Greed In The Shipman's Tale

“Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live” (Proverbs 15:27). The Bible condemns the value of greed and Chaucer is able to incorporate this value into his work through the ironic uses of holy men. Chaucer’s “The Shipman’s Tale” and “The Summoner’s Tale” suggests that the monk and the friar have an overactive id which overpowers their superego- evident from the character’s selfish motives and their rejection of their holy vows.

The Monk and the Friar’s overactive Id are shown through their selfish motives. In “The Shipman’s Tale,” Chaucer tells of a Monk who seems to be noble and true. Nonetheless, the reader notices the Monk’s flaws when Chaucer states “This noble monk I am describing

was glad enough, and needed little bribing…” (Chaucer 159). Chaucer is able to utilize the words of “noble” and “monk” to set up a sarcastic tone to emphasize the monk’s selfishness. A Monk is thought of as being noble and a selfless character. However, the reader realizes the author’s sarcastic tone when they realize that the monk “needed little bribing,” meaning that monk was easily bribed and loved money. The Monk realizes that what he is doing is wrong, so for him to still act with selfish motives shows how his id is overpowering his superego. Likewise, Chaucer shows how the Friar from “The Summoner’s Tale” expresses greed. Throughout the tale, the Friar offers salvations in exchange for any wealth that the person may have. The Friar “went from house to house to poke and pry and beg a little meal and cheese, or corn” (Chaucer 305). Monasteries and holy men are thought of as those who help the beggars and needy. The Friar in this tale begs for money, food and/or any other wealth a person may have, even though the Friar is not in need of money or food. This irony that Chaucer creates shows the corruptness and selfishness that the Friar possesses. As the Monk did, the Friar as well knows he is acting wrong when he decides to go around begging. Therefore, for him to continue to allow his selfish motives to have control over his ethics, shows how his id is overpowering his superego.
Chaucer’s ironic satirical device is used to show both character’s rejection of their holy vows.

In “The Shipman’s tale,” the monk is close is very good friends with a merchant, but becomes tempted at the sight of his beautiful wife. When the merchant leaves, the corrupt Monk gets the wife to agree “To take his hundred francs and to requite sir John by lying in his arms all night” (Chaucer 165). The Monk breaks three religious vows in this one act of selfishness due to his overactive id. First, Bribery. Second, Virginity. Third, Adultery. Monk’s take a religious vow to never have sexual relations with women. Not only does the Monk break this holy vow for selfish reasons, the Monk also has the merchant’s wife commit adultery, which is a very aversive sin. Likewise, the friar in “The Summoner’s tale” shows his rejection of his holy vows. The friar from this tale goes around offering prayers and salvations in exchange for any wealth or money that someone may have. The Friar goes to a sick man’s home and gives a sermon to his wife about gluttony saying people should “Study the gospels, search the Holy Book, And see if it be liker our profession. Fie their pomp! Fie their gluttony!” (Chaucer 310). Chaucer utilizes the word “gluttony” in the Friar’s sermon because the Friar is preaching about how one should not be gluttonous or greedy, when in reality, the Friar is very gluttonous and greedy. This ironic tone that Chaucer creates shows how the Friars overactive id, or

his selfish motives, are overpowering his superego, or his moral reasoning.
The Monk and the Friar from Chaucer’s “Shipman’s Tale” and “Summoner’s Tale” illustrate the effects of an overactive Id domineering one’s superego- emphasized through the character’s selfish motives and their rejection of their holy vows. The greed that Chaucer talks about in his tales is seen in the bible. Saint Paul wrote to Saint Timothy, stating, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (Timothy 6:10)