In 1381, John Wycliffe led a group of people disenchanted with the Catholic Church, called the Lollards, in an early Protestant movement. In this movement he attacked the sale of indulgences, pilgrimages, the excessive class hierarchy in the Church, and the low moral and intellectual standards of ordained priests. Although his movement essentially failed, it gave way to future movements by figures such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and even Henry VIII. It also influenced literary works such as The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales themselves are a pilgrimage tale filled with secular corruption that Wycliffe and others opposed. Throughout the Canterbury Tales, and particularly the General Prologue, Chaucer uses both the physical and personal traits of the characters, and especially their deficiencies, to support Wycliffe's ideas regarding the corruption of the Catholic Church and to encourage the future Protestant efforts. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay One of Chaucer and the Protestants' greatest disagreements with the Catholic Church was the sale of pardons and indulgences. Pardons exempted people from their sins on earth and indulgences allowed them to compensate for part of the time they would have had to spend post-mortem in purgatory. The Pardoner, an obvious reference to the corrupt and sacrilegious notion of selling redemption, is transformed into a disgusting character in addition to his sordid occupation. He is described as having hair "yellow as wex (677)" which falls over his shoulders in stringy clumps. His face is shaved and smooth, and he is likened to “a gelding or a mare (693)”, a subtle allusion to his softness. Its rather repulsive exterior is an accurate representation of the immorality that lies beneath its surface. The Forgiver would stoop to anything to make money. He sang loudly “to winne silver, as ful wel coud (715)” and sold counterfeit religious relics to innocent people. These depravities reinforce Chaucer's slander against the Pardoner himself and pardons in general. Describing him as a highly effective pardoner contrasts with his grimy appearance, and both describe the betrayal that profanity can affect on a person's life - an obvious rebuttal to the benefits of pardons. Another provider of forgiveness, although not as openly, is the brother. In his depiction of the friar, Chaucer states that he would quickly do penance to his flock by insinuating that they would gain favor in the next life if they showed charity to the "poor brethren (232)" in this life. Through his insinuation and guarantee of a certain degree of exoneration, the friar manages to extort money from unsuspecting Catholics. His theory was "When he wishes to have a good pittance." Because for a poor order of life, it is the sign that a man is well prepared (224-226). » In this case, he chose financial gain over the sacred duties to which he was sworn as a member of the Church. Through this choice, Chaucer mocks the clergy for using their position to further their own economic gain. Continuing this statement, the friar, although technically obligated to beg for his daily bread, is dressed in high-quality clothing, belying his status. "For there he was nat lyk a cloistered, With a bare cope, as is a povre scoler, But he was lyk a master or a pope. Double worse was his semicope, Which rounded like a beautiful exit from the press (261-265).” The brother, although he is a religious figure, obviously does not takenot to heart biblical doctrines. Although the summoner is not a member of the clergy like the friar is, he has also exploited religious principles to meet his own needs. He terrorized people he randomly encountered with a summons to the Ecclesiastical Church, and "to curse every golden man, for hearts would fall asleep as assoillyng Savith (662-3)." He used this power as a sword, although few blows could be returned, as evidenced by the "bokeleer he maad hym of a cake (670)". Chaucer uses the Summoner as a sort of allegory for the fear Catholics felt towards the clergy and laity and as another reference to the corruption associated with the Church. It contrasts sharply with early Renaissance ideas about the value of human life. In fact, he used his concubine in trade for only a "liter of gain (651)", obviously viewing people, and especially people of the lower classes, as a commodity. In this, the Summoner reflects the Catholic Church as a whole in its use of people as property to be treated in the most appropriate manner. But his corrupt use of the power vested in him by the Catholic Church does not put an end to the Summoner's faults. He is described as red and spotty with boils covering his entire face, boils so deeply ingrained in his face that no amount of ointment can rid him of them. He has black, crusty eyebrows resting on narrow, lustful eyes and a shaggy beard, hairless in places. His breath smells of garlic, onion and leek and his pores leak alcohol. His rather repulsive appearance, and especially his skin problems, show that due to the corruption of his profession, he seems to be rotting from the inside. This demonstration and his refusal to speak anything other than Latin when drunk seems to be an allegory of the ridiculousness of the Church's practices and their ultimately destructive end. Chaucer depicts most of the religious characters in this tale as having the underlying, all-consuming drive for financial success. Contrary to the statutes of the order of monks, our Monk is the owner of property and prides himself on beautiful things. One could imagine that the monks of the time were dedicated to helping and educating those around them and worked as hard as they could to achieve the future goals of the Catholic Church as a whole. In contrast, the monk disdains menial work and prefers to hunt and acquire wealth rather than do anything for the benefit of society. It shows the extravagance present even in the humblest branch of the Church. He is said to be a monk, but his robe of fine gray fur and puffed sleeves, his body and his possessions indicate that he is a lord. “He was a lord full of fat and in good shape (200).” His abundance of horseflesh is nothing but the best and he uses a bridle that "men can...here, Gynglen in a whistle wynd als cleere, And as loud as the fair chapel does (169 -171).” By making the bridle out of metal and of high quality, Chaucer once again compares him to a lord, and the reference to it sounding like "the beautiful chapel" shows that the monk's loyalty revolves more around his horses than his church. It represents the excess and personal gain present in branches of the Catholic Church. As the monk is compared to a lord, the prioress tries to be considered a lady. His manners are impeccable, although almost meticulous to a fault; they reveal the effort behind them. She "paid wages to counter the joy, of the court (139-140)." She sings beautifully, emulating one of the qualities that would have been well regarded by the upper classes. She is.