Context

Religion and the Tales

The Tales reflect diverse views of the Church in Chaucer's England. Several characters in the Tales are religious figures, and the very setting of the pilgrimage to Canterbury is religious (although the prologue comments ironically on its merely seasonal attractions), making religion a significant theme of the work.

Two characters, the Pardoner and the Summoner, whose roles apply the church's secular power, are both portrayed as deeply corrupt, greedy, and abusive. A pardoner in Chaucer's day was a person from whom one bought Church "indulgences" for forgiveness of sins, but pardoners were often thought guilty of abusing their office for their own gain. Chaucer's Pardoner openly admits the corruption of his practice while hawking his wares.

The Summoner is a Church officer who brought sinners to the church court for possible excommunication and other penalties. Corrupt summoners would write false citations and frighten people into bribing them to protect their interests. Chaucer's Summoner is portrayed as guilty of the very kinds of sins he is threatening to bring others to court for, and is hinted as having a corrupt relationship with the Pardoner.

Churchmen of various kinds are represented by the Monk, the Prioress, the Nun's Priest, and the Second Nun. Monastic orders, which originated from a desire to follow an ascetic lifestyle separated from the world, had by Chaucer's time become increasingly entangled in worldly matters. Monasteries frequently controlled huge tracts of land on which they made significant sums of money, while peasants worked in their employ.

]The Second Nun is an example of what a Nun was expected to be: her tale is about a woman whose chaste example brings people into the church. The Monk and the Prioress, on the other hand, while not as corrupt as the Summoner or Pardoner, fall far short of the ideal for their orders. Both are expensively dressed, show signs of lives of luxury and flirtatiousness and show a lack of spiritual depth.

The Tales constantly reflect the conflict between classes. The characters are all divided into three distinct classes, the classes being "those who pray" (the clergy), "those who fight" (the nobility), and "those who work" (the commoners and peasantry).Most of the tales are interlinked by common themes, and some "quit" (reply to or retaliate against) other tales.

Pre-reading exercises:

1. What was the role of pilgrimages in Medieval England? Who were the people taking pilgrimages? What were the reasons which made them go on a trip?

2. What do you know about the city of Canterbury and its cathedral? Why was it considered to be a worthy aim for a pilgrimage?

3. Find the information about the life and creative activity of Geoffrey Chaucer. Make sure you know the answers to the next questions:

Ø What is known about Chaucer’s background?

Ø What were the main stages of Geoffrey Chaucer’s political career?

Ø Into how many periods is his literary activity divided?

Ø What is Chaucer’s most important work from the French period?

Ø What literary genre does The Parlement of Foules belong to?

Ø Who is the protagonist of The House of Fame?

Ø Which of Chaucer’s poems is considered to be one of the best love poems in English literature?

Ø To what period can The Canterbury Tales be referred?

4. In the General Prologue, Chaucer describes, not the tales to be told, but the people who will tell them. How does this fact influence the structure of the work? There is also an episode when the Miller interrupts to tell his tale after the Knight has finished his. What is your explanation of the Miller’s action?