Societal Values in Canterbury and King Lear Tales and King Lear

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Question 1:
Societal Values in Canterbury and King Lear
In the play King Lear, Shakespeare seems to promote the idea of not judging a book by its cover. The play tries to show that there is more to a person and his/her character than meets the eye. The tragedies described in the play came about as a result of poor judgment of another person’s character based on their outward appearance. King Lear stages a simple exam to find out who of his daughters loved him the most. The process of finding out who loved him the most entailed heaping praises on the father and the two oldest daughters heaped empty words on him. The youngest, Cordelia who loved her father genuinely failed to take the test and the father interpreted her rebellion as a lack of love towards him. He also interpreted the praises Goneril and Regan heaped on him as love. As the plot develops, we come to understand that Goneril and Regan were evil and only heaped praises on their father to inherit his Kingdom. Cordelia who is disowned by her father proves her love and loyalty to him when she comes to rescue him from the evil schemes of her sisters. Shakespeare also literally shows that the appearance of an individual does not reflect his/her societal social standing. Caius is loyal Kent in disguise and King Lear doesn’t notice. Edgar also disguises himself as a homeless person to avoid being recognized by King Lear. Edgar is not homeless nor is he a beggar, but he is a legitimate son of a powerful lord in Lear’s court.
Secondly, the play promotes the idea of forgiveness. Partly, the tragedy that unfolds in the play is because the characters were quick to act when angry rather than forgive. Lear would have forgiven his daughter for ‘not showing’ him love. Lear would also have forgiven Kent for telling him the truth but he was quick to relieve him of his services. If Edmund would have forgiven his father for his insults, he would not have lied about the plot to kill him which eventually snowballed into tragedy. Thus, Shakespeare teaches the cost of not forgiving by showing the tragedies that befell the characters for failing to forgive.
Chaucer also seems to try to show that it is wrong to judge people by their appearance. Content of character cannot be clearly established by the mere look or interpretation of an individual’s appearance or actions. Consequently, it is important that you are not deceived by the looks or words. One of the characters who exemplifies this societal value Chaucer is trying to pass across is Prioress. She is secular yet she is a nun and seems she is a nun because of the social status that comes with the occupation. Secondly, Prioress manners are flawless hinting that she is from an upper-middle-class family. However, she is likely from a poor family which she no longer contacts. Other characters such as the merchant want to appear solvent while indeed, they are not. E is struggling financially but he masks his financial woes if you judge from the manner of his interactions. The pardoner, who from the story seems to be a morally upright man. He tells a story of how greed is the source of human misery. However, we come to learn that he also sells fake relics and ind...