Sorry I haven't written anything in a while! I've been crazy busy! But here is another school assignment I had to write on the Canterbury Tales. Enjoy! As always feel free to make comments or suggestions!
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The Canterbury Tales is a book written about 29 pilgrims on their way to a town called Canterbury. Each of the pilgrims tell his/her own tale in order to make their long trek more entertaining. Through this essay one will be informed of the Christian values seen in the Pardoner’s Tale and the Nun’s Priest’s Tale as well as the inconsistencies and/or relationships between the two tales and their corresponding narrators.
The first tale is that of the Pardoner. The moral of the Pardoner’s Tale is: “The love of money is the root of all evil”. The Pardoner tells a story of three, drunk, young men who meet an old man and ask him where “Death” is. The old man sends them down a lane where they find eight bushels of gold coins, which they decide to keep. They decide to wait for night to move the gold and draw straws to see which one will go into town to get food and wine. The youngest of the three draws the shortest straw. When he leaves, the two others decide to kill him and keep his money. The youngest, however, wanting the treasure to himself, buys poison, which he adds to two of the bottles of wine he purchases. When the youngest reveler approaches the tree, the two others stab him and then sit down to drink the wine before they dispose of his body. Thus, all three indeed find “Death”. And one can see “The love of money, or greed, is veritably the root of all evil”.
In comparison to the Pardoner’s tale, one finds his life role, or job, is to preach to others and help them rid themselves of their sin. A deeper look into the Pardoner’s life, however, reveals he does not exactly do this. He is a confident man operating a game that still flourishes — manipulating people's religious gullibility. Like many others after him, he uses a real rhetorical gift to "stir the people to devotion" (line 346) so they will give their pennies to him. Here we see he practices the very thing he preaches against: greed. Also, in contrast to the valuable tale he tells, his appearance is described as a rather disgusting person having “hair as yellow as wax” (line 675) “thin they dropped, and stringy, one by one.” (line 679). You get the feeling he is a shady character even before you know he cheats people by the description of his eyes; “And shiny eyes he had as has a hare.” (line 684) One can see though the Pardoner’s tale may be one of virtue, and though his job is one of uprightness, his actions and his appearance prove he is only a man of greed.
Like the first tale discussed, this second tale, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, also shows its listeners a strong moral. Though, it is slightly hidden in the comical “beast fable”. A beast fable is a story which has animals acting like humans to help illustrate a moral. The value learned through the Priest’s fable is: flattery blindsides those who allow pride to consume them. The fable is about a grand cock who has a dream about a fox. The cock later sees a fox nearby, and starts to run away, but the fox tells him gently he is merely there to hear the cock’s beautiful voice. The cock flattered by the fox wishing to hear him, shuts his eyes and starts to sing. But as soon as he does the fox clamps his mouth down upon the cock’s neck. The hens raised such a riot that soon the entire farm was chasing after the fox. The cock suggests to the fox to turn around and shout insults at his pursuers. The fox, then opens his mouth, and the cock escapes to a treetop. The fox tries once again to lure the cock down by compliments and flattery, but the cock has learned his lesson.
Contrasting with the Pardoner and his tale, the Nun’s Priest and his tale are both very similar. Like the Pardoner, the Nun’s Priest’s job reflects his tale. It goes without saying the Nun’s Priest, is a Priest. As far as one can tell the Nun’s Priest is a very righteous man. There is not much revealed about him in the General Prologue, however in the Prologue to the Nun’s Priest’s tale the reader is given a brief description of him, “This gentle priest, this kindly man Sir John” (line 2820). The Host of the pilgrims, Harry Bailly, hints a little towards the Priest’s appearance, “a nag you have to ride. So what if you've a horse both foul and lean?” (lines 2812-2813) From this one gleans the impression the Nun’s Priest is not very wealthy. Once again contrasting to the Pardoner the Nun’s Priest’s actions and appearance lead one to conclude he practices what he preaches.
Conclusively, both the Pardoner and the Nun’s Priest present tales with strong Christian values within them. Also both of the narrator’s life role, or job, relates back to their story. And while the Pardoner’s actions and appearance greatly contrast with his tale and job, the Nun’s Priest’s actions and appearance coincide with the clever fable he told.
