The Middle Ages Were Full of Robust, Vibrant and Creative People, as Seen in "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Middle Ages were often referred to as the Dark Ages, but were they really dark? The narrative poem, The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer shows that the Middles Ages were really a vibrant, creative, and robust time. This poem tells about people in the Middle Ages from different classes that join together on a common mission, going on a pilgrimage. The Canterbury Tales shows that people then and people now are not all that different. Chaucer writes about the pilgrims’ personalities and their place in the social classes.

In The Canterbury Tales, the Summoner torments people and gets drunk, while the Parson goes out and cares of the sick and poor. An example occurs when the Summoner is going out “And drinking strong red wine till all was hazy” (653) and neglects doing his job. Doing as he pleased, the Summoner “could bring duress On any young fellow in the diocese. He knew their secrets, they did what he said”(681-683), this is an example of the Summoner infuriating people. However, a contrasting example is that the Parson has a wide parish and he does not neglect the people w...