Ali Dawood 12A -Expository Essay about unethical characters-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In “The Prologue from The Canterbury Tales”, the poet Geoffrey Chaucer expresses his views on the people who would a-company him in the pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral.
In his poem, Chaucer criticized the hypocrisy and questioned their integrity and the ethicality of their actions.
One of the first characters was that of the Monk. The Monk displayed a shocking disregard for the Role of monks in society, he violated St. Benet and Stemar monastic rules. He had a lavish stable that housed the finest of horses and he seemed much interested in eating and hunting, he didn’t value the word of god, furthermore
…show more content…
Ironically all his patients that he has examined will be sent to a group of apothecaries, with whom he 's worked out a financial deal that 's made him rich. So, wealthy is he that he 's able to afford expensive “blood-red garments, slashed with bluish gray And lined with taffeta, he rode his way;”
He was apparently secular and not interested in religion, as seen in line 448:
“He did not read the bible very much”
Yet, despite this one conspicuous display of wealth, the Doctor is moderate overall, partaking of a diet that 's modest and nourishing while saving up most of his gold. Chaucer explains further stating in lines 451-454:
“Yet he was rather close as to expenses And kept the gold he won in pestilences. Gold stimulates the heart, or so we’re told. He therefore had a special love of gold.”
Additionally, Chaucer criticized the behavior of another character, the Friar. Like the Monk, the Friar enjoyed a lavish and extravagant life style, always ready to befriend young women or rich men who might need his services, the Friar actively administers the sacraments in his town, especially those of marriage and confession. However, Chaucer’s worldly Friar has taken to accepting bribes and exploiting the hapless and hopeless to achieve financial gain as seen in lines 250-273:
“He was the finest beggar of his