Chaucer’s Prologue To The Canterbury Tales Essay

Dave Tagatac English III Dec. 1, 2000 Canterbury Tales Essay 1 In Ge byrey Chaucers Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, there was a beggar to accompany the party traveling to Canterbury. Hubert, as he was called, embodied the traits from which friars were anticipate to keep their distance. Chaucer is successful in apply this white-necked beggar to bring to the readers mind corruption, wealth, greed, and lechery, all hypocritical and disgraceful characteristics for a man of the church to possess. Although he is a merry man, full of experience and wantonness, these are mere irrelevancies when assessing Huberts value of character as a friar.Throughout Chaucers description of the Friar in the Prologue, Huberts corruption is evident. Probably the Friars greatest evil is suggested early on in his description and mentioned several times more. When Hubert would marry a couple, he would pop off each Of his young women what he could afford her. The sexual intension of this statement is e nforced by the fact 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 befriend the lepers, beggars, and that crew, to whom friars were intended to be nearest. The teller explains that their lack of money makes their friendship simply a waste of the Friars time.A friar is supposed to be poor, only victorious what they need to survive, and giving the rest to those impoverished souls who need it. Hubert, on the former(a) hand, was quite ladened. I have never known the imbibing of inebriant to be a necessity of life, and yet this friar knew the taverns very easy in every town / And every innkeeper and barmaid too. The narrator change surface states outright that his income came / To more than he laid out. Yet another out-of-door possession for a friar was the extravagant 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 micro to the poor, and kept much for himself.This feeling is continued even augmented upon interrogative of Huberts greed. Highly beloved and intimate was he / With Country syndicate within hisboundary. As mentioned above, he associated not with the poor, But only with the cryptic 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 really pay other friars not to beg in his district. Again, these are actions to be frowned upon in any man, let alone a religiously machine-accessible one.Finally, Hubert can be shown to be a leach, hanging around those from whom he can get money, and depending on them to support his opulent lifestyle. Although he had no permission to hear confession, this was one way for him to make mone y, and he did not hesitate to utilize it. He even targeted those who werent so wealthy in a never-ending quest 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 take in to make money honestly, or dishonestly.The Friar was well liked, and had a marvelous singing voice, but his contributions to society ended here. He, through his actions, has shown evidence of corruption, immoral opulence, greed to increase this wealth, and a terrible habit of leaching off others. He was considered a man of the church, but he was far from the piousness the title friar conveys.