Canterbury Tales Research Paper

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Themes in the Canterbury Tales

Canterbury Tales by Chaucer The Canterbury Tales is a work written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late fourteenth century about a group of pilgrims, of many different occupations and personalities, who meet at an inn near London as they are setting out for Canterbury, England. Their host proposes a storytelling contest to make the journey more interesting. The Prologue and the Tales are basically written by Chaucer, as a satire on the society of that time; he has portrayed each and every character in an ironical way; the way all the characters think and act are seem comical on surface level but its deeper understanding can make the reader feel that it is
The readers only realize a after some time that the Friar’s aim was not sincere. Similarly Chaucer praises the Friar’s knowledge of the ‘taverns and bars’ in the locality and says that it is not profitable to relate with the poor. Talking about Friar’s tale, he is a wanton and merry man. These are hardly the characteristics that befit a religious man. He is a "limiter" i.e. a Friar who is licensed to beg within a certain limited area. While hearing confessions he gave the best pardon to those who contributed the maximum amount of money. The author makes this statement in irony when he says that he is probably the only person who practices his profession most
It is tremendously ironic for a dishonest Summoner who is himself a wrong doer and guilty of committing sins, to bring sinners to justice. His hideous physical appearance is a pointer of his contaminated soul. Chaucer powerfully condemns the Summoner’s receipt of bribes and the philosophy that the purse is the ‘archdeacon’s hell,’ which implies that the only punishment is to the purse of the sinner. On the other hand, the ‘gentil’ Pardoner is the symbol of evil. He sells self-indulgence and dupes adolescent people by selling them false remnants. Moreover the deceitful crook always teaches against covetousness even while he himself is guilty of the same sin. The Canterbury Tales thus establishes a passionate assault on the dissipation and corruption of the medieval church. Chaucer portrays the evils attacking Christians and the very root of Christianity. Chaucer’s portrayal of a perfect Parson, suggests c his desire for reformation and revitalization of Christian society. (Chaucer, p.