Tsz Pui, Tong (Zarah)
Dr. Susan Hagen
EH 350 – Chaucer
May 11 2016
Draft - Sin of Pride in the Canterbury Tale Back to the fourteenth century, numbers do not only contain numerical values, but also symbolic meanings. Numerological symbolism plays an important role in medieval literature. Lucas Scott points out the significance of medieval people’s belief in numbers: “[medieval reader’s] treatment of numerological prognostication would be incomplete without a discussion of the link between letters and numbers. Medieval Christians explained many of their symbols in terms of numbers” (48).
In Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tale, three is one of the most potent symbolic number used: three women narrators (the Wife of Bath, the Prioress, and the second …show more content…
The tale starts with a list of crimes that the Summoner executed punishment from: “of fornicacioun, / Of wicchecraft, and eek of bawderye, / Of diffamacioun, and avowtrye / Of chirche reves, and of testamentz, / Of contractes and of lakke of sacramentz / Of usure, and of symonye also” (“FT” 1301-1309). While slander, adultery and robbery violate the commandment of one shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour, commit adultery, steal nor covet others’ wife and property (The Holy Bible King James Version, Deuteronomy 5.18-21), one shall also not “lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury” (Deuteronomy 23.19). Moreover, failure to perform sacraments and pertain to wills and contracts are insolent to God. This series of evils presented is not favored by God and it indicates the disobedience of the Summoner. People sometimes may not be able to withstand temptation and they get further from God. However, the numerous amount of crimes reveals that the Summoner is a heinous criminal; and he commits all the crimes intentionally instead of accidentally. By neglecting the commandment and its authority, this intended disobedience is the pride in the …show more content…
Hypocrite is someone that “hideth to shewe hym swich as he is and sheweth hym swiche as he noght is” (“PT” 394). Unlike the modern English meaning, it focuses on the action of hiding oneself instead of behaving conversely to one’s moral belief. Disdain is to “hath desdeyn of his neighebore, . . . ,or hath despit to doon that hym oghte to do” (395). The Summoner lies about his real identity and claims he is there “[t]o ryden, for to reysen up a rente / That longeth to my lordes duetee” (“FT” 1390-91). When the fiend asks him “Artow thanne a bailly?” (1392), he first refuses to tell the fiend that he is a sinful and greedy summoner who even wants “Som subtiltee . . . that [he] may moost wynne” (1420-21). As the Summoner is always “enqueryng upon every thyng” (1409), in order to get more information from this lately met fiend, he hides his adverse side by lying that he is a good bailiff to gain the fiend’s trust. From the same example, his disdain is demonstrated as he is not loyal to his lord and not respectful to his work. The Friar status that the Summoner would “took hymself a greet profit therby; / His maister knew nat alwey what he wan”
Dr. Susan Hagen
EH 350 – Chaucer
May 11 2016
Draft - Sin of Pride in the Canterbury Tale Back to the fourteenth century, numbers do not only contain numerical values, but also symbolic meanings. Numerological symbolism plays an important role in medieval literature. Lucas Scott points out the significance of medieval people’s belief in numbers: “[medieval reader’s] treatment of numerological prognostication would be incomplete without a discussion of the link between letters and numbers. Medieval Christians explained many of their symbols in terms of numbers” (48).
In Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tale, three is one of the most potent symbolic number used: three women narrators (the Wife of Bath, the Prioress, and the second …show more content…
The tale starts with a list of crimes that the Summoner executed punishment from: “of fornicacioun, / Of wicchecraft, and eek of bawderye, / Of diffamacioun, and avowtrye / Of chirche reves, and of testamentz, / Of contractes and of lakke of sacramentz / Of usure, and of symonye also” (“FT” 1301-1309). While slander, adultery and robbery violate the commandment of one shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour, commit adultery, steal nor covet others’ wife and property (The Holy Bible King James Version, Deuteronomy 5.18-21), one shall also not “lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury” (Deuteronomy 23.19). Moreover, failure to perform sacraments and pertain to wills and contracts are insolent to God. This series of evils presented is not favored by God and it indicates the disobedience of the Summoner. People sometimes may not be able to withstand temptation and they get further from God. However, the numerous amount of crimes reveals that the Summoner is a heinous criminal; and he commits all the crimes intentionally instead of accidentally. By neglecting the commandment and its authority, this intended disobedience is the pride in the …show more content…
Hypocrite is someone that “hideth to shewe hym swich as he is and sheweth hym swiche as he noght is” (“PT” 394). Unlike the modern English meaning, it focuses on the action of hiding oneself instead of behaving conversely to one’s moral belief. Disdain is to “hath desdeyn of his neighebore, . . . ,or hath despit to doon that hym oghte to do” (395). The Summoner lies about his real identity and claims he is there “[t]o ryden, for to reysen up a rente / That longeth to my lordes duetee” (“FT” 1390-91). When the fiend asks him “Artow thanne a bailly?” (1392), he first refuses to tell the fiend that he is a sinful and greedy summoner who even wants “Som subtiltee . . . that [he] may moost wynne” (1420-21). As the Summoner is always “enqueryng upon every thyng” (1409), in order to get more information from this lately met fiend, he hides his adverse side by lying that he is a good bailiff to gain the fiend’s trust. From the same example, his disdain is demonstrated as he is not loyal to his lord and not respectful to his work. The Friar status that the Summoner would “took hymself a greet profit therby; / His maister knew nat alwey what he wan”