Canterbury Tales Essay

In Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”, many characters suffer from Dante’s “Seven Deadly Sins”. I have chosen to write about The Skipper, for his avariciousness and wrath; The Miller for his pride and avariciousness; and also The Franklin for his gluttony, avariciousness and slothfulness. I have found examples for these in “The Prologue” by Chaucer.

The Skipper is avaricious and also suffers from wrath. He is avaricious because he would gain someone’s trust so they would do business with him and then he would steal from them and cheat them. In “The Prologue”(pg. 103 lines 407-408), it reads, “He’d drawn at Bordeaux, while the trader snored. The nicer rules of conscience he ignored”. He also suffered from wrath, anytime he had extra people on his ship, he would make them walk the plank. In “The Prologue”(pg.103 lines 409-410), it says, “If, when he fought, the enemy vessel sank, he sent the prisoners home: they walked the plank”.

The Miller was inflicted by pride and avariciousness. He was very prideful. He would boast about anything that he could do well. In “The Prologue”(pg. 107 lines 557-558), it says, “Broad, knotty and short-shouldered, he would boast, He could heave any door off hinge and post”. He was an avaricious man. He would steal grain for himself. In “The Prologue”, it says, “His was a master-hand at stealing grain. He felt it with his thumb and thus he knew its quality and took three times his due”. (Pg. 107 lines 570-572)

The Franklin suffered from gluttony, lust and slothfulness. He ate all the time. He had way too much food and it was all for himself. In “The Prologue”, it reads, “His bread, his ale were the finest of fine, and no one had a better stock of wine. His house was never short of bake-meat pies…..”(Pg. 101 lines 351-354). He lusted for pleasure. That is all he wanted from life. In “The Prologue”, it says, “He loved a morning sop of cake and wine, he lived for pleasure and always have done”. (Pg.