Question

What idea does the description of the prioress in the prologue to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales convey?

(A).She was a devout nun for whom religion and God were of prime importance. (B)She was concerned for the general well-being of her fellow pilgrims.
(C)She aspired to courtly life and behaved like a court lady rather than a nun. (D)She was not a person devoted to fashion and courtly manners.

Answer 1

The correct answer here is C.

The Prioress is a not what a pious person should be, Chaucer shows us. She would be described in the modern language as fake. She aspires to courtly life but her sentiments are not genuine. She behaves as she thinks nobles would act. For example she cries for a mouse caught in a trap but she easily feeds her hounds with raw flesh, so we see she is pretending.

Answer 2

The correct (C) She aspired to courtly life and behaved like a court lady rather than a nun. She was not a person concerned to fashion and courtly manners.The concept is that the Prioress was not really fixated on how she looks or what people thinks about her. She is more into the fact of her faith and the people she cared about, she is confident and thought highly of herself.