Lak Of Stedfastnesse Character Analysis

Due to the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, the society of the middle ages faces degradation and destruction of their moral values. Since many commoners perceived the Church as a pinnacle of morality and took many clergy members as models, their morality also deteriorated. Aware of the complications, Chaucer wrote “The Canterbury Tales” and "Lak of Stedfastnesse," which expresses the malfeasance of the middle ages. In both writings, Chaucer argues that his society is deteriorating because desires were placed above virtue and steadfastness. Chaucer establishes this dilemma as the theme of "Lak of Stedfastnesse," and also shows it in many characters in "The Canterbury Tales-" especially in the summoner who completely neglected his role as an ecclesiast.
This action showed that the summoner used his appointed role to extort others. Instead of calling immoral individuals to court, the summoner forced unscrupulous individual to pay him. By extortion, the summoner also committed a great crime; "[doing] his neighbour wrong [and] oppression" (LoS 4). Also, the summoner often drank wine and flirted with women against an ecclesiast's vow. This breaking of pledges shows that the church's role was “[turning] up-so-doun” (4). The summoner not only displayed the church's tolerance for corruption but also encouraged negligence of responsibilities. These actions of the summoner not only expressed his unvirtuous nature but also that desires are placed above moral values. As revealed in "Lak of Stedfastnesse," the world "is fals and deceivable"(LoS 3). Virtue persists order, without virtue, the world, like the Roman Catholic Church, would fall into