How does Chaucer effectively use satire in the General Prologue?

The narrator describes a range of characters. What devices does he use in his descriptions?

Use at least three of the characters from the General Prologue in your response.

Satire is the use of humor to expose someone or something's vices or flaws. In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer uses satire to expose the faults of institutions, and common stereotypes of his time.

Satire is broken into six elements, all of which are dominant in the tales.

1. Verbal Irony - to say one thing and mean something else

2. Mockery - to make something the laughing matter

3. Understatement - implying the opposite something by saying less than one means

4. Overstatement - implying something by exaggeration

5. Parody - a mocking imitation

6. Sarcasm - the use of praise to mock someone

Even in the General Prologue, the reader is exposed to Chaucer's satiric tone. This is especially true when he introduces to us the characters. For example, The Knight's description is understatement. He is meant to poke fun at the Knights's of Chaucer's time that no longer followed the Code of Chivalry.

Usually, the more Chaucer dislikes a character the more prevalent satire is in their description. An example of this is the Pardoner, his horrible description is overstatement to show what a horrible person he is. Also the animalistic description of him is a parody for the same purpose.

Corruption of the Catholic Church was a major problem during Chaucer's time and, is a major theme in The Canterbury Tales. Through the use of satire, he exposes this issue to the audience. A major example of this is the overstatement of how bad the religious figures. The only moral religious figure, the parson, is a understatement whose pure lifestyle is meant to exemplify the adulterated lifestyles of the other clergy members.