RESPONSE
Narrator’s view of the Prioress in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales
English IV AP / Mrs. Ramos
The description of the Prioress is the first one where we see the narrator use subtext (belowsurface-level) to seriously criticize one of the pilgrims in the General Prologue. For example,
from her rosary hangs a brooch (you looked that up, right?) which reads, Amor vincit omnia
which is translated in your footnote as “Love Conquers All.” What your footnote doesn’t tell you
is that amor translates from Latin to mean romantic, physical love. Brotherly, care-for-humanity
love (the kind nuns should have) is caritas. So, this Prioress has attached a slogan about romance
(at the very least) and sex (at the most) to her rosary. Ahhhh HA! That took a lot of work but
wasn’t it worth it?
Write a paragraph response in which you illustrate at least two other ways the narrator indicates
that this Prioress is not very nun-like.