Canterbury Tales: Corruption Of The Church Essay

The Corruption of the Church

Religion was a way of life during the Middle Ages, and because of this reality, no one escaped the authority of the Catholic Church. If condemned to ignorance about the Middle Ages, one would assume, as a result, that the Church was a safeguard for its believers. Yet, in actuality it was the root of all evil. People during this period found many things in which to deviate, and, therefore, the Church became the center stage for corruption. The Zeitgeist of the Middle Ages can be easily seen through this corruption of the Catholic Church, a topic brought to focus in Geoffrey Chaucers novel The Canterbury Tales. Here, in his novel, Chaucers characters often convey personalities that are appalling; some of them have faults that could fill an entire cup more than full. To make matters even more scandalous, a good number of these characters are affiliated with the Catholic Church. Furthermore, their corruption and that of the Catholic Church at large can be analyzed through their deviation from the vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity, which are essential to being a devout Catholic.

First of all, Catholics believe that in order to be religious, one must surrender worldly goods and be poor in reality as well in spirit. They felt that they had to [. . .] become completely reliant in faith on [their] heavenly Father and upon the Church. To the degree that [they] have emptied [them]selves[. . .], of this world, and its worldly possessions (Vow of Poverty). Of course, like all other human beings, the people of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages had imperfection, and as a result, some choose to ignore the vow of poverty and not follow it. This is clearly seen through the characters in The Canterbury Tales who were involved with the Church and how the practice of this vow was weak within them. One can learn that the breaking of the vow of poverty was not uncommon. For example, the Nun wore expensive trinkets and fancy beads in a variety of colors along with a golden brooch (Chaucer, The Prologue 162-163). Thus, this is a clear departure from Church doctrine. The Monk also broke this important vow of faith. To begin, John Wycliffe called monks of the Middle Ages red and fat cheeks and great bellies (Medieval Period 75). The words of Wycliffe did the Monk absolute justice, for Chaucer describes him in the same way. The Monk not only dresses extravagantly by wearing such things like fur, but he also hunted as his hobby. One would believe that the Nun and the Monk, who both have a high rank in the Church, would be sin free. Clearly that is not the case. The breaking of the vow of poverty by the people of the Church in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales is an apparent confirmation of how corrupt it was.

In addition to the vow of poverty, the vow of obedience is also another significant aspect of the Church. In essence, obtaining the vow of obedience means taking a vow of submission to religious superiors. Acquiring this vow did not mean lowering the dignity of the human person; [instead it] leads [them] to maturity by extending the freedom of the sons of God" (Vow of Obedience). Although religious figures of the Church were supposed to follow this vow, most did not. Of all the characters who are affiliated with the Church in Chaucers novel, only two did not break the vow of obedience. The Monk chose to ignore his religious superiors by stating that they were old and strict, and, thus, he tended to ignore them (Chaucer, The Prologue 178-179). The Friar also broke this vow by accepting as true that instead of weeping and of prayer one should give silver for poor friars care (Chaucer, The Prologue 235-236). He replaced the obedience to God to that which would benefit his worldly gains. The Summoner was also guilty of not submitting to his religious authority for he lied and stated that his purse was the archdeacons curse (Chaucer, The Prologue 678). The Pardoner was just as guilt as the others. He too disobeyed and sold fake Holy relics to make some effortless money. The vow of obedience is considered to be painful to follow because humans have the tendency not to listen when told something. Assuredly, the people of the Church during the Middle Ages had the same tendency and therefore had trouble submitting to a religious authority.

Finally, for the sake of their kingdom the Catholic Church considered it obligatory to refrain from marital relations. They also believed that chastity [was] conferred as a gift by [Gods] spirit in the hearts of those He has called to a life of total consecration (Vow of Chastity). The Catholics of the Middle Ages took this vow very seriously, trusting that it freed their hearts in such a manner that it burned with a love for God and for all people (Vow of Chastity). The Friar was the only evident character, who was associated with the Church in The Canterbury Tales who broke the vow of chastity. Not only would he engage in sexual intercourse with young woman, but he also [. . .] fixed up many a marriage, giving his young woman what he could afford her (Chaucer, The Prologue 216-217). Even though the Wife of Bath stated many times that she does not [. . .] hold any grudge in opposition to chastity, she is, nonetheless, a strong advocate against it (Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales 155). She argues many times that God gave her specific instruments for having sexual intercourse, and that He wouldnt have given them to her for no reason. At the end when people take the vow of chastity, they do not need the intimacy of others; what they want and have is an intimate union with Christ (Vow of Chastity). Unfortunately, not all the members of the Church thought that was enough and, thus, found fornication and the breaking of the vow of chastity as the answer.

Indeed, the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages was very corrupt. Sadly, breaking the three vows was not a scarce topic, and as a result, Chaucer conveys this very well through the characters in his novel. For example, the Nun broke the vow of poverty by wearing vibrant, costly, and extravagant garments. In addition, the Monk failed to keep the vow of obedience by not following the teachings of his religious superiors. He basically referred to them as aged and stern and, therefore, disobeyed their orders. The Friar was also no different, for he disobeyed the vow of chastity in the fact that he slept with young woman while still a part of the Church. These three characters are a good representation of how disobedient the people of the Catholic Church were towards following the three vows of Catholic faith. Even though the Church was essential to the lives of the people in the Middle Ages, they still found ways to escape its authority.