Canterbury Tales The Monk Character Analysis

452 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Chaucer's character in Canterbury tales

In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales during the monk's general prologue description it states that the monk "… rode the country; hunting was his sport. A manly man to be an Abbot able" (pg 101). A monks job is to be in the church, so why is he out and about hunting. The monk said " he did not rate the text at a plucked hen which says that hunters are not holy men" (pg.102) and the narrator agrees with him. Chaucer is proving his point that the monk which is supposed to be a holy man is rebelling against the church. The monk is showing that he is a stubborn man who doesn't like following the rules. Normally if you don't follow the rules you get indicted or fired, but in the monk's case nothing has happened to him yet.

The monk is considered a holy man who has dedicated his life to God. In The Canterbury Tales it indicates that a monks is supposed to live simply, devoted to prayer and work, but when Chaucer describes the monk in the story it a polar opposite. Chaucer says "...his sleeves were garnished at the hand with fine gray fur, the finest in the land..."(pg 102) Monks are supposed to wear simply clothing, but the monk in the story doesn't. The finest in the land show that the monks rob is probably expensive which is against what the monks believe they are supposed to live. Chaucer says " he was a fat and personable priest", "he was not pale like a tormented soul" and he was a prelate fit for exhibition" (pg102). Chaucer is again showing us how the monk is not …show more content…

The monk is not a stereotypical charter because he doesn't fit into a generalization of a monk. Monks are supposed to be simple, pray a lot and work hard but the monk does not do any of those things. Chaucer holds him up as a model because he does not make fun of him or how he looks. He compliments the monk and even agrees with the monks thoughts on St.

Show More
Related

  • Cheeky Chaucer: An Analysis on Chaucer´s Characters

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Characters from Chaucer’s Prologue are very well developed and full fledged characters, he goes very far into the depth of the character which only enhances his story, making it one of the highest regarded in the English language. Whether it be the characters, of the Pardoner, the Nun, or the rich Monk, it all expresses things of people that need to be changed in society, which I agree wholeheartedly with.

    Read More

  • Version I of the Canterbury Tales

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, has gone through many adaptations. Some authors decided to translate the story into verse, while others chose to write the as a narrative in prose. Although all adaptations are based off the same story, they are vastly different and can be the result of opposing interpretations of the original work. After reading a text translated by Nevill Coghill (referred to as Version I) and a text translated into a narrative by a different author (referred to as Version II), it is obvious that for each similarity they share, there are many more differences in language, syntax, and imagery as well.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of The Early Christian Monk

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    Monks are known to live in seclusion and to focus their mind on spirituality. Yet, there is more to their lives than just that. Early Christian monks strived to protect Christianity. Christians during this time were being persecuted for their religion. Many were in danger of pagans whose religion maintained a stronghold on theirs. In order to protect the faith, monks tried to get people to remain resilient in their faith. Monks wanted ideas like this to be passed down to other fellow Christians. That is why the intended audience from the Early Christians Lives is fellow Christians. Early Christian monks stressed the idea of having faith in God, so that fellow Christians who have faith would be protected from enemies, that certain situations

    Read More

  • Chaucer and Corruption within the Catholic Church

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chaucer aptly creates a picture that exposes how materialistic the clergy is. They all should be concerned with spiritual matters, yet they focus their attention on acquiring more mundane goods. The Monk makes no pretense of being poor and without luxuries. "I saw his sleeves were garnished at the hand with fine gray fur, the finest in the land, and on his hood, to fasten it at his chin he had a wrought-gold, cunningly fashioned pin. . ." (197-200, 110). Not only is this monk fat, and thus quite well fed, he has the money to afford details such as fur on his cloak. He is looking for attention by having such fine things. His station as a monk, however, requires him not only to work with the poor, but to be poor himself. Obviously, he is not following this requirement, much like the Prioress. Madam Eglantyne, appears at first glance to be proper for her station in life. However, a closer examination reveals "she wore a coral trinket on her arm, a set of beads, the gaudies tricked in green, whence hung a golden brooch of brightest sheen" (162-64, 109). A golden brooch serves no other purpose than being decorative. The Prioress has no...

