Research Questions
Examination of text
- "About him, like a bell about its mould / When it is casting, rounded out his dress"(Line 256-257), Chaucer uses simile to describe the Friar wearing a cap is like a bell inside of its mould. The Bell is usually very large and fat in shape, therefore, chaucer is inferring that the Friar is big in size.
- "...a wanton one and merry, / A Limiter, a very festive fellow"(Line 207-208), suggests the Friar is very outgoing, extraverted and in a way optimistic.
- i) Wanton: happy and jolly
Analysis of the passage
- Similar to the Monk and the Prioress that was introduced before the Friar, the Friar belonged in the list of characters that is associated with the church that has an abundance of wealth but low morality and piousness. Although Chaucer appears to portrait the character's act of "penance-giving" (line 221) as generous; Upon close inspection, especially when chaucer states that the Friar "gives pleasant absolution, for gift" (line 220) it is suggested that the Friar sells church's forgiveness for his own monetary gains. Furthermore, Chaucer mentions that the Friar "[gives\ each / Of his young women what he could afford her" (line 210-211) and that he "kept his tippet stuffed with pins and curls and pocket-knives, to give to pretty girls." (line 231-232) implies that the Friar is a very "womanizing" person, which is highly inappropriate for his profession.
- i) Limiter: A friar, who, because of his poverty chooses a life of begging for the poor and unfortunate. ii) shrift: Confession to a priest, or the absolution of sins.
- The satirical element of the Friar lies in the contradiction of the character's title and who the character actually is. More specifically, the Friar bears the title "Limiter", which is someone who chooses a life of poverty and begs on behalf of the poor and helpless. Yet he is a crooked businessman who made a fortune through his position in the church. Not to mention he knows many beautiful woman and affluent man which is not the class of people he should be living among.
- The purpose of including the Friar is to give the audience a realistic portrayal of what the roman catholic church really is -- a corrupt organization where its actions are not driven by spiritual purposes, but financial incentives. In fact the three characters, the Monk, the Prioress, and the Friar are personification of the corruptions in medieval church.