Good vs. Evil in "The Friars Tale"

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Society has always judged a person on his level of morality. This level of judgment has been evident since the immoral acts of Adam and Eve were committed. Some of these acts are dishonesty, adultery, and ignorance. “The Friar’s Tale” makes these moral issues clear through various characters. The summoner and the Devil both show dishonesty, abuse of power, and mercilessness. In this short story, Chaucer illustrates the theme of immorality and how it affects the character of all the persons in the tale.
.Characters display dishonesty in “The Friar’s Tale”. The summoner steals the money that he collects from peasants. Chaucer illustrates this act of immorality when he says,
“Now truly…so do I. I never spare to take a thing, knows God, unless it be too heavy or too hot. What I get for myself, and privately, no kind of conscience for such things have I”.
(170-174).
The summoner is being dishonest to the people that he collects from by not telling him that he keeps the money. The summoner admits to the Devil that he steals. The summoner also says that he has no conscience. Therefore he can not be kept from evil.
(Gray 115)
Bowden addresses the summoner’s immorality when he states,
“Fact and fiction both condemn him as especially licentious and dishonest. He also mentions how Gower writes of him as pretending to be poor but, in actuality, as being as rich as a king”
(Bowden 55).
Stealing is immoral, and Bowden reinforces that the summoner is immoral and steals beyond need. He is also being dishonest to his Archdeacon by not giving him the collections. The devil persuade the summoner into committing immoral acts. He makes the summoner believe that he himself is a thief as well. We see this happen when the devil says,
“My wages are right scanty, and but small. My lord is harsh to me and niggardly, my job is most laborious, you see; and therefore by extortion do I live”
(162-165).
Hallissy agrees when he states,
“When Geoffrey comments that the friar likes the company of such people better than that of lepers and beggars…such worldly values are inappropriate in a follower of Christ”.
(Hallissy 33).
By hanging out with those of higher status, the friar proves that he is not carrying out his vows. Hallissy suggests that the summoner, who should be a model for the community, is immoral.

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