Epilogue
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| - | '''The Man of Law's Tale''' (also called '''The Lawyer's Tale''') is the fifth of the ''[[Canterbury Tales]]'' by [[Geoffrey Chaucer]], written around 1387. | + | An '''epilogue''', or '''epilog''', is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work. The writer or the person may deliver a speech, speaking directly to the reader, when bringing the piece to a close, or the narration may continue normally to a closing scene. |
| + | ==In literature== | ||
| + | An epilogue is a final chapter at the end of a story that often serves to reveal the fates of the characters. Some epilogues may feature scenes only tangentially related to the subject of the story. They can be used to hint at a sequel or wrap up all the loose ends. They can occur at a significant period of time after the main plot has ended. In some cases, the epilogue has been used to allow the main character a chance to 'speak freely'. | ||
| + | An epilogue can continue in the same narrative style and perspective as the preceding story, although the form of an epilogue can occasionally be drastically different from the overall story. | ||
| + | When the author steps in and speaks directly to the reader, that is more properly considered an afterword. | ||
| - | ==The Summary== | + | ==In film== |
| - | The Man of Law tells a [[Romance (poetry)|Romance]] tale of a Christian princess named Custance (or Constance) who is betrothed to the [[Demographics of Syria|Syrian]] Sultan on condition that he convert to [[Christianity]]. The Sultan's mother connives to prevent this and has her set adrift on the sea. Her adventures and trials continue after she is shipwrecked on the [[Northumberland]] coast. | + | In films, the final scenes may feature a montage of images or clips with a short explanation of what happens to the characters. ''[[Four Weddings and a Funeral]]'' and ''[[National Lampoon's Animal House]]'' are examples of such films. |
| - | Northumberland is a pagan country where the King, Alla (based on Chaucer's understanding of the historical [[Ælla of Northumbria]]) eventually converted to Christianity. His evil mother intercepts and falsifies a letter between the couple, which results in Constance being banished. Constance is forced to go to sea again and is found by a Senator of Rome. The Senator takes both Constance and her child back to Italy to serve as a household servant. The King goes to Rome, in an effort to have a pilgrimage, and finds Constance. In the end the couple return to Northumberland. Alla dies a year later, and the baby boy becomes the King. | + | ==In television== |
| + | The US series "[[Arrested Development]]" is a good example as it has an epilogue at the end of every episode. | ||
| - | ==Sources== | + | ==See also== |
| - | The tale is based on a story within the ''Chronicles'' of [[Nicholas Trivet]] but the major theme in the tale, of an exiled princess uncorrupted by her suffering, was common in the literature of the time. Her tale is also told in [[John Gower]]'s ''[[Confessio Amantis]]'', and both are similar to the verse [[Romance (genre)|Romance]] ''Emare''. | + | *[[Prologue]]{{GFDL}} |
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| - | ==Analysis== | + | |
| - | ===Saints' lives genre=== | + | |
| - | The tale is meant to be a morally uplifting story and is similar to hagiography, or stories of the saints' lives, which were common popular literature of the time. Custance as her name suggests is constant to her [[Christian]] religion despite the attacks and testing it receives from the [[paganism|pagans]] and [[heathen]]s she meets on her travels. | + | |
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| - | ===Rhetoric=== | + | |
| - | The Man of Law tells his story in a pompous over-blown style as if he is defending Custance in a court of law. He also uses many [[Figure of speech|rhetorical figures]], taken straight from the manuals of rhetoric of the day, to emphasize Custance's noble character—as well as the teller's lawyerly—and state her case. | + | |
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| - | ===John Gower=== | + | |
| - | Although Chaucer receives some praise and also criticism from his own character with favourable mentions of ''[[The Book of the Duchess]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Good Women]]''; in the Man of Law's prologue he seems to spare most of his opprobrium for [[John Gower]].{{Or|date=April 2009}} Two of the tales which he dislikes, [[Canace]] and [[Apollonius of Tyre]], involve [[incest]], as did the some versions of the story. Chaucer based this tale on the [[Nicholas Trivet]] story from his ''Chronicle''. Gower though had recorded all these stories. Chaucer is, perhaps, with friendly banter, trying to goad his friend and fellow writer into a storytelling challenge. | + | |
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| - | :But certeinly no word ne writeth he | + | |
| - | :Of thilke wikke [wicked] ensample of Canacee, | + | |
| - | :That loved hir owene brother synfully -- | + | |
| - | :Of swiche cursed stories I sey fy! -- | + | |
| - | :Or ellis of Tyro Appollonius, | + | |
| - | :How that the cursed kyng Antiochus | + | |
| - | :Birafte his doghter of hir maydenhede, | + | |
| - | :That is so horrible a tale for to rede, | + | |
| - | :Whan he hir threw upon the pavement. | + | |
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| - | ===Sequence with other tales=== | + | |
| - | The various manuscripts of the tales differ on the structure of the tales with some containing the Man of Law's epilogue and others not. In the [[epilogue]], the host invites the [[The Parson's Tale|Parson]] but he is interrupted before he can begin and a different speaker tells the next tale. The [[The Summoner's Tale|Summoner]], the [[The Squire's Tale|Squire]] and the [[The Shipman's Tale|Shipman]] are listed as interrupters in the different manuscripts but it is the Shipman whose character best matches the rude remarks although the mention of his "joly body" sounds closer to something the [[The Wife of Bath's Tale|wife of Bath]] may say. What it probably shows is that Chaucer had not fixed his overall plan. There are also hints, with his claim he will talk in prose despite rhyming throughout, that the Man of Law originally told the [[The Tale of Melibee|Tale of Melibee]] before he was assigned Custance's tale late in the composition of the tales. | + | |
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| - | {{GFDL}} | + | |
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An epilogue, or epilog, is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work. The writer or the person may deliver a speech, speaking directly to the reader, when bringing the piece to a close, or the narration may continue normally to a closing scene.
Contents |
[edit]
In literature
An epilogue is a final chapter at the end of a story that often serves to reveal the fates of the characters. Some epilogues may feature scenes only tangentially related to the subject of the story. They can be used to hint at a sequel or wrap up all the loose ends. They can occur at a significant period of time after the main plot has ended. In some cases, the epilogue has been used to allow the main character a chance to 'speak freely'. An epilogue can continue in the same narrative style and perspective as the preceding story, although the form of an epilogue can occasionally be drastically different from the overall story. When the author steps in and speaks directly to the reader, that is more properly considered an afterword.
[edit]
In film
In films, the final scenes may feature a montage of images or clips with a short explanation of what happens to the characters. Four Weddings and a Funeral and National Lampoon's Animal House are examples of such films.
[edit]
In television
The US series "Arrested Development" is a good example as it has an epilogue at the end of every episode.
[edit]
See also
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Epilogue" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
