Religious Characters in The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
*Works Cited Not Included
When thinking of the figures in the church, they are thought to be loyal, respectful,
giving, and dedicated. Sadly to say this, but not all figures follow that description. In
"The Canterbury Tales", Chaucer shows the corruption of the church in the medieval
period through some of his characters, particularly through the Nun, the Monk, and
the Friar. Yet, Chaucer does show one character, the Parson, as goodness and holiness
in the church.
Nuns are member of a religious order for women, living in a convent under
vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Their orders vary in the stipulations of the
vows, some being permanent, and others only for fixed periods of time. The orders
vary in dress, purpose, and rule, but generally follow the same basic principles. The
nuns are devoted to a purely meditative life or to a life of charity, including teaching
and nursing. The head of convent is addressed by a number of different names
including abbess, prioress, and mother superior, and a nun is generally addressed as
"Sister."
Madam Eglantyne is not all what she is expected to be. Even though her smile
may be "very simple and coy" (Prologue, 123), she is not into the life of charity or
completely devoting herself to God. She owned little dogs and cried when one of
them died. She is zestful and is "very entertaining, pleasant, and friendly in her ways"
(Prologue, 141-142). She has rosy cheeks with a wide forehead, which in these times
is thought of a sign of beauty. She wears "a coral trinket on her arm" (Prologue, 162)
with gaudies, large praying beads, and a "golden brooch of brightest sheen" (Prologue,
164) with a graven cr...
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...t for? He pushes away the sick and
beggars. He has a beautiful voice and is married. Also, he is believed to be playful
and may sleep around with other women.
The Parson is known as "a holy-minded man of good renown" (Prologue, 487).
He had little money, yet he gave what little he had to the poor. The Parson "truly
knew Christ's gospel and would preach it" (Prologue, 491). "Never disdainful, never
to proud or fine, but was discreet in teaching and benign." (Prologue, 525-526) He
was the model of what a figure in the church should be like.
The church figures of medieval times may have been doing wrong and been
selfish. But at least there is some that did good, such as the Parsons. He is the role
model to be followed, not the Nun, Monk, or the Friar. Chaucer shows how the
church was in Medieval times in his Prologue of "The Canterbury Tales."
Nancy Mairs is completely straightforward with her condition throughout the entire passage. “As a ...
She constantly thinks about being a “good person,” she would even like to have been a saint, “because that included everything you could know” (243) but she thinks that she has too many faults such as being a liar, ...
piano. Sometimes he put this knowledge to use and played at a few of the
From the Middle ages, the church faced many problems such as the Babylonian Captivity and the Great Schism that hurt the prestige of the church. Most of the clergy lived in great luxury while most people were poor and they set an immoral example. The clergy had low education and many of them didn’t attend their offices. Martin Luther had witnessed this himself, “In 1510 he visited Rome and was shocked to find corruption on high ecclesiastical places”
The monk receives some scathing sarcasm in Chaucer’s judgment of his new world ways and the garments he wears “With fur of grey, the finest in the land; Also, to fasten hood beneath his chin, He had of good wrought gold a curious pin: A love-knot in the larger end there was.” (194-197, Chaucer). The Friar is described as being full of gossip and willing to accept money to absolve sins, quite the opposite of what a servant of God should be like. Chaucer further describes the friar as being a frequenter of bars and intimate in his knowledge of bar maids and nobles alike. The friar seems to be the character that Chaucer dislikes the most, he describes him as everything he should not be based on his profession. The Pardoner as well seems to draw special attention from Chaucer who describes him as a man selling falsities in the hopes of turning a profit “But with these relics, when he came upon Some simple parson, then this paragon In that one day more money stood to gain Than the poor dupe in two months could attain.” (703-706, Chaucer). Chaucer’s description of the pardoner paints the image of a somewhat “sleazy” individual “This pardoner had hair as yellow as wax, But lank it hung as does a strike of flax; In wisps hung down such locks as he 'd on head, And with them he his shoulders overspread; But thin they dropped, and stringy, one by one.” (677-681,
In medieval England, society’s roles were dominated by men and women were either kept at home or doing labor work. Among the most famous medieval English literature, “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, lies ‘The Wife of Bath's Prologue’ and ‘The Wife of Bath's Tale.’ Within, Chaucer shares his perspective of the Wife of Bath, the Queen, and the Crone. Through the use of symbolism and diction, Chaucer aims to change society’s expectations of women.
