Celibacy Vows In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
The Hypocrisy of Celibacy Vows in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales “General Prologue”
The Middle Ages was historically a time of darkness and hardship. However, there were also elements of lightheartedness and hope during these times. Some examples of this lightheartedness and hope came from courtly love and the religion of the Catholic Church. However, while lightheartedness came from these sources, there was also elements of darkness and hardship that came from these sources, particularly from the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church represented a source of hope to the people of the Middle Ages, however, because of corruption within the church the organization became less hopeful and more depressing. In The Canterbury Tales the writer Chaucer …show more content…
In the poem we learn from Chaucer that the Friar from the story, “He hadde maad ful many a marriage/ Of yonge wommen at his owene cost/ Unto his ordre he was a noble post. / and well beloved and famulier was he / With Frankeleyns overal in his contree. And eek with worthy wommen of the toun” (212-217). The first thing to notice in these lines is that this friar had a “noble post”. This means that this friar was like a spiritual leader among the community or representative of the Catholic Church in his town. Another thing to pay attention to in these lines is that the Friar was familiar with “wommen of the toun”. The term familiar that is being used here has dual meaning, not only is the Friar familiar with them as the leader of his congregation, but Chaucer is also implying that the Friar is familiar with them sexually. This is further indicated in that the Friar marries women off free of charge, further indicating that he was trying to shirk responsibility of having gotten them pregnant. The Friar was a spiritual leader and to teach his congregation the righteousness of living the commandments of the Church, but he himself was not living these same commandments. Chaucer wants the readers to understand that the Catholic Church leaders seem too have a great deal of hypocrisy when they say one thing and do
The Middle Ages was historically a time of darkness and hardship. However, there were also elements of lightheartedness and hope during these times. Some examples of this lightheartedness and hope came from courtly love and the religion of the Catholic Church. However, while lightheartedness came from these sources, there was also elements of darkness and hardship that came from these sources, particularly from the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church represented a source of hope to the people of the Middle Ages, however, because of corruption within the church the organization became less hopeful and more depressing. In The Canterbury Tales the writer Chaucer …show more content…
In the poem we learn from Chaucer that the Friar from the story, “He hadde maad ful many a marriage/ Of yonge wommen at his owene cost/ Unto his ordre he was a noble post. / and well beloved and famulier was he / With Frankeleyns overal in his contree. And eek with worthy wommen of the toun” (212-217). The first thing to notice in these lines is that this friar had a “noble post”. This means that this friar was like a spiritual leader among the community or representative of the Catholic Church in his town. Another thing to pay attention to in these lines is that the Friar was familiar with “wommen of the toun”. The term familiar that is being used here has dual meaning, not only is the Friar familiar with them as the leader of his congregation, but Chaucer is also implying that the Friar is familiar with them sexually. This is further indicated in that the Friar marries women off free of charge, further indicating that he was trying to shirk responsibility of having gotten them pregnant. The Friar was a spiritual leader and to teach his congregation the righteousness of living the commandments of the Church, but he himself was not living these same commandments. Chaucer wants the readers to understand that the Catholic Church leaders seem too have a great deal of hypocrisy when they say one thing and do