religious characters in the prologue to the canterbury tale/ecclesiastical characters in the prologue to the canterbury tale

 

religious characters in the prologue to the canterbury tale/ecclesiastical characters in the prologue to the canterbury tale 

Religious characters in ‘’The Prologue To The Canterbury Tale

In "The Prologue To The Canterbury Tale," Chaucer was the first major English poet to give a realistic image of men and women. Through several of his characters in " The Prologue to The Canterbury Tale," Chaucer depicts the corruption of the church in the Middle Ages.

Though religion held strength above people's souls and mind in Chaucer's time, its influence was unfortunately perverted. The charterhouse were fostering dishonesty, abusing the poor, and profiting from religion. Ethics morals and  were becoming obsolete. The ecclesiastics had earned a reputation for being  dishonest and corrupt. They had lost sight of their sacred responsibilities and had degraded.

In "The Prologue to The Canterbury Tale," Chaucer reflects the religious situations of his period by depicting a few religious personalities. Some of the characters are portrayed positively by Chaucer, such as Knight, who is described as brave and heroic. The religious pilgrims, on the other hand, are almost universally depicted in a negative manner.

A quick description of the ecclesiastical figures in "The Prologue" sheds a great deal of information on Chaucer's religious views.

In "The Prologue," the Prioress is the first ecclesiastical character. She gives a friendly smile and sings in a nasal tone. She is acquainted of society's etiquette, Chaucer remarks cynically, and knows how to take morsels to her mouth.

Chaucer says:

‘’ Well koude she carie a morsel, ……upon hir brest’’

She wears stylish dress,  engraved with the words:

‘’ Amor Vincit omnia’’ i.e. ‘’Love conquers everything.’’

She embodies the 14th century's high-class religious-minded ladies. She is not a perfect Nun and embodies the characteristics of today's prioress.

The Monk is a fun-loving individual.

‘’An outridere, that lovede venerie’’

He is as plump as a lord because he lives a relaxed lifestyle and spends his time eating and drinking. He is a complete mismatch for his field. He likes to wear nice and good clothes. He's got fur-lined sleeves, gold pins, and a love knot on his neck.

‘’A love knot in the gretter end there was’’

He dislikes studying discipline and the cloister's harsh rules. He enjoys hunting and has a stable full of magnificent horses.

The Friar is a rogue, unscrupulous and greedy man who ignores his responsibilities and is unconcerned about religion. He enjoys singing, arranging marriages, drinking, and going to public places and inns. He cultivates relationships with the wealthy Franklin and deserving women. He is a villain and a rascal. He fosters sin by providing a straightforward solution in the form of abuses his power, and uses others in terms of their lapse and an apology. He was also a master of the begging game.

‘’For thogh a wydwe …… he wente.’’

The Summoner is a vile character. He is feared by children. Children do not like him. he is a source of fear for children.  

Onions, red wine and garlic,  are among his favorite foods. He is a hypocrite who permits people to continue in their misdeeds while forgiving them in exchange for a modest gift. He understands the secrets of teenage ladies and men and uses them to his advantage.

‘’The young girles …...al hir reed.’’

The Pardoner is a complete liar. His backpack is stuffed with artefacts, which he sells to housewives for a profit.

‘’He hadde …, ful of stones,...… pigges bones.’’

He welcomes the common and ordinary people. He sings happily, cheerfully and softly, and this attracts the crowd. He has a low opinion of Chaucer, who humorously refers to him as "a noble ecclesiastical."

The poor Parson and Knight, in contrast to these corrupt religious figures, are depicted in a positive light by Chaucer.

The Knight is a noble, honest and gentle man who battles for the truth and for Christ, not for his own glory or fortune.

‘’He was a verray, parfit gentil knight.’’

He has successfully journeyed through many heathen places. The Knight is one of the few characters praised entirely by Chaucer. He truly exemplifies the finest level of chivalry.

The Parson, unlike other religious characters like the Nun and the Pardoner, was generous and courteous.

‘’A good man ……of a tour’’

He preaches with accuracy and sincerity, and he attempts to put what he teaches into practice. He lives a moral, devotional, humble , virtuous and service-oriented life.

‘’A better...… noon ys.’’

The Clerk is not an ecclesiastical figure, although he does attend church to study. One of the romanticized characters is the Clerk. He is an analytical and a logical thinker.

‘’A clerk ther ……longe yge.’’

He is uninterested in melodrama and worldly affluence. He is  a pauper and a scrooge. In his speech, he is rapid and to the point. He enjoys both learning and teaching. He exemplifies the poet's learning.

As a result, we can conclude that all of the aforementioned elements demonstrate Chaucer's realistic approach to religion. It was clear that Chaucer wanted to prove and demonstrate how perverted the Catholic Church was. He understands that religion is more about the spirit than about following rules and rituals. His clerical personas unmistakably represent the numerous corrupted features of the church at the time.