Comparison of the doctor and the shipman

        The Doctor of physic is said to be very skilled at his job. Chaucer lists the medical authorities similar to how he did the knights battles. Chaucer also tells us about his knowledge of astrology and the humours. This shows him to be a good man and one who does his job on a similar level as the knight. Yet the second half shows increasingly that he is not all he seams.

The Doctor has an agreement with the apothecaries where by the both gain money from the matter. This deal seams very dubious. The man is also very selfish: he looks after himself above anyone else. He buys very expensive clothes but in many other ways he seams to be a miser. He made money from the plague. That tells us a lot about his character. Chaucers most damming comment is that he hardly read the bible, and so clearly shows a complete lack or Christian morals. It shows him not to have any sense of charity at all. Chaucer also makes on of his trademark ironic comments. He says that he is ‘a very parfait practisour’  This is clearly the complete opposite of the knight.

So as it can be seen that shipman instantly comes over as a rebel or rouge, and later we are told of his skills. It is the other way round for the doctor first Chaucer lists his skills and then his faults. Both the shipman and the doctor are excellent at there jobs and Chaucer admires this in both of them. Also on the other hand Chaucer looks in disgust at the other parts of there personality he show them to be immoral and selfish. Both unworthy of any respect. The shipman is rough and ready, but the doctor is outwardly sophisticated two completely different people one spends his time out a sea, capturing prisoners killing them and the other the Doctor is spending his time on land helping people, Saving lives.

        Both characters are very good at there jobs but neither deserve any admiration simply because of there other immoral habits.