Name of pilgrim and location of passage (line numbers). Hubert, The Friar (ll. 208-271)
Outline of the organization of the passage. What parts does it break into, and what is the main idea or point made in each section? Outline using line numbers. ll.208-29 The Friar is introduced as a merry, religious, sacred limiter. ll.210-213 We get a taste of the Friar’s deceitfulness. Here we see how sweet talking and flirtatious he is with the women. ll.214-32 Here we see what the friar actually does as his occupation. The friar is a well-known limiter all around, especially by the women. The poor go to him for penance. The friar, however, doesn’t really care about the people’s penance, he only wants their money. The friar was really good at what he was doing. ll.233-239 We see friar catering to the women he adored. He has plenty of gifts to give to the women. He even sings to them. The friar is completely fascinated by the women. ll.240-250 We see the friar characterized as a heartless being. He has no association with the poor, which contrasts with his actual occupation. The friar shouldn’t even be above the poor socially. Instead, the friar puts himself amongst the socially higher classes. Wherever there is money, there will be the friar. ll.250-271 The friar is worthy in everyone eyes. They almost see no fault in him. The friar is so smooth with his tongue and way of speaking to people , line 256 “So plesant was his In principio” that they don’t even realize how deceitful he truly is. No one bothers to correct him either. The friar is very flirtation and cunning. He gets by with whatever he wants. The people see no harm in the ways of the friar. All they want is repentance. In line 263, the friar is even compared to a master or a pope. This shows how good he is at deceiving others with his smarts.
Analyze one figure of speech (metaphor, simile, personification, etc.) and explain what it contributes to the passage.
“His throat was white as lily of the May; Yet strong he was as any champion.” Here in lines 238-239, Chaucer states that the Friar’s throat or neck is “white as lily.” Metaphorically speaking Chaucer is relating a certain characteristic of the Friar’s inner being to that of his physical appearance. During Chaucer’s time, a white neck was considered to be an indication that a person is immoral or lecherous. This contributes to the entire passage in that it provides a physical characterization of the Friar that conflicts with who he is suppose to be. Instead of Chaucer saying straightforwardly that the Friar was immoral or lecherous he hides the characterization of the Friar by using the symbolization of the white throat. The people around and of the society during this time are not directly aware of how sinful and deceitful the Friar is. Chaucer is providing us as readers some insight to the true character of the Friar.
Analyze one or two allusions to people, places, myths, or sources and explain what they contribute to the passage. (For instance, the Catholic Church appears in several different passages.)
There is an allusion to the “ordres foure” in this passage. In line 210, Chaucer mentions the Orders Fours, which are basically the four orders of friars. They include the Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Carmelites, and the Augustinians. Chaucer compares the Friar to the other friars of the society. Hubert is not like any other friar in that he is cunning and deceitful. In the context, Chaucer says that no one of the four orders was like Hubert, the Friar. He is portrayed as being one of a kind. Even though he performed his duties as a friar, Hubert still managed to live a deceiving lifestyle.
Analyze the tone of the passage—what is the speaker suggesting about this pilgrim? Is this a positive or negative portrayal? Justify your interpretation with specifics from the text.
It is quite evident that Chaucer is trying to portray the Friar
