Chaucers Prologue To The Canterbury Tales Essay Example for Free

Chaucers Prologue To The Canterbury Tales EssayDave Tagatac side of meat III Dec. 1, 2000 Canterbury Tales Essay 1 In Geoffrey Chaucers Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, there was a Friar to accompany the party locomotion to Canterbury. Hubert, as he was called, embodied the traits from which friars were expected to keep their distance. Chaucer is successful in using this white-necked beggar to make for to the readers mind corruption, wealth, greed, and lechery, all hypocritical and immoral characteristics for a man of the church to possess. Although he is a springy man, full of joy and wantonness, these ar mere irrelevancies when assessing Huberts value of character as a friar. Throughout Chaucers rendering of the Friar in the Prologue, Huberts corruption is evident. Probably the Friars greatest evil is suggested early in his description and mentioned several(prenominal) times more. When Hubert would marry a couple, he would give each Of his young women what he could afford her. The informal connotation of this statement is enforced by the fact that He kept his tippet stuffed with pins for curls, / And pocket-knives, to give to pretty girls. some different evidence of corruption, although not as reprehensible as the defiance of celibacy, includes Huberts failure to befriend the lepers, beggars, and that crew, to whom friars were intended to be nearest. The bank clerk explains that their lack of money makes their friendship simply a waste of the Friars time.A friar is say to be poor, only taking what they need to survive, and giving the rest to those impoverished souls who need it. Hubert, on the other hand, was quite wealthy. I have never known the imbibing of alcohol to be a indispensableness of life, and yet this friar knew the taverns very well in every town / And every innkeeper and barmaid too. The narrator even states outright that his income came / To more than he laid out. Yet another extraneous possession for a friar was the extravagant dress Hubert wore, as contrasted with the rags friars were expected to don. All of these things demonstrate how the Friar, even when obtaining more than he expected, gave very little to the poor, and kept much for himself.This feeling is continued even augmented upon examination of Huberts greed. highly beloved and intimate was he / With Country folk within hisboundary. As mentioned above, he associated not with the poor, scarce only with the rich and victual-sellers. Anyone from whom a profit was possible was inherently the Friars friend. This greed is indisputable in coruscation of a final piece of evidence. That is that Hubert would actually pay other friars not to beg in his district. Again, these are actions to be frowned upon in any man, let alone a religiously affiliated one.Finally, Hubert can be shown to be a leach, hanging around those from whom he can get money, and depending on them to support his luxuriant lifestyle. Although he had no permission to hear confessio n, this was one way for him to make money, and he did not vary to utilize it. He even targeted those who werent so wealthy in a never-ending quest for financial gain though a widow mightnt have a shoe / / He got her farthing from her just the same. When quite a little of his district had a dispute, the lecherous Friar was there. Hubert could be found taking advantage of any chance he could find to make money honestly, or dishonestly.The Friar was well liked, and had a wonderful tattle voice, but his contributions to society ended here. He, through his actions, has shown evidence of corruption, immoral opulence, greed to increase this wealth, and a austere habit of leaching off others. He was considered a man of the church, but he was far from the pietism the title friar conveys.