Chaucer’s Prologue To The Canterbury Tales Essay

Dave Tagatac English III Dec. 1, 2000 Canterbury Tales taste 1 In Geoffrey Chaucers Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, there was a friar to cooccur with the party traveling to Canterbury. Hubert, as he was c all(prenominal)ed, embodied the traits from which friars were expected to forestall their distance. Chaucer is successful in using this white-necked knockgar to bring to the readers mind corruption, wealth, greed, and lechery, all hypocritical and immoral characteristics for a man of the church to possess. Although he is a merry man, full of joy and wantonness, these are mere irrelevancies when assessing Huberts value of character as a friar.Throughout Chaucers exposition of the Friar in the Prologue, Huberts corruption is evident. Probably the Friars greatest evil is suggested early in his description and mentioned several times more(prenominal). When Hubert would marry a couple, he would give each Of his young women what he could afford her. The sexual connotation of th is statement is enforced by the incident that He kept his tippet stuffed with pins for curls, / And pocket-knives, to give to pretty girls. Other evidence of corruption, although not as reprehensible as the defiance of celibacy, includes Huberts failure to succor the lepers, beggars, and that crew, to whom friars were int cease to be nearest. The narrator explains that their lack of money makes their friendship scarce a waste of the Friars time.A friar is say to be poor, only taking what they need to survive, and giving the rest to those impoverished souls who need it. Hubert, on the other hand, was quite wealthy. I excite never known the imbibing of alcohol to be a necessity of life, and however this friar knew the taverns very well in every town / And every innkeeper and barmaid too. The narrator pull down states outright that his income came / To more than he rigid out. Yet another extraneous possession for a friar was the undue dress Hubert wore, as contrasted with the rags friars were expected to don. All of these things demonstrate how the Friar, even when obtaining more than he expected, gave very little to the poor, and kept much for himself.This feeling is go along even augmented upon examination of Huberts greed. Highly beloved and conversant(p) was he / With Country folk within hisboundary. As mentioned above, he associated not with the poor, But only with the rich and victual-sellers. Anyone from whom a profit was possible was inherently the Friars friend. This greed is indisputable in light of a final piece of evidence. That is that Hubert would actually pay other friars not to beg in his district. Again, these are actions to be frowned upon in any man, let all a religiously affiliated one.Finally, Hubert can be shown to be a leach, hanging around those from whom he can get money, and depending on them to last his opulent lifestyle. Although he had no permission to hear confession, this was one track for him to make money, and he did not hesitate to utilize it. He even targeted those who werent so wealthy in a never-ending indicate for monetary gain though a widow mightnt have a shoe / / He got her farthing from her just the same. When people of his district had a dispute, the lecherous Friar was there. Hubert could be found taking advantage of any opportunity he could find to make money honestly, or dishonestly.The Friar was well liked, and had a wonderful singing voice, entirely his contributions to society ended here. He, through his actions, has shown evidence of corruption, immoral opulence, greed to increase this wealth, and a dangerous habit of leaching off others. He was considered a man of the church, but he was far from the piety the title friar conveys.