Canterbury Tales- The Summoner
A summoner was a man who would
deliver summons or orders to people to appear in the ecclesiastical
(church/clergy related) courts. He also had to collect fines for people's
immoral or sinful behavior. He is often presented as a criminal, collecting and
keeping fines from innocent people
The Friar's Tale:
According to the Friar's Tale, the
Summoner is cheap thief who dedicates his life to scamming innocent old women
into giving him their money. The fact that in the end of the story the Summoner
is sent to hell proves that the Friar and the Summoner are not on good terms,
as also shown in the Summoner's Tale. Through the Friar’s Tale Chaucer
demonstrates the Summoner as a thief, extortionist, and someone who prosecutes
women unfairly.
Physical:
The physical description of the
Summoner is not a pleasant sight. He has sores all over his face, including
many grotesque pimples. He is known for his bad breath and bushy eyebrows, and
it is said that he is so unattractive that he scares children
Personality:
The attitudes/values that Chaucer
gives to the Summoner is that he is dishonest and lecherous. The summoner takes
bribes, is ignorant and is a drunk. His gross moral nature is reflected by his
vulgar outer appearance. He tries to sound intelligent by using the little
Latin he knows frequently. It is obvious from Chaucer's tales about the
Summoner that he did not like this character.
Chaucer paints a very ugly image of
the Summoner's appearance, instantly making the reader grossed out by him. Not
only that, but his descriptions of the character's actions show that he didn't
believe the Summoner had any morals.
Chaucer's description of the summoner
makes him seem like a disgusting man and tells us that he also was not well
liked by anybody in medieval society
Chaucer speaks of the Summoner
abusing his position as well as taking bribes and bullying those who wouldn't
bribe him. Chaucer does not attribute any good features to the Summoner.
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