Chauccer’s Prologue

Chaucer’s Prologue describes various people in connection with their profession. Analyze the Skipper’s description. Explain two things the Skipper’s description reveals about people in his occupation. Using APA format, provide details from the poem referencing specific line numbers to support each idea.

ANSWER

Chaucer’s Prologue

The occupation of skipper in Chaucer’s Prologue is a shipman. Shipmen in this description belongs to the lower class. They work a lot and do not earn much from their occupation. He wears cheap clothes, which means that the people in this profession do not have enough money to adorn themselves with expensive clothes. Line 396 in the story of the shipman talks about his clothes which the author refers to as the gown of faldyng to the knee. The shipman’s occupation is also dangerous (Chaucer). He wears a dagger on his waist, which means he has to have a weapon to protect himself. The occupation pays poorly and is also a dangerous experience. The shipman’s occupation is therefore not suitable for his security. This means that the shipman profession is dangerous and does not pay. It is meant for lower-class people in society.

The shipman is also a thief. He steals without feeling guilty. This description of the shipman summarizes the occupation as one without ethics. The shipman steals wine without feeling guilty. He has no conscience, which means ethics does not guide this occupation. There are no ethics when it comes to this occupation, and therefore, they can be summarized as low-life thieves with no conscience or guiding ethics. This is according to lines 397-399. The people in this occupation are also strong. When they fight, they have the upper hand. They are skilled in their work, and they understand the water and the tides well. They are hard workers despite their occupation not being profitable. Line 401 talks about his skills and his skill to reckon his tides well (Chaucer). They are always in danger of being faced by a storm. The job of a shipman is dangerous, but they use their skills to navigate the rough waters.

The shipman is also knowledgeable about different parts of the world, from Gottland to the cape of Finisterre and all the creeks in Brittany and Spain (Chaucer). This says a lot about the people in this occupation. They are well versed with the waters. They have traveled different waters. They are good people, but circumstances have forced them to do things that are not ethical such as stealing. They are strong, and getting rid of their enemies is easy because they can throw them in the water. The shipmen go through a lot of hardships, and they should not be judged. Whatever they do, they do it because they do not have options. The circumstances have made him strong. He also is good, and because despite his job being hard and paying poorly, he carries on with his job.

The occupation also describes the people of the lower class. The lower class people have demanding jobs and are paid poorly, which forces them to do illegal things such as stealing to experience a little of the fine things in life. They are also obedient to their captain and work very hard. The shipman’s job describes the lower class in detail. They are good people who can be judged as bad people, but in reality, they are forced by circumstances to do what they do, and there is nothing they can do about their situation except work hard and have no ethics because that is the life they lead. They cannot afford to have a moral compass.

References

Chaucer, G. The Canterbury Tales. General Prologue. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43926/the-canterbury-tales-general-prologue