    Read More

  • Chivalry In The Knight's Tale Essay

    1744 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the tale, The Knight’s Tale, Chaucer made sure not to deviate away from what he saw during his time because some qualities emerged as prominent figures. The Knight’s Tale made sure to exemplify the idea of courtly love and what it truly means to be a knight who follows the code of chivalry. Some of the qualities of being chivalrous is being generous, honest, courageous, and supporting the notion of justice, which the readers can see that Chaucer understood the significance of the noble behavior and how that affected people at that time. Furthermore, the article, “The Canterbury Tales for Poetry of Students” highlighted how the noble life of the chivalry was a momentous part of the tale since the tale was “a comment on the possibilities

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Canterbury Tales is more than an amusing assortment of stories; it is an illustration of the society in which Geoffrey Chaucer lived. It portrays the culture and class system of the medieval ages in microcosm. Every strata of human life at the time were represented by the many characters whose tales are told. Each character’s basic human nature also plays a role in their stories, and each one has within them the strengths and weaknesses that make up all of humanity. Each character exemplifies their life and reputation through the stories they tell. The Pardoner uses his tale as a ploy to garner money. His tale embodies each deadly sin, and every reader can relate to his story and feel the guilt of his characters. The Wife of Bath’s tale expresses her own ideals in the way her character is given a second chance after committing a crime. The Franklin’s tale, because of its straightforwardness and honesty is a direct representation of the Franklin’s simple and joyful life. Each character tells a tale that is a suitable match to their personality. These characters’ tales represent prevalent themes of the middle ages, including greed, corruption of religious clergymen, violence, revenge, and social status. In Chaucer’s society, the traditional feudal system was losing its importance and the middle class began to emerge. The middle class characters within the Canterbury Tales, with their personal lives and interactions with members of differing social classes, gave an understanding of the growth of society, especially the rising middle class, during medieval times.

    Read More

  • Greed In The Shipman's Tale

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Chivalry In The Canterbury Tales Analysis

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    The stories on The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer often undermine societal hierarchies at the time. The tales Chaucer tells highlight aspects of authority that would otherwise never be questioned. In “The Miller’s Tale”, the notion of a clear useful economic hierarchy is challenged. Chaucer critiques chivalry in “The Knight’s Tale,” testing the value of the authority it provides. In “The Friar’s Tale”, Chaucer questions the benevolence of the church and its position hierarchy. By giving archetypal characters the freedom to act in opposition to their hierarchical roles, Chaucer calls the nature of authority into question.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of the Characters of The Canterbury Tales

    2545 Words  | 6 Pages

    An interesting aspect of the famous literary work, "The Canterbury Tales," is the contrast of realistic and exaggerated qualities that Chaucer entitles to each of his characters. When viewed more closely, one can determine whether each of the characters is convincing or questionable based on their personalities. This essay will analyze the characteristics and personalities of the Knight, Squire, Monk, Plowman, Miller, and Parson of Chaucer's tale.

    Read More

  • Attitudes And Attrivants In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • Canterbury Tales Essay: Immorality and the Friar

    1087 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is a sad commentary on the clergy that, in the Middle Ages, this class that was responsible for morality was often the class most marked by corruption. Few works of the times satirically highlight this phenomenon as well as The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer’s "General Prologue" introduces us to a cast of clergy, or "Second Estate" folk, who range in nature from pious to corrupt. The Friar seems to be an excellent example of the corrupt nature of many low-level clergymen of the times- while his activities were not heretical or heinous, his behavior is certainly not in accord with the selfless moral teachings he is supposed to espouse. According to the Narrator’s account, he is a snob, corrupted by greed, and acts in very un-Christian ways. It is clear that he is a man of low moral standards.

    Read More

  • Literary Essay: Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...iplomat, and civil servant for the king collecting and inventorying metal scraps) that Chaucer had led him to meet the 'types' of people portrayed in his stories exemplifying in a certain way social classes. He was able to model the speech and ways to parody the very people, in which his literature would become popular. His narrative was closer to society with which they felt identified.

    Read More

  • Paradise Lost and The Canterbury Tales

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Chaucer's Use of Satire towards the Corruptness of the Medieval Church

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chaucer uses the Prioress, the Monk and the Friar to represent his views on the Church. He makes the three model members of the Church appear to have no problems with self-indulgence, greed, and being unfaithful to their vows. He displays his anti skeptical thoughts of the faults of the medieval church by making fun of its teachings and the people of the church, who use it for personal gain. Chaucer see’s the church as corrupt, hypocritical and greedy.

    Read More

  • Chaucer's Irony - The Canterbury Tales

    1274 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Friar's portrait, he is delineated and depicted by riddles of contradictory qualities. Chaucer expertly uses ironic naiveté to highlight the Friar's lack of moral guilt. When the reader is told that the Friar, "knew the taverns wel in every toun" (l. 240), we can take it to mean that he spends very much time drinking, flirting and socialising in pubs. The Friar is superseded to be a holy man, but we see that he knew the landlords and barmaids much better than the people he has meant to be consoling, praying for and helping out of the vicious circle of poverty.

    Read More

More about Canterbury Tales The Monk Character Analysis

Open Document