Religious Characters in The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer...

Religious Characters in The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer *Works Cited Not Included When thinking of the figures in the church, they are thought to be loyal, respectful, giving, and dedicated. Sadly to say this, but not all figures follow that description. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer shows the corruption of the church in the medieval period through some of his characters, particularly through the Nun, the Monk, and the Friar. Yet, Chaucer does show one character, the Parson, as goodness and holiness in the church. Nuns are member of a religious order for women, living in a convent under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Their orders vary in the stipulations of the vows, some being permanent, and others only for†¦show more content†¦One positive point is that she does have a clean mouth and watches what she says. Monks have abandoned the world for religious reasons and devote their lives, either separately or in a community, to spiritual perfection. The vows of celibacy, poverty, and obedience under which they live, are termed the religious counsels. A person bound by such vows is known as a religious. Chaucers Monks sport was hunting. The Rule of good Saint Benet or Saint Maur (Prologue, 177) says hunters are not holy men (Prologue, 182). He does not keep to his studies, but instead would rather be doing labor. In addition, he holds worldly possessions, such as his wrought-gold cunningly fashioned pin (Prologue, 200), which shows that he has money. Friars differ from monks, in that the monk was attached to a specific community within which he led a withdrawn life, having no direct contact with the secular world. Friars, on the other hand, belonged to no particular monastic house, but to a general order and worked as an individual in the non-religious world. Thus, friars and monks are not on synonymous terms. Friars are members of certain religious orders who practice the principles of monastic life and devote themselves to the service of humanity in the secular world. Originally, their rules forbid holding either community or personal property. The resulting dependence of friars on voluntaryShow MoreRelatedChaucer s The Canterbury Tales1064 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer, The Author of the Canterbury Tales, is known as the Father of English Literature and is one of the greatest English Poets of the Middle Ages. Chaucer was a soldier, a diplomat, a civil servant, and a courtier, enabling him to experience different aspects of each social ranking, which he demonstrated through his poetry. 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