Chaucer's the nun's priest tale

I/ THE AUTHOR I"'"d like to say a few words about the author first. Chaucer was the son of prosperous upper-middle class parents, fought in France, acted as a courtier, went on diplomatic missions abroad, and eventally became Controller of Customs in London. In common with all authors of his time, his poetry was written for his own personal pleasure and that of a group of friends, with no thought of publication, which …

…about the prophetic importance of dreams reflects the behavior of a wife. But at the same time the reader is not allowed to forget that this is a story of a cock and a fox. Although the author highlights the human aspects of these animals, they are still creatures of the barnyard. The fact that they speak in such a learned and noble way is an indirect comment on how absurd human motivations can be.