Friar in Canterbury Tales Essay - 467 Words

Friar in Canterbury Tales Chaucer’s attitude towards the friar is one of sarcasm. The friar is wanton and merry, but this pleasant-sounding description is actually packed with mockery. By the 14th century, friars, who were supposed to give up all worldly things and live only by begging for food and alms, were almost totally corrupt. They were known for flattering the rich and deceiving the poor, and especially for seducing women in outright disregard for their vow of celibacy. Chaucers Friar, Hubert, is a limiter, one who is licensed to beg in a certain area. Hes married off women â€Å"giving each of his young women what he could afford her† which implies that he seduced them first. Hes â€Å"highly believed and intimate† with†¦show more content†¦He knows all the bars and is more familiar with barmaids and innkeepers than the lepers or beggars hes supposed to be soliciting for. Ideally, after buying necessities, friars were supposed to donate to the po or and sick any leftover money from begging. To make it more ironic, Chaucer says its not right for someone of Huberts profession to be acquainted with lepers, since after all theres no money there but when it comes to the rich and the food sellers, suddenly hes courteous and humble. He couldn’t care less about giving money to charity. His â€Å"holy how-d’ye-do† is so pleasant that he can always get a â€Å"farthing from her†. Here it is clear that the Friar gets more money from his illegal takings than his legal calling. He wears clothes better suited to a pope than to the â€Å"cloistered scholars with thread bare habit hardly worth a dollar, but much more like a Doctor or a Pope†. He also meddles in civil disputes out of court, â€Å"to arbitrate disputes on settling days (for a small fee)†. Friars were allowed to represent the poor, but had strict orders not to interfere in such cases. Hubert even lisps to make his English sound more appealing, presumably to women, â€Å"he lisped a littleShow MoreRelated General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales: The Friar and the Parson1655 Words   |  7 PagesGeneral Prologue of the Canterbury Tales: The Friar and the Parson The Friar and the Parson, as described in the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales, can be used to portray both the good and the bad sides of clergy. They make a stark contrast to each other, often even directly, with their characteristics as told by the narrator. From physical traits to their actions, these two pilgrims are almost exact opposites in certain ways. Their motivations for these actions describe the differencesRead MoreThe Friar s Tale Of Geoffrey Chaucer s Canterbury Tales Essay1508 Words   |  7 PagesWalker Mr. Abel British Lit/comp. 7 November 2016 The Friar’s Tale Many pilgrims in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales held a religious position. 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