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How The Most Disobeyed The Church In The Canterbury Tales

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Geoffrey Chaucer is assumed to be the narrator of The Canterbury Tales. This unusual structured poem was written to satirize the corruption of the church during the Middle Ages. There were many tales that the pilgrims told as they were making pilgrimages to the Cathedral at Canterbury. The tales represent how most characters really were as opposed to how they should have been. Some of the pilgrims made this journey for two main reasons. One reason was to go for religious purposes, and the other for a free vacation. Some of the pilgrims were admired by Chaucer, while others were considered corrupt. Out of all the names mentioned during the pilgrimage, the most corrupt was The Summoner. There were several pilgrimages made to the Cathedral at …show more content…

There were several men and women who disregarded everything the church taught. This made Chaucer furious, because nobody took authority over this happening. He could explain it as everyone being blinded from what was going on behind closed doors. For example, Two Characters that completely disobeyed the church was The Nun and The Monk. In Modern times, Nuns are considered to be very holy. They are obligated to give everything they own up, such us property and certain lifestyles, and devout their selves completely to the Lord. In The Canterbury Tales, The Nun was in the religious class and was at the head of the covenant and was looked upon daily. However, her lifestyles were displeasing. She was a very thick woman, which showed obvious signs of wealth. Besides her being filled out, she was also very lustful. “For courtliness she had a special zest” (l.136). A Nun could not have any intimate relations with any man. The only man she should be focused on is the Lord. From the Nun being fat to her being lustful, she was a very corrupt …show more content…

The Monk was another individual that journeyed alongside the many other pilgrims to Canterbury. He was a part of the religious class, but was not active in it. Typically a Monk’s job was to work, study and pray. This monk, did everything but study and pray, and the only Work he partaken in was the killing of animals as a sport, which was very against the church. Although, it was not a sin for a monk to kill animals for food. The Monk did not have any interest in the old ways of the church, for “He ignores the rules of St.Benet or St.Maur” (l.177). He was not a very obedient Monk, which made Chaucer consider him to be corrupt in the

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In Canterbury Tales Chaucer presents the Church in a negative light in order to call attention to its corrupt practices. Examples of this can be seen through his depictions of the different clergymen  present in the work. He harshly criticizes people such as the Monk, the Friar, the Summoner, and the Pardoner, suggesting that he was unhappy with their use of authority.      One of the first corrupt church officials Chaucer mentions is the Monk. The Monk is described in the prologue as a fat man who ignores monastic rule in order to live modernly.

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