By the end of the fourteenth century, monks had become worldly wise and, having lost interest in their order, many wished to take part in the ‘New World’; “This ilke Monk leet olde things pace,/ And heeld after the newe world the space.” Many, like Chaucer’s Monk were contemptuous of their order, and like the Prioress, the Monk has a concern for material goods that was unacceptable in his profession. As a member of a religious community, he would have taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, all of which he appears to break. He “lovede venerie,” which Chaucer uses to highlight that he did not follow his religious order diligently and there is a possible suggestion of sexual pleasure (venery), which goes against his vow of chastity. He had “of gold ywroght a ful curious pin;/ A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was” which again shows his materialism but also suggests he is not chaste, as a “love-knotte” was a token of love. Also, “many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable”, reiterating the fact that he was not poor; he should not have had a single horse let alone many fine horses.
The Monk’s main divergence from his order is in his love of material possessions, outwardly expressed in his appearance, he is fine and prosperous looking, with “his sleves pufiled at the hond with gris, and that the fineste of the lond” going against the monastic rules of Saint Benedict and with his elaborate pin, a sign of personal adornment. He is “a lord full fat and in good point,” clearly not having sacrificed his life to poverty. Monks were supposed to remain in their monasteries with a daily routine of prayer, meditation, study and labour, all conducted in silence which he clearly did not obey.
Unlike monks, Friars were allowed to leave the monastery but they were supposed to do so to serve the community. The friar should have begged for money and preached to the laity but Chaucer’s Friar only associates with the wealthy, “Ful wel beloved and famulier was he/ With frankelyns over al in his contree”. He was not strict on sinners – “pleasant was his absolutioun” – instead he took money to absolve sins, immorally taking money from those in poverty – “For thogh a widwe hadde noght a sho,/ So plesaunt was his ‘In principio,’-/ Yet wolde he have a ferthing, er he wente.” Chaucer lists the various sins of the Friar: he sells pardon from sin for a price, seduces women who ask for pardons, and frequents bars rather than giving charity to the poor – “He knew the tavernes wel in every toun…Bet than a lazar of a beggestere.”
Chaucer is deeply sarcastic; he picks out the misdemeanours of the Monk but “seyd his opinion was good” and that “certainly he was a fair prelaat”. This sarcasm emphasizes Chaucer’s contempt of the church as he mocks the Monk and invites the reader to dislike him. Similarly Chaucer uses irony in his portrait of the Friar, as he often does in the use of the word “worthy”. When he says, “This worthy man was cleped Huberd” he uses irony to express is distaste; the friar is not worthy in his profession or in his private life which should be dedicated to the church.
The Parson, portrayed later in The General Prologue provides a strong contrast with the friar as a man who performs his duties honourably and looks after his congregation. Chaucer obviously respects the Parson; he is a “good man…also a lerned man…benign he was, and wonder diligent,/ And in adversitee ful pacient.” All these qualities are highly regarded and admirable, and none are shared with the Friar. The portrait of the Parson increases the impression that the church was corrupt at this time by giving an example of what was expected. Additionally, the parson is the only religious character presented as truly devout which suggests that the majority of the church was corrupt.
Chaucer introduces religious characters in The General Prologue as unworthy and dishonest, particularly the Friar who deceived and neglected his people. He uses the religious characters on the pilgrimage to comment on the church, which had great power in his time. Great attention is paid to the appearance of the characters, particularly of the Monk, which highlights the materialism present, a great contrast to the poverty vowed in the religious orders.
