Geschke/British Literature The Canterbury Tales The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales The Monk The Friar The Merchant The Oxford Cleric

Geschke/British Literature The Canterbury Tales

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales

The Monk

The Friar

The Merchant

The Oxford Cleric


The Monk


The Monk

• Characterization– Diction

• “one of the finest sort/ Who rode the country” (163-164)– Suggests he travels often– A monk is religious person who lives

away from the world in cloister where he resigns his life to Christ


The Monk

• “His bridle, when he rode, a man might hear

Jingling in a whistling wind as clear,Aye, and as loud as does the chapel bell Where my lord Monk was Prior of the

cell.” (167-170)

– Expensive accessories


The Monk

• “The Rule of good St. Benet or St. Maur/ As old and strict he tended to ignore” (171-172)

– Ignores the rule of proper behavior for a monk


The Monk

• “he spared for no expense” (190)

• “He was not pale like a tormented soul/ He like a fat swan best, and roasted whole.” (203-204)

– Pale=inside all day (cloistered)

– Ate very well


The Monk

• Purpose of the Diction

» Characterizes the Monk as a hypocrite

» Not concerned about the welfare of others

» Self-centered


The Monk

• Our Reaction

– We do not like the Monk


The Friar


The Friar

• Characterization

– Diction

• “a wanton one and merry” (206)

– Wanton=jolly


The Friar

• “He’d fixed up many a marriage, giving each/ Of his young women what he could afford her.” (210-211)

– Chaucer implies that the Friar arranges marriages for girlfriends he is tired of


The Friar

• “Sweetly he heard his penitents at shrift/ With pleasant absolution, for a gift.” (219-220)

– Absolves peoples sins in exchange for gifts

• Unethical


The Friar

• “His neck was whiter than a lily-flower/ But strong enough to butt a bruiser down.” (236-237)

– He is stronger than he appears


The Friar

• “He knew the taverns well in every townAnd every innkeeper and barmaid tooBetter than lepers, beggars and that crew,For in so eminent a man as heIt was not fitting with the dignityOf his position, dealing with a scumOf wretched lepers; nothing good can comeOf commerce with such slum-and-gutter

dwellers,But only with the rich and victual-sellers.”

(238-246)


The Friar

• Not interested in helping the poor

– The poor cannot offer him anything

• More familiar with the bartenders than the people he should be offering help to.


The Friar

• “He was the finest beggar of his batch, And, for his begging-district, payed a rent; His brethren did no poaching where he went. For though a widow mightn’t have a shoe, So pleasant was his holy-d’ye-do He got his farthing from her just the same Before he left, and so his income came To more than he laid out.”(250-257)


The Friar

• The Friar has a license to beg

• Takes money from the poor as well as the rich

– Unethical

– Remember, the Friar took a vow of poverty


The Friar

• “Of double-worsted was the semi-cope Upon his shoulders, and the swelling fold About him, like a bell about its mould When it is casting, rounded out his

dress.”(264-267)

– Expensive and extravagant clothing– Overweight


The Friar

• Purpose of the Diction

– Demonstrates that the Friar is unethical

– Uses his position to better himself

– Takes advantage of people

– Goes against his vows


The Friar

• Our Reaction to the Friar

– We do not like him

– We should not trust him


The Merchant


The Merchant• Characterization

– Diction• “There was a Merchant with a forking beard

And motley dress; high on his horse he sat, Upon his head a Flemish beaver hat And on his feet daintily buckled boots. He told of his opinions and pursuits In solemn tones…”

(274-279)


The Merchant

• Concerned with appearances and social stature

• Thinks highly of his opinions

• Bores others with his commentary


The Merchant

• “This estimable Merchant so had set/ His wits to work, none knew he was in debt” (283-284)

– False appearances


The Merchant

• Purpose of the Diction» Demonstrates the narcissism of

the Merchant» Critics believe that because of

the personal description of the Merchant, Chaucer had a particular individual in mind when writing about this character.


The Merchant

• Witty Ending– “To tell the truth I do not know his

name” (288)

• The merchant is so concerned about his social status and with achieving recognition, yet Chaucer cannot remember his name.


The Merchant

• Our Reaction to the Merchant

– Not much of an opinion

– We laugh at him

– He is somewhat forgettable


The Oxford Cleric


The Oxford Cleric

• Characterization– Diction

• “…his horse was thinner than a rake,And he was not too fat, I

undertake, But had a hollow look, a sober stare; The thread upon his overcoat was bare.

(291-294)• Fits the stereotype of the poor, starving

student


The Oxford Cleric

• “He preferred having twenty books in redAnd black, of Aristotle’s philosophy,Than costly clothes, fiddle or

psaltery.” (298-300)

– More concerned with learning than with physical appearances


The Oxford Cleric

• “Whatever money from his friends he took

He spent on learning or another bookAnd prayed for them most earnestly,

returningThanks to them thus for paying for his

learning.”(303-306)


The Oxford Cleric

• The Cleric repays his debts by praying for those who loaned him money

– More spiritual than the Monk or the Friar


The Oxford Cleric

• Purpose of the Diction– Demonstrates the commitment of the Oxford

Cleric to his studies– Reminds us of the lack of commitment

demonstrated by the Monk and the Friar


The Oxford Cleric

• Our Reaction to the Oxford Cleric– Not much of an opinion– Relatively forgettable character

Documents

Geschke/British Literature The Canterbury Tales The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales The Monk The Friar The Merchant The Oxford Cleric