Greed In The Shipman's Tale

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“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 …show more content…

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

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