Examine_the_Presentation_of_the_Ecclesiastical_Characters_in

Examine the Presentation of the Ecclesiastical Characters in Chaucer’s General Prologue Examine the Presentation of the Ecclesiastical Characters in Chaucer’s General Prologue Chaucer’s account of the ecclesiastical figures is an example of his social satire. He presents the majority of these characters as people going on the pilgrimage for completely the wrong reasons, which suggests how seriously Chaucer is worried with the lowering of moral standards, as well as the avarice gripping society. This could be a definite criticism of the corrupt state of the church at the time. Out of the thirty pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales, eight are members of or have close dealings with the Church, which indicates just how much Medieval life is dominated by the Church, and how widespread it’s influence was. It is these descriptions of these ecclesiastical characters that demonstrates how the combination of larger amounts of power and money flowing into the Church have undermined the previously ascetic discipline, and distorted it’s moral values. The Monk is presented as a man of the world, who relishes in good food, recreation and freedom. Monks in those days actually had to take a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience, living separate from the rest of the world so as to prevent any distractions from interfering with serving chaucer, through, church, out, monk, himself, man, life, ecclesiastical, because, way, seems, religious, pilgrims, description, characters, books, being, actually, very, monks, makes, clerk, been, about, world, thus, themselves, suggests, shows, should, prioress, presented, poverty, position, others, one, much, moral, lady, horse, figures, face, described, character, almost, after, wrong, worth, wild