The Doctor in the Canterbury Tales

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The Physician “When april comes with his sweet, fragrant showers, which pierce the dry ground of March, and bathe every root of every plant in sweet liquid, then people desire to go on pilgrimages.” Hence, began the pilgrimage, The Canterbury Tales was written by Geoffrey Chaucer. It consists of the stories related by the 29 pilgrims on their way to Saint Thomas a Becket’s shrine in Canterbury. This pilgrimage was presented in the 14th century which is the medieval world. Chaucer is using doctor to satirize his medical profession. Chaucer is indeed satirizing doctor on his medical profession. “He watched his patients favorable star. And, by his Natural Magic, knew what are the lucky hours and planetary degrees. For making charms and magic effigies” said by Chaucer. In this quote, Chaucer means that, the doctor knew astrology and the workings of the natural world and would only treat his patients when it was astrologically safe to do so. In this quote, the doctor’s interest in astrology is displayed. "He did not read the bible very much" stated by Chaucer. Chaucer means that doctor was not spiritual or religious. " Yet he was rather close as to expenses and kept the gold he won in pestilences. Gold stimulates the heart, or we're told” verbalized by Chaucer. This quote shows doctor’s obsession towards money. “No one could talk as well as he did on points of medicine and of surgery " spoken by Chaucer. In this quote, Chaucer describes that the doctor was an all rounder in the field of medicine and that he possessed high expertise in his domain. Direct characterization means that the author tells the audience what a character is like. An example of a direct characterization is "In blood-red garments, slashed with bluish-gray and lined with taffeta.” Indirect characterization means that the author develops the
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