Transcendence and Vocation in ‘The Second Nun’s Tale’

Abstract

In his Anatomy of Criticism, Northrop Frye describes the hero in low-mimetic pathetic tales as someone ‘isolated by a weakness which appeals to our sympathy because it is our own level of experience ’. This character is usually someone whose meaning in life is defined by this ‘weakness’, that is to say, by a set of values or convictions that transform her/him into a helpless figure who is eventually devoured by a ruthless villain. Hagiographies usually follow this same pattern, but the legend of Saint Cecile seems to offer a different vision of this victim/villain relationship.

Full text

Transcendence and Vocation in ‘The Second Nun’s Tale’



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
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
/#The Canterbury Tales
0 The Legend of Good Women "12$-32&-(4
/5
/ Good Women
*
        6       
4

404
0
  "        ( 
78
9#:/4/.
The Legend of Good WomenThe Canterbury Tales*5
9;< /"5
&=>-&?&(4940/4/

  94#:/  4/
/*
@
 A 
1

4#:
,6/Paradiso"BBB***&C?=(
#5
D        
#
/    # .
    "&$%C&$-(  
,
@
,/
@
,

/,/
*/*
EE
    
#F
@
/
8
F
7/G./GGH.
G . GG  / G H /G
HIJ3./
KG"5&=2=L&='-$2=(J
4
/
 
       7   9tota mulier in utero’ "9   
2

/(  6              /      
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:
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41
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,
          4     
O
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,
0
#/  D
     +   , 
4
6  
46 
4
          +    
  A  /      9        /  "$2%(      
6 
     / 4
6 
/

4

4 /
*940/4/
#:P#

          "5  &=>-  &?2C&?'(  4  

 * Anatomy of Criticism:1
9
 /"1&='??>(4
"(9/
L
8
"  94 0/ 4/(     #    
L94#:/4/
1/&

8F
C
  "  946 7/4/ 
./(
/
#
        
5/ De Proprietatibus Rerum "On the Order of Things ***&%3 
??'C?2?(D"B***&$3?>R(#0
4"*,'C>3?>>(1
F
N)N.N
1
5
1
1.C"(
.C"(
5

6N
"2?'C22&(
D
/

D 
      /        A            
*
F
"/(3S1
//
 *       D 
..
)
 

: 
                 
O

94#:/4/
#/      *   
              /      ,  


 P    # "94
 /&=-( 
*
        A      
01"&2F??C?R(F
??J1
6

?2J7 F
3
?RJF

5.F/

1#5
A/
 "5&=2=L&='-$?(8
#9
/"&=?(A#.
       
 4                      
   F 
9//9L
/">=C=%(9/ 
9/97/"+/
("=R(9/"&%%(S
 
4 4     
"??'C?R%(4

:/ 

4
             
A
/#
F


7

D
07D/S!The Chaucer Review $&2"&=>'(F2&=C
2?2
T.#A/Second Nuns Prologue! The Chaucer
Review ?$?"&==>(F$&'C$?&
5#Le Deuxième Sexe,*0F&=2=L&='-
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