Clergy Hypocrisy During Chaucer
In the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer portrays many aspects of the lives of people in the medieval era. He shows that there is more to someone than his or her class. This is especially true in his portrayal of the clergy in the general prologue and in the tales themselves. In the days of Chaucer, when the Christian church was the driving force behind most the political and moral decisions, to be part of the church was to be in a position of power and importance. These men and women were to be holy in every way and to be good examples of how others are to live. This was not always the case and Chaucer explains how, in his parody of the clergy. Chaucer criticizes the church from appearance to practice and shows that it's not what's on the outside that counts. The Canterbury Tales exhibits many examples of how life was in the Middle Ages by having people from all classes and social status on the pilgrimage to Canterbury. There are many members of the clergy on this journey, and Chaucer explains how they try to act holy and show themselves to be morally bankrupt in doing so. A nun was one of the characters traveling in the party. Chaucer writes that "...Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly (elegantly), after the scole of S
Chaucer examines the faults of the church's elite to show that people in society that are viewed as righteous are merely humans, and that sincerity is shown in the heart as well as in the actions. Examples like the Pardoner tricking money out of people with his fake relics made of pig's bones (702-704) and the Friar's putting the fear of hell into the hearts of others to get money from them, show that not all who claim holiness are were happening in the church for real, and he wanted to tell others not to put your faith in men, for men are sinners, no matter what class or status they are. tratford at the Bowe for Frenssh of Paris was to hire unknowe." (124-126). He was saying that she would try to impress the others by speaking French, even though it wasn't in the traditional French accent, showing her falsehood even in her speech. Also, "hir smiling as ful simple and coy" (119) and that during meals she would "leet no morsel from hir lippes falle, ne wette hir fingers in hir sauce deepe." (128-130) This shows that she was always trying to have a nice appearance even during meals. This is not a bad flaw in itself, but she would only do so to act in a clean matter in front of others. Chaucer continues, "She was so charitable and so pitous she woulde weepe if that she saw a mous caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde. Of smale houndes hadde she that she fedde with rosted flessh (meat), or milk and wastelbreed; but sore wepte she if oon of hem were deed, or if men smoot (hit) it with a yerde
Some common words found in the essay are:
Frenssh Paris, Bible Friar, Peter Jesus, Middle Ages, Chaucer Christian, Examples Pardoner, Tales Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, chaucer explains, people fake, people fake relics, fake relics, canterbury tales,
Approximate Word count = 1025
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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