After the tragic tale told by Prioress in Canterbury Tales, the host invites Chaucer the pilgrim to tell a tale of mirth. Chaucer begins his tale of Sir Topaz in rhymes.
There was a fair and brave knight called Sir Topaz in Flanders. He was the son of a Lord and skilled at archery, hunting and wresting. All women of his place pined for him with love but he liked none of them. He dreamed of an Elf Queen who could be his best match. It so happened that one day as usual he went through a forest for hunting animals. He was so tired of a long ride and fell asleep in a drowsy place. When he woke up, his longing for a fairy queen was more. His search for the elf queen brought him to an unknown fairy land where a mighty giant threatened him to flee from the place lest he should smash his horse with his club. He cast thrones at him and the knight challenged him to kill after coming back with full armour.
Sir Topaz prepared himself in fine armour for his battle with the giant and was cheered by his men to win the laurel. Now Sir Topaz, the flower of royal chivalry flew from his place like sparks out of the flame. The host being greatly disappointed, interrupts Chaucer and yells,
“No more of this for God’s great dignity!...
Your idle rhyming is not worth a turd!
You do nothing else but waste our time.”
He asks Chaucer to try something in prose rather than in poetry that does not suit him well. This the Tale of Sir Topaz thus falls incomplete.
Criticism:
The tale is told in three fits in a grand manner but it doesn't fit to Chaucer. Why does Chaucer the greatest poet make fun of himself allowing the host Harry Bailey to ridicule at him? The tales by all pilgrims are in fact told by Chaucer only but why should he assign such a worthless incomplete story with long tedious descriptions with little action to him? The host has insisted him to tell a tale of mirth but why does Chaucer proceed to tell a tale of chivalry? All remains a mystery. Chaucer's excuse cannot belittle his worth since the tale is a new try in the mock-heroic sense. Thomas Warton says that the whole tale is a parody and the character of Chaucer should not be confused with Chaucer the author.
