Satire is a form of criticism, which uses humour to expose aspects of society, which the composer objects to or disapproves of. Chaucer uses satire in his poem about the prioress to expose her hypocrisy in being a nun. He looks at her manners, her materialism and vanity, and her conscience and by appearing to approve of them he holds them up to ridicule.

First he describes her eating habits.

"In curteisye was set ful muchel hir lest" (line 133)

"And peyned hire to counterfete cleene/ Of court and to been estatlich of manner/ And to been holden digne of reverence" (lines 139-141)

Here Chaucer is describing how the prioress would go to great lengths to imitate courtly manners, and how beautiful her manners were.

Nuns were meant to be humble and modest in everything they did. Many of them ate alone or in small groups. They would have...