| A divide exists between those who view the Canterbury Tales as a series of self-contained texts and those who contend that the various characters' interactions affect each tale's direction. This paper takes the latter view, using the contemporary preaching attitudes of Chaucer's day to examine how the Pardoner's, Prioress's and Friar's respective levels of consideration for their situation and audience are directly related to their tales' success. While the Pardoner's self-absorption and over-dependence on his professional habits and the Prioress's favouring of sentimentality at the expense of engagement with her tale and audience result in less-than-popular narratives, the Friar's use of fraternal preaching techniques emphasising an adaptable, audience-centred style leads him to greater success with the pilgrims. Chaucer's advocacy of narrative flexibility may be part of his overall goal with the Canterbury Tales: to create a written text that replicates as much as possible the spontaneous nature of oral performance. |
