Corruption in the Church and The Canterbury Tales Essay

Chaucers corruption of The Church

The Catholic Church was deeply corrupt during the middle ages. While the church was founded on piety, poverty, and propriety the reality for the church and many of its representatives were quite different. In Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales, the religious characters illustrate most of the corruption characteristic of the church at that time. Chaucer uses the prioress, the pardoner, and the friar as examples to show how that Catholic Church had become corrupt during the middle ages.

One character that Chaucer uses to show the corruption of the church is the prioress. The prioress comes off as fake when Chaucer explains that she learned French at Stratford- at-the- Bow, even though she acts as if she has known French her whole life. A prioress is supposed to love God with all her heart, but this prioress is all about courtly love. For example, Chaucer states, Whence hung a golden brooch of brightness sheen/ On which there first was graven a crowned A,/ And lower, Amor vincit omnia. (163-166) The saying Amor vincit omnia is Latin for love conquers all. The prioress has substituted her love for god for courtly love. Most prioresses will give all their love to God and the church but she replaced that love. She also is very rich. She wears fur and she feeds dogs meat, milk, and white bread, when more then half of the country is starving.

Monks, nuns were supposed ideally to live apart from the world in simple and spare nunneries. Many nuns, however, did not live simply and many did not keep strictly to the life of contemplation and abstinence they had sworn to follow. (Beidler 3)

The prioress did not live simply; she used her wealth for herself instead of donating it to the poor or the church. She would rather feed dogs then people in real need. She is not supposed to have lots of money to begin with; she has made vows of poverty. The way that she uses her money and her love for courtly love are examples that Chaucer uses to show the corruption of the church.

The pardoner is another example of the corruption of the Catholic Church. The pardoner is probably one of the most corrupt characters in the entire story. Chaucer portrays him to be the most evil character and gay. He says, I judge he was a gelding, or a mare. ( 687 ) Chaucer is comparing the pardoner to a castrated male or a female horse. This proves that he is a homosexual. The Catholic Church was extremely against homosexuals at this time. The pardoner also forges pardons and he sells poor people pig bones and tells them that they are saints bones. He also sells pieces of cloth and tells people that they are holy relics.

...The Pardoner's downfall comes through his misuse of relics is significant. By his forceful rhetoric he has succeeded in purging verbal signs of their significance, but his war on meaning is total. ( Williams 11 )

The pardoner made something as important as relics useless to many people. Many people thought that relics could create a closer relationship with God, and now that these things have been devalued, it shows how little, such an important character in the church, cares about his own institution. This is very corrupt because he is supposed to be holy and give to the poor but he is stealing from the poor and lying to them. He is very greedy and doesnt care about who he hurts as long as he gets his money. All of these examples prove that he is a very corrupt character in the church.

Chaucer uses the Friar as another example of the corruption of the church. The friar does not follow his religious codes to any degree. He gives gifts to women, he is a somewhat alcoholic, and he will lessen a penance if he is paid. A friar is supposed to give to charities and he is supposed to beg for a living where as this friar is very wealthy. He wears fur and he gives women pocket knifes as gifts. Friars are holy men, so indulging in such hedonistic pleasures should not be on their agendas.

They avoid being hungry and slake their thirst with wine. They get rid of all cold with their warm furred cloaks. Faintness of the belly does not come upon them in the hours of night, and their raucous voice does not sing the heights of heaven in chorus with a drinking cup. (Beidler 2)

He also is a big drinker and Friars are not supposed to drink. Probably the worst thing he does is he will accept money to lessen ones penance. For example, Chaucer says,

He was an easy man to give penance

When knowing he should gain a good pittance;

For to a begging friar, money given,

Is sign that any man has been well shriven. (223-226)

Friars should never lessen ones penance for money. One receives a penance from God and it cannot be lessened. All of these things that the friar does for his own please shows the corruption in the Catholic Church during the middle ages.

Corruption in the Catholic Church has been happening ever since it was started. Chaucer focuses in on the corruption of the church during the middle ages. He shows the corruption of the church through many of his religious characters. Specifically he uses the prioress, the pardoner, and the friar as examples of the corruption of the Catholic Church in the middle ages.