In the frame narrative of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses the pilgrims to contrast the hypocrisy of ecclesiastics and the greed of the tradesman against the simpleness of the brothers, the Persoun and the Plowman, and the humility of the Knight (and, to an extent, his company). There are some pilgrims that could be considered neutrally described, but receive little more than what their capacities are. And thus, the majority of the text hinges upon the descriptions of the aforementioned contrasted characters. He does this contrast in order to lift up the virtue of humility. Chaucer lays out hypocrisy in the ecclesiastic pilgrims firstly because it was something that common folk would recognize and relate to and secondly that they will
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The Frankeleyn, a wealthy land owner, is perhaps the most obnoxious shows of wealth that Chaucer gives. My favorite example of this extravagence is the description of the Frankeleyn's access to food, ''It snewed in his hous of mete and drinke/ of alle deyntees that men coude thinke.'' (11) This description goes on for many lines, demonstrating the absurdness of this man's wealth. Additionally, his dagger and purse are ''al of silk.'' (11) which pairs to the daggers of the trades men being ''noght [made] with bras/ but al with silver; wroght ful clene and weel.'' (11) Using the daggers as a symbol for wealth, Chaucer makes a contrast against the simple clad knight. The Merchant, however doesn't get a dagger to display his wealth but a description of his boasting. ''His resons he spak ful solempnely,/ Souninge always th'enrees of his winning.'' (9) Showing off his pride, the Merchant demonstrates the vanity of this rising wealth going on in the country, which Chaucer uses to exemplify the simpleness of the plowman and the humility of knight. If any of the characters should be showing off how great they are, it should be the knight, the highest in class. But instead, he is described as wearing a rough tunic ''Al bismotered with his habergeoun [covered
The Frankeleyn, a wealthy land owner, is perhaps the most obnoxious shows of wealth that Chaucer gives. My favorite example of this extravagence is the description of the Frankeleyn's access to food, ''It snewed in his hous of mete and drinke/ of alle deyntees that men coude thinke.'' (11) This description goes on for many lines, demonstrating the absurdness of this man's wealth. Additionally, his dagger and purse are ''al of silk.'' (11) which pairs to the daggers of the trades men being ''noght [made] with bras/ but al with silver; wroght ful clene and weel.'' (11) Using the daggers as a symbol for wealth, Chaucer makes a contrast against the simple clad knight. The Merchant, however doesn't get a dagger to display his wealth but a description of his boasting. ''His resons he spak ful solempnely,/ Souninge always th'enrees of his winning.'' (9) Showing off his pride, the Merchant demonstrates the vanity of this rising wealth going on in the country, which Chaucer uses to exemplify the simpleness of the plowman and the humility of knight. If any of the characters should be showing off how great they are, it should be the knight, the highest in class. But instead, he is described as wearing a rough tunic ''Al bismotered with his habergeoun [covered