...id too better than lepers, beggars and that crew" (244-46, 111). The Friar cares only about pleasing himself and does not work to make other people's lives better. He neglects the people he is supposed to help and instead spends his time with the rich. These members of the clergy are not devout Catholics and have no right to be masquerading as one. By pretending to be something they are not, they bring corruption into the church.
...r’s opinion of how all clergymen should live and behave. And because he was not willing to conform to corruptness like the others, he and the true teachings of Christianity remained on the outskirts of the medieval church.
The characters are on a pilgrimage which is a clear indicator that the text is of religious genre. The Catholic Church, at the time, was losing many followers due to the Black Death and their lack of faith in the importance of the church. The Summoner and the Pardoner, who both represent the Catholic Church, are both described as greedy, corrupt, and abusive. This is a direct correlation to how Chaucer and many others felt about the Catholic Church during this period. The Monk and the Prioress are not described as being corrupt like the Summoner and the Pardoner; however they are described as falling short of what is considered ideal for people of their position. They both are described as being in a depressed state. Also bot...
Lydia is here the portrait of an independent, clever and rational woman. She seems to be a stronger...
Geoffrey Chaucer used his characters in Canterbury Tales as a way to illustrate stereotype of medieval society. The Wife of Bath, one of the pilgrims in Canterbury Tales demonstrates an authoritative role in marriage The Wife of Bath’s unusual behavior and attitudes can be interpreted by two motives: feminist ideals or sexual indulgence. When considering feminist viewpoints, it can be concluded that the Wife of Bath’s behavior is motivated by sexual indulgence.
Chaucer's Irony - The Canterbury Tales Chaucer's Irony Irony is a vitally important part of The Canterbury Tales, and Chaucer's ingenious use of this literary device does a lot to provide this book with the classic status it enjoys even today. Chaucer has mastered the techniques required to skilfully put his points across and subtle irony and satire is particularly effective in making a point. The Canterbury Tales are well-known as an attack on the Church and its rôle in fourteenth century society. With the ambiguity introduced by the naïve and ignorant "Chaucer the pilgrim", the writer is able to make ironic attacks on characters and what they represent from a whole new angle. The differences in opinion of Chaucer the pilgrim and Chaucer the writer are much more than nuances - the two personas are very often diametrically opposed so as to cause effectual irony.
The debate of which individual should have the authority in a marriage, the man or the woman, is a topic that has remained unanswered for centuries. While he does not solve this debate, Geoffrey Chaucer attempts to unpack the different elements that factor into it. In Canterbury Tales, primarily in the prologue of the Wife of Bath and both tales of the Wife of Bath and the Clerk, Chaucer displays different types of marriages. These marriages analyze how a man or woman can gain authority over the other. These marriages vary in terms of their dynamics due to the unique individuals and their environments. Through an analysis of the marriages depicted by Chaucer in the prologue and tales of the Clerk and the Wife of Bath, one can see the different
In this novel, in comparison, there are more men than women. Most of the tales told by the men stretch over a wide range of how female should be. On the other hand, the women tend to focus on one idea and stick to it to prove their point. Since there are more men, the women tend to loose the importance and focus from the men. The women figure in this book are the Prioress, the Wife of Bath, and the Second Nun. Chaucer description of the women in this novel is very stereotypical. Although he describes them with great elegance and respect, there is always a condition to it. These conditions then tend to leave no importance for the reader. The Nun is described a “charitable solicitous” who “weep[s] is she … saw a mouse caught in a trap”1. These small details put a wrong impression on the readers therefore leaving no interest and meaning for the tales the women have to say. Even after the tales are done, the Host says things that discourage the
Mother Teresa is one of the most recognized women in the world. Teresa brought in a revolutionary change in the world with her positive thoughts and love for humanity. Her missionary work started way back 1931 when she was still a little girl. She joined the Nuns as a kid in 1931, and she was later named Teresa from Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. It was in respect and honor of the Saints of Theresa. Mother Teresa’s missions were concentrated around helping the poor people with their basic needs such as food, water and shelter. She also demonstrated a lot of interest in taking care of the weak and defenseless people in the society. For example, it has been recorded that she spent a lot of time caring for the elderly, disabled and injured. At the same