Canterbury tales
The Prologue
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Monk
Richard Turner & Daniel Graham
Vocabulary
A monk there was one of the finest sort (pg. 101 line 169)
-A religious male who is a member of a brotherhood living in a monastery and devoted to a discipline prescribed by his order
A manly man, to be an abbot able; (pg.101 line 171)
-The superior of an abbey of monks
His bridle, when he rode, a man might hear (pg.101 line 173)
- A harness
And that a monk uncloistered is a mere/ Fish out of water, (pg.102 line 183-184)
-secluded from the world; sheltered
That is to say a monk out of his cloister (pg.102 line 185)
-a monastic establishment
He was a prelate fit for exhibition. (pg.102 line 208)
-A high-ranking member of the clergy
His palfrey was as brown as is a berry (pg.102 line 211)
- A winning horse
Brief Background of Vocation (job)
-Men that put all their effort into doing for God and getting to know him.
-They pray and dedicate their life to God.
-They don’t Marry or have children.
-They live together in a monastery.
-They always make sure that there is praise to God.
-They pray for us, and ask god to grant salvation to every Orthodox
Christian
-Finally they teach the True Faith, Holy Tradition, and an Orthodox lifestyle
to all of us, both formally (in sermons, lectures, or writings) and
informally, by their example.
Direct characterization
In literature and drama, the method of character development in which the author simply tells what
the character is like .
Who rode the country; hunting was his sport (pg.101 line 170)
-He is a hunter.
A manly man, to be an abbot able; (pg.101 line 171)
-He is very “manly”
Many a dainty horse he had in stable (pg.101 line 172)
-He has a horse
I saw his sleeves were garnished at the hand/ with fine gray fur, the finest in the land. (pg.102 line
197-198)
-He wore very elaborate clothes.
His head was bald and shone like looking-glass; (pg.102 line 202)
- Has a shiny bald head
He was a fat and personable priest; (pg.102 line 204)
-He is chunky and conceited
His Palfrey was as brown as is a berry. (pg.102 line 211)
- His horse is as brown as a nice berry.
Indirect characterization
Guessing things about a character through speech, actions, dress, thoughts,
and interactions with other characters.
Where my lord monk was prior of the cell./ The rule of good St. Benet or St. Maur/ As old and strict
he tended to ignore; (pg.101 line 176-178)
-He Left the monastery and was rebellious
He let go by the things of yesterday/and took the modern world’s more spacious way.(pg.102 line
179-180)
-He was a more modern monk, was married and had kids.
This monk was therefore a good man to horse;/ Greyhounds he had, swift as birds, to course.
(pg.102 line 193-194)
-He did not pray a lot and he had time to horse ride.
I saw his sleeves were garnished at the hand/with fine gray fur, the finest in the land. (pg.102 line
197-198)
- He easily coned people out of money
Chaucer’s Social Commentary
The expression of one's point of view or feelings towards society, usually through
literature
Satire
sarcasm: witty language used to convey insults or scorn
Usually Monks are Religious men who live together in a Monastery and
basically live for god but Chaucer describes the monk in Canterbury
Tales to be a Non religious rebellious person who spends most of his
time either riding horses coning money or spending time enjoying the
modern day life.
Summary
He was a very fat jolly person who had something very unpleasant about himself.
He was a monk, very superior, very well nourished
and his favorite thing to do was horse ride. He
rebelled from the other monks. He did not follow
any rules of his job. He loved Money, he bought the
finest clothes and the finest greyhounds. He has a
lot of time on his hands.
Out of all the 7 deadly sins he portrays Greed.