Final answer:
Characters in 'The Canterbury Tales' are portrayed with irony, veiling their true natures; the Nun shows vanity, the Skipper lacks the expected bravery, the Merchant hides financial troubles, and the Doctor cares more for wealth than health.
Step-by-step explanation:
Irony in The Canterbury Tales is pervasive, and Geoffrey Chaucer skillfully uses it to critique societal norms by presenting characters in ways that highlight their contradictions. The irony in the portraits of the Nun, the Skipper, the Merchant, and the Doctor is particularly telling:
- The Nun positions herself as a paragon of devoutness and purity, but she is excessively concerned with her appearance and manners, displaying a vanity contrary to the humility expected of someone in her holy position.
- The Skipper is portrayed as a rough-and-ready seaman who should embody bravery, yet he is depicted as a man who flouts the law and is morally questionable, undermining the stereotypical image of the heroic sailor.
- For the Merchant, his confident and successful exterior masks his actual financial instability and debt, which is ironic considering his profession should imply financial acumen.
- The Doctor is supposed to be a healer, knowledgeable in medicine, but Chaucer's portrayal suggests he cares more about lining his pockets than the wellbeing of his patients, highlighting a hypocrisy in his character.
Each character's portrait demonstrates how they wear metaphorical "masks" to present an identity that differs greatly from their true selves or intentions, thereby engaging in social veiling. This irony serves to critique the disconnect between societal expectations and individual behavior in the 14th century.