Canterbury Tales Theme

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a story that includes many satirical points in it. Many of the characters in the story have characteristics which are ironic or objective to the characters role or profession. The characters that are the most satirically described are the members of the clergy. Chaucer did this purposely as he had a certain outlook towards the church. Some of the members are portrayed as fulfilling their roles as members of the clergy, others however, had either dubious intentions or don’t quite meet the expectations of a church member. All of this is shown to us through Chaucer’s descriptions of the characters.
The Friar is perhaps one of the most despicable characters in The Canterbury Tales. His job is to give penance to those who have sinned. For his services, however, the friar requires a “donation”. Basically the Friar gives penance to those who are able to pay. He is disdainful towards those who are poor and therefore cannot afford penance. He sees little use for beggars considering them scum. “It was not fitting with the dignity Of his position, dealing with a scum Of wretched lepers; nothing good can come.” (Chaucer p.27) He however, is himself a form of beggar which is why it is extremely hypocritical of the Friar to be scornful towards the poor. Chaucer’s description of the Friar shows that he has negative feelings towards the church and donations.
The Monk is another example of the negative feelings that Chaucer has towards the Church. The Monk goes against the rules of his order, dressing lavishly and hunts, which was a very expensive activity. He wasn’t supposed to hunt but did anyway because he believed it was a bad rule. The Monk basically liked to live a lavish lifestyle rather than the expected modest one. “I saw his sleeves were garnished at the hand With fine gray fur, the finest in the land ,And on his hood, to fasten it at his chin He had a wrought-gold, cunningly fashioned pin;” (Chaucer p.25) The excerpt from