Life is like a box of fancy chocolates.. there are always some crappy flavors... but enjoy the good ones.

I don't know about that pigs n taters... but at least these chocolates are labeled. 

The “Shoving Almost Every Courtly Love Rule Award” goes to ... Geoff with a G Chaucer… for “The Knight’s Tale!”

I am not kidding. Out of every story that we have read so far, this story is the ultimate portrayal of Courtly Love. The only rule missing is the whole “adultery in a marriage is cool” rule. All the jealousy, obsession, and suffering rules are present in the story.

Anyways, I feel like this tale is really about fortune and destiny. Arcite, Palomon, and Emelye’s futures seem to be predetermined by the games of the gods and goddesses. This story really reminds me of “The Iliad”. The Gods determined the destinies of the characters, but this does not necessarily mean that the mortals are powerless. They make the decisions of how to act if they are dealt with bad fortune or good fortune. (Which honestly, even if a character receives good fortune, do they really get to enjoy their good fortune for long? Cough… Arcite.) I mean, I feel like this guy’s destiny was determined by the gods from the beginning. Mercury tells him to go back to Athens… and he makes the decision to go back. This results in his death, but he probably would have died anyways from love deprivation. He makes the best of his “freak accident” death by dying in honor. Emelye’s destiny is to marry one of the knights. Even though she tries to get out of the marriage, Diana says no. Emelye decides to accept it, and she eventually does end up in a happy marriage with Palomon.

I frequently hear that this tale focuses on gender roles and feminism, but I disagree with this. Every man and woman is ultimately powerless to the gods. The gods decide the course and fate of everyone. The woman are portrayed as emotional and have the power to persuade; however, I do not think Chaucer added this in as a way to show feminism or gender roles. I mean Emelye can’t even get out of the marriage. It’s more to show that the true power lies in the hands of the gods. Before the battle, Chaucer goes into long descriptions about the extravagance of each temple and worships to the gods. In some ways, I feel like Chaucer is either mocking religion or showing the importance of devotion in religion. Overall, I think Chaucer is basically saying that…

Life is full of suffering… tough luck... but, you can make the best of it.

<---- Suffering

Courtly Love is Rage Inducing

No, but seriously, what the hell is wrong with these people?

Okay, okay. Maybe I shouldn't judge a bunch of dead people. It's not like it's going to change anything now. So, to really start out I should give Courtly Love some props. One, women were backing this movement and that's pretty freakin' awesome. To be able to commission what you want to see is rad as hell. I mean, we can do it all we want now with fic-prompts and artist commission drives online but I'm sure back then it wasn't one misspelled message away.  To be fair, these were wealthy women who could afford to sit around and read and bullshit rules for lower society to follow.. but its not nothing.

Another thing that is pretty bitchin' is the whole notion of defining and understanding love. It's a very scientific approach to an intensely emotional...thingy so I appreciate the desire for grounding. I guess it could be argued that it takes some of the romance and magic out of love but I say Bah to that. dissect it, poke it, get to the core of it, or as the Chaplain would say, "meditate"in it.

Ok, now onto why I actually really, strongly dislike the notion of courtly love.

 There is nothing mutual about anything that is going on in the rules of courtly love. Like, the woman could be anything else in the world and it wouldn't make a damn difference. She could be a freaking dining room chairs and there'd be no change because it's all about the man. And that isn't even really why it bugs me, it's just I can't understand how you're supposed to love someone but spending too much time with them could dampen that love...or that true love breaks all previous engagements and everyone is relatively cool with it. The man in love seems to be able to love without consequence while the world is shitting itself around him.

Stop, I can hear you saying, "But, Iris! He totally suffers. Didn't you read the very definition of Love? You dumbass, it says it right there that it's an inborn suffering."

That noise don't fly with me. So he has to get a bit of insomnia, lose his appetite, and think about his lady love all the time. 

Guess what the lady has to do? WHO THE HELL KNOWS BECAUSE THIS SURE AS SHIT AIN'T ABOUT HER!

All she has to do is be perceived as pretty by some guy who isn't old, young, blind, or horny. 

UNLESS, WOOO BOY HOWDY, UNLESS SHE IS A PEASANT. THEN, YOU CAN JUST RAPE HER BECAUSE SHES TOO DUMB AND TOO POOR TO KNOW WHEN WOOING IS HAPPENING!!!!!!

Okay, I'm calm. Bringing it down.

Don't mistake my rage for disrespect. I'm grateful that this has led to modern day romance novels because I soak that shit up like butter. But there is at least a teaspoon of personality in the characters. (GASP! BRAIN BLAST! Maybe it's supposed to be like a choose your own adventure book where you pretend to be the lady...hmmm.)

Graaah, There are so many other things I could yell about. For now,