So, how do Chaucer’s views of suffering differ from Dantes? This article will talk about the two iconic writers of the Middle Ages. One is Geoffrey Chaucer, and the second one is Dante Alighieri. They both shared distinct views on suffering when they were popular during their era in the Middle Ages.
Taking a deeper dive into the significant difference between Chaucer’s views of suffering and Dante Alighieri’s, this article will shed light on many other important aspects of these two celebrated writers.
But first, if you are new to Geoffrey Chaucer and Dante Alighieri, here is our quick overview of them. Because, well, most people didn’t even know about Geoffrey Chaucer and Dante Alighieri.
To your surprise, they both are so iconic during their era that we couldn’t give them an honorable mention.
Now, let’s take a deeper dive into the two celebrated writers’ views of suffering because they have secretly inspired many writers till now!
Who’s Geoffrey Chaucer?
Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the most celebrated English poets and writers of the Middle Ages. Many aspiring writers believe Chaucer is the father of English literature. He was an English poet and author. One of the most acclaimed works is The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1343 and died in 1400. Even his peers like Shakespeare and Milton learn from his writing style throughout his writing career.
What’s the Writing Style of Geoffrey Chaucer?
If you talk about the most common themes on which Geoffrey Chaucer wrote, they include:
- Friendship and Company
- Social Satire
- Writing and Authorship
Chaucer speaks about clarity of expressions in his writing style, poetry, and prox-translation literature. You can learn about Chaucer’s characters in his famous Canterbury Tales.
Who’s Dante Alighieri?
Dante Alighieri, in the literature world, needs no fancy introduction. He is the great Italian poet born in 1265 and died in 1321. Dante Alighieri presented divine comedy during his tenure – an Italian narrative poem. The amazing thing was this poem was completed a year before his death.
What’s the Writing Style of Dante Alighieri?
When Dante Alighieri was alive, he often followed the triple rhyme format. It goes like this, where each stanza has three lines, and the first and third line rhymes. This kind of writing style is known as Terza Rima.
Do They Both Have Anything in Common?
Yes! Firstly, the English poet and the Italian poet share big literature endeavors. Secondly, when Geoffrey Chaucer and Dante Alighieri were alive, they wrote long narrative poems. These two writers are often overshadowed by Shakespeare but shouldn’t be. Dante and Chaucer’s works have almost a striking resemblance in some fields.
For instance, one can find a direct relation between these two writers’ writing styles because they both wrote about their life journeys. Also, they incorporated a few thrills and plotted the people they met during the journey. This kind of writing style is synonymous with vernacular writing.
How Do Chaucer’s Views of Suffering Differ From Dantes?
In a nutshell, these iconic writers tried to pot raid how much suffering human faces. Accordingly, Dante has a strong take on the theory of hell and punishment. Inside the same, Dante believes the characters on earth are punished in the afterlife for their sins. Dante’s characters often suffer in old age. So suppose you see how Dante’s characters are punished. In that case, it clarifies that the believed suffering is proportional to the degree of sin.
On the flip side, Chaucer’s characters suffer for wrongdoing when they are alive on earth. In addition, Chaucer’s characters are punished at a young age. According to Chaucer’s characters, his suffering differs from Dante’s because Chaucer believes fortune decides the degree of suffering.
If you pay close attention to the suffering views of both Dante and Chaucer, you will find that Dante presented wealthy characters.
Final Words
Now you know how Chaucer presented his characters. What are his own views of suffering? On the other hand, Dante’s characters suffer for the sins they have committed after their death. Geoffrey Chaucer’s characters are concentrated around lower-class characters. At the same time, Dante’s views of suffering are centered around wealthy people.
Lastly, it is a no-brainer that aspiring writers and poets still follow each other to better clarity on thought presentation. And guess what? Geoffrey Chaucer and Dante Alighieri are also no exception.
