Friar Brother Hubert

The Friar, Brother Hubert, is one of Chaucer’s portrayals of the corrupt clergy. Chaucer terms him “a wantown and a merye” man, who seeks pleasure in life (Chaucer 208). His occupation is that of a limiter, one who is licensed to solicit alms within an assigned limit. Although limiters are supposed to be humble and modest, Hubert possesses an outgoing disposition and plans on leading a comfortable life. Instead of attending to lepers and beggars, as friars are expected to do, the Friar cultivates relationships with wealthy men so that he can make a profit. In my drawing, I exhibited the Friar as a jovial, imposing man with dubious intentions dressed in an elaborate robe. Based on Chaucer’s description of the Friar in the General Prologue of
One look at his inner thoughts reveals his intentions of pardoning sins in exchange for money, as he determines that a beggar’s life is not fit for him. He will pardon anyone’s sins provided that he “wiste to han a good pitaunce” (224). In an effort to achieve his goal of living comfortably, the Friar requires compensation to absolve one’s sins, which highlights his intentions of accumulating money. Furthermore, to those who donate a significant sum, he assigns easy penance, making him quite popular among the wealthy elite. He is giving into his selfish desires in order to achieve a life of luxury, which is communicated in the speech bubble of my picture. The Friar’s “sale” of forgiveness is his greatest vice, as he is subverting an important religious event – the confession of sin and the attainment of God’s mercy. My interpretation of the Friar also illustrates his possession of an elegant robe, one which was not a “thredbar cope, as [of] a povre scoler / but was lyk [that of] a maister or a pope” (260-61). Akin to his robe, “his purchas was wel better than his rente,” meaning that the Friar has much more wealth than a man of his profession should. My portrayal of Hubert the Friar encompasses his greedy desire for money as well as his egotistical ambition of attaining an “easy
My portrayal of the Friar includes his fiddle, which hangs loosely on his back as “he hadde a mery note / [and] coude singe and pleyen on a rote” (235-36). His genial character gained the admiration of many, as he was “ful wel beloved and famulier” (215). As a friar, Hubert meets many people from all aspects of life; if he wants to sustain his luxurious lifestyle, he has to have a pleasant personality. From the twinkle in his eyes to the fiddle on his back, my portrayal of the Friar captures the essence of his jovial disposition. Even though he may have had esurient intentions, the Friar was still “curteys” and “ther nas no man no-wher so vertuous” (250-51). My drawing of the Friar encapsulates the jolly side of his personality, with his fiddle slung over his back and his beautiful voice piercing the morning