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From: Dan Hausserman
Date: 10/27/2009
Time: 9:22:17 PM
Remote Name: 139.135.112.170
The prioress, although a humble member of the clergy, has a sinister and malicious connotation brought forward by the subject matter of her story. She is apparently a devout christian. Her habits would point to the fact that she is a woman of God and a generally amicable person. Her story, however, can be a social critique pointed at the rampant antisemitism that marked much of medieval culture. In the same way "The Merchant of Venice" describes the jewish people as a rat some other lowly, coniving animal, the prioress' tale depicts Jews as lesser citizens and essentially godless people. The turning point of the story, as well, follows these same trends, because once the child is recognized as a manifestation of "the queen of the universe" or whatever they call her, the child is held as a miraculous conversion, even after a gruesome death.