become forgotten to the extent that he didn’t know what to make of it.
Killed by four boar;
From his pale lips, the ruddy color fled.
The stain of
violation is
upon the,
Conclusion
Colors carry energy, strength and sometimes they represent
physiognomy. Color plays a significant role in our everyday life. With these
colors, we sometimes feel excited, happy, and pleasurable while occasionally,
we feel sad or unhappy. Every planet has a color of its own that greatly
influences our mood.
Each color has its own likeness and impact on our lives. Life is
completely isolated without colors. Sunlight; the natural source of color,
comprises seven colors.
In fact, these colors connect our lives to nature. According to
zodiac signs, colors play a very important role in human life by giving
strength and depicting the person's physiognomy as well.
For example, red represents action, passion, power, optimism,
self-confidence, energy, determination, fortitude, and ambition. Yellow implies
power, energy, and intelligence. Green signifies growth and balance in
life. Blue represents tranquility, trust, and peace.
This color relates to protection, security, comfort, and
material wealth. Grey represents sensitivity, responsiveness, sensibility,
emotions, intelligence, peace, versatility, perseverance, and mysteriousness.
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