Essay About The Monk In The Canterbury Tales

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Although there are many characteristics about the monk in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, a major characteristic about the monk is that he is rebellious and does what he believes, rather than following the rules of the church.

Throughout The Canterbury Tales, the monk is described as having a rebellious character. The monk does not believe in the ways of the Church Law which is described when Chaucer says in his prologue, “Because Saint Maurus and Saint Benedict had rule he thought were old and rather strict this mounted Monk let old things pass away so that the modern world might have its day.” The monk thought of the church rules as outdated and wanted them to keep advancing for society rather than staying stuck in the old ways of the church. The monk was thought of as being a “flapping fish out of water.” He was rebellious being that he loved to hunt. Hunting was frowned upon, and against the rules, considering him to be an unholy man due to his actions. When people think of a monk, they think of a person who is part of a monostatic order, and is disciplined when it comes to poverty, chastity, and obedience. However, the monk in this case, did what he wanted. He loved to hunt and ride horses. Picturing a monk, one thinks of them as carrying out manual labor, studying, and praying. The monk is described as as …show more content…
In The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, the knight and the host describe the monk to be a “nuisance” and that he annoys them with his tales. The monk seems to be sensitive in this matter because they are criticizing him on his beliefs and actions. They do not agree with his tale’s viewpoint and say that, “it isn’t worth a butterfly, for in it we can find no sport or game.” Even though the monk is thought of negatively regarding the knight and the host, he is brought up as a “gentle priest” at the end of The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
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