& # 8217 ; s Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper

In Geoffrey Chaucer? s The Canterbury Tales, a aggregation of narratives is presented during a pilgrim’s journey to Canterbury Cathedral. The pilgrims on the journey are from divergent economic and societal backgrounds but they have all amalgamated to see the shrine of Saint Thomas. Chaucer uses each pilgrim to state a narrative which portrays an backbreaking medieval society. The values, ethical motives and societal constructions of the society can be examined through the fabricated narratives, unknoting a corrupt, unfair and manipulative universe, a universe that is based around an ecclesiastical society.

Society was closely associated with the Church. Chaucer was clearly unhappy with the manner members of the Church were working the people ; that is why so many spiritual figures are on the pilgrim’s journey. In the General Prologue, the storyteller describes each character. The spiritual characters include the Prioress, the Friar, the Monk, the Summoner and the Pardoner. Many of these characters are rather high in their several division of church construction. They should be wholly pure in head and be function theoretical accounts for others. However, this is non the instance as Chaucer portrays the Prioress and Monk as holding romantic thoughts instead than spiritual. The Prioress knows what love means when she should non. On her, & # 8220 ; heeng a broach of gold Fula shininess, / On which ther was written a crowned A, / And after, Amor vincit omnia & # 8221 ; ( ll. 160-162 ) . This means love conquers all ; a well behaved nun should non be believing about love. She should be & # 8220 ; statilch of manere & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; digne of fear & # 8221 ; ( ll. 140-141 ) , intending she should be worthy and dignified but it seems as if Chaucer is portraying her in a different manner. The Monk besides does non carry through the duty of his place. As a follower of the regulation of Saint Benet, he should stay by the rigorous codification of behavior. However, he & # 8220 ; didn? t give a plucked biddy for that text & # 8221 ; ( l. 177 ( translated ) ) and he besides went runing but & # 8220 ; hunteres been nought sanctum work forces & # 8221 ; ( l. 178 ) . The monastic is really similar to the Prioress, as he does non desire to populate the life that he has vowed to populate and is better-suited life in the higher categories.

The Friar and the Summoner besides exhibit non-conforming behaviour which once more highlights the incorrect in the Church. The Friar is a member

of a spiritual order that is wholly hapless and has to implore to last. The Friar, though, did non like the vow of poorness and is slightly praised by Chaucer for cognizing who to inquire for money and where to travel ; “He was the beste beggere in his house” ( l. 252 ) . The Friar? s doubtful uses earned him adequate money to go a landholder. This did intend though that he is wholly dishonorable. The Summoner, on the other manus, is blatantly dishonest. He works for the ecclesiastical tribunal, his occupation is to convey wrongdoers to the tribunal for justness. Chaucer is highly critical of the Summoner, giving him “a fir-reed cherubinnes face” ( l. 626 ) . Children were even afraid of his countenance ( l. 630 ) . His ghastly visual aspect is ironically analogous with his stricken psyche. The Summoner was truly a extortioner who played on the frights of evildoers so if they paid him adequate money, he would non prosecute them. The Summoner and Friar outline the immense defects of the Church as does the Pardoner.

The Pardoner is besides a evildoer as he is guilty of selling indulgences and false relics to the sodium? ve. Chaucer says the Pardoner made & # 8220 ; the peple his apes & # 8221 ; ( l. 708 ) in the General Prologue. The Pardooner besides preaches against greed when he is in open misdemeanor of his ain sermon. Even though Chaucer describes him as a snivelling darnel, he so commends him as a & # 8220 ; baronial ecclesiaste & # 8221 ; ( l. 710 ) . This is dry because Chaucer has been utilizing the aforesaid characters to indicate out the defects of the Church, and now for him to praise this evidently crooked member of the Church, shows how low the regard he holds for the Church is.

Harmonizing to the spiritual characters described in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, the Church does non make plenty to cleanse itself from pulling such figures. They all violate the demanding life style of what they should be but they still manage to keep their places in the construction of the Church. Chaucer develops an fervent onslaught on the devolution and corruptness of the mediaeval church. He covertly exposes the immoralities assailing the very foundation of Christianity. In making so, he besides shows how the society that about wholly relied on the Church for attachment, was highly delicate and could imminently destruct because of the disorganisation caused by the corruptness.