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The Canterbury Tales is a book written about 29 pilgrims on their way to a town called Canterbury. Each of the pilgrims tell his/her own tale in order to make their long trek more entertaining. Through this essay one will be informed of the Christian values seen in the Pardoner’s Tale and the Nun’s Priest’s Tale as well as the inconsistencies and/or relationships between the two tales and their corresponding narrators.
The first tale is that of the Pardoner. The moral of the Pardoner’s Tale is: “The love of money is the root of all evil”. The Pardoner tells a story of three, drunk, young men who meet an old man and ask him where “Death” is. The old man sends them down a lane where they find eight bushels of gold coins, which they decide to keep. They decide to wait for night to move the gold and draw straws to see which one will go into town to get food and wine. The youngest of the three draws the shortest straw. When he leaves, the two others decide to kill him and keep his money. The youngest, however, wanting the treasure to himself, buys poison, which he adds to two of the bottles of wine he purchases. When the youngest reveler approaches the tree, the two others stab him and then sit down to drink the wine before they dispose of his body. Thus, all three indeed find “Death”. And one can see “The love of money, or greed, is veritably the root of all evil”.
In comparison to the Pardoner’s tale, one finds his life role, or job, is to preach to others and help them rid themselves of their sin. A deeper look into the Pardoner’s life, however, reveals he does not exactly do this. He is a confident man operating a game that still flourishes — manipulating people's religious gullibility. Like many others after him, he uses a real rhetorical gift to "stir the people to devotion" (line 346) so they will give their pennies to him. Here we see he practices the very thing he preaches against: greed. Also, in contrast to the valuable tale he tells, his appearance is described as a rather disgusting person having “hair as yellow as wax” (line 675) “thin they dropped, and stringy, one by one.” (line 679). You get the feeling he is a shady character even before you know he cheats people by the description of his eyes; “And shiny eyes he had as has a hare.” (line 684) One can see though the Pardoner’s tale may be one of virtue, and though his job is one of uprightness, his actions and his appearance prove he is only a man of greed.
Like the first tale discussed, this second tale, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, also shows its listeners a strong moral. Though, it is slightly hidden in the comical “beast fable”. A beast fable is a story which has animals acting like humans to help illustrate a moral. The value learned through the Priest’s fable is: flattery blindsides those who allow pride to consume them. The fable is about a grand cock who has a dream about a fox. The cock later sees a fox nearby, and starts to run away, but the fox tells him gently he is merely there to hear the cock’s beautiful voice. The cock flattered by the fox wishing to hear him, shuts his eyes and starts to sing. But as soon as he does the fox clamps his mouth down upon the cock’s neck. The hens raised such a riot that soon the entire farm was chasing after the fox. The cock suggests to the fox to turn around and shout insults at his pursuers. The fox, then opens his mouth, and the cock escapes to a treetop. The fox tries once again to lure the cock down by compliments and flattery, but the cock has learned his lesson.
Contrasting with the Pardoner and his tale, the Nun’s Priest and his tale are both very similar. Like the Pardoner, the Nun’s Priest’s job reflects his tale. It goes without saying the Nun’s Priest, is a Priest. As far as one can tell the Nun’s Priest is a very righteous man. There is not much revealed about him in the General Prologue, however in the Prologue to the Nun’s Priest’s tale the reader is given a brief description of him, “This gentle priest, this kindly man Sir John” (line 2820). The Host of the pilgrims, Harry Bailly, hints a little towards the Priest’s appearance, “a nag you have to ride. So what if you've a horse both foul and lean?” (lines 2812-2813) From this one gleans the impression the Nun’s Priest is not very wealthy. Once again contrasting to the Pardoner the Nun’s Priest’s actions and appearance lead one to conclude he practices what he preaches.
Conclusively, both the Pardoner and the Nun’s Priest present tales with strong Christian values within them. Also both of the narrator’s life role, or job, relates back to their story. And while the Pardoner’s actions and appearance greatly contrast with his tale and job, the Nun’s Priest’s actions and appearance coincide with the clever fable he told.
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