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The Peasant Revolt
- Paid 10% of earnings to the Medieval Church, tithe
- Unbalanced labor force after the Black Death
- Had to work on church land for free for multiple days per week
- Poll tax introduced and peasants were left without much; outraged
- 1381
- Feudalism ends and serfdom starts to decline
Medieval Church
- The locus of education and what it feels like to belong to the Church, to pray, and to God
- Chief publisher, librarian, and teacher
- Often immense farms; handicrafts were taught, peasants did labor
- Black Death killed 60% of top clergy
- Facing the loss of class within the society so the Pope, bishops, monks and friars wanted money
Parish Church
- A parish is the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region
- Parishioners are inhabitants of a parish and those who belong to one parish church
- Each parish is administered by a parish priest
- Most parish priests wanted money, so they took a “benefice”, to say mass to one rich person per day
Occupation
- Parish priest; the pastor, educator, and caretaker of parishioners
- Preaches and teaches by being holy in all aspects of life
- Gives to the poor
- Visits the sick or those in trouble
TONE
- Heavily praised by Chaucer
- Has the qualities to an exemplary parish priest
- Chaucer is devoid of any satire when describing the Parson
- “A good man of religion”, “Benign he was and wondrously diligent”, “Patient in adverse times and well content”
IDEAL
- The Parson is very idealized
- Good example for other priests; others should see how he lives and gives
- Chaucer even inserts a biblical imagery of a shepherd and a flock of sheep to describe Parson as someone who practices what he preaches
- Chaucer writes “There is nowhere a better priest”
CHARACTERIZATION
HUMORS
- At first glance, into personalities, the Parson would be of phlegm or blood
- To take a deeper look into general characteristics, the Parson actually carries all four fluids of around the same amount
- He is idealized, so therefore he has no excess amount of any fluids
REALISTIC vs IDEALIZED
Idealized
- The Parson is a reflection of what priesthood should be like instead of the priesthood that existed in the 15th century
Taking a deeper look...
COMPARISONS AND
CONTRASTS
SEVEN DEADLY
SINS
- Chaucer describes the Parson to be of no sins; only virtues
Lust (excessive sexual appetites)
Chastity (purity)
Gluttony (over-indulgence)
Temperance (self-restraint)
Greed (avarice)
Charity (giving)
Sloth (laziness/idleness)
Diligence (zeal/integrity/labor)
Wrath (anger)
Forgiveness (composure)
Envy (jealousy)
Kindness (admiration)
Pride (vanity)
Humility (humbleness)
ORDER OF
APPEARANCE
- Three medieval social estates
1. Nobility: those with hereditary or honorable titles
2. Clergy: those who belongs to the church
3. Commoners and peasantry
- The Parson in the middle and towards the end of the prologue, behind the nobility and churchmen associated with monasteries outside of parishes, and some mercenary men
- Even though he is an exemplary priest, he belongs to a parish and so he is poor and seen as not important
- Joins the pilgrimage to spread good thoughts – the right thoughts, to spread inspiration, while developing a closer relationship with God, and finding a sense of belonging
- He is there to teach and set an example for others
MODERN
EQUIVALENT
- The Parson exhibits a genuinely good person, as someone who truly lives for others
- Today, we respect these people just like our ancestors did
- Modern priests could be seen as a direct equivalent to a certain degree
- A more exact image would be His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
- The Dalai Lama is a teacher and a mentor for all his people, and deep down in his heart, he is tranquil and sincere
GENRE
- Inspirational or self-help guide with a serious tone
- Examples: The Seven Habits of High Effective People, The Alchemist, and The Art of Happiness
OCCUPATION
- Small tenant farmer; peasant
- Land-worker who helped with others' lands
- “Thrash his corn, to dig or to manure, or to make a ditch”
TONE
- Praised
- Serious tone
- Chaucer admires his genuinely good heart and unwavering devotion for God, respecting him and his charitable work in all ways
- “He was an honest worker, good and true”, “living in peace and perfect charity”
CHARACTERIZATION
HUMORS
- This character is idealized, and therefore does not possess any flaws
- He does not have a particular humor as he possesses good characteristics of each humor
REALISTIC vs IDEALIZED
- Idealized
- Especially in his social class, where peasants were displeased with the taxes they paid and the work they did
- He is indifferent to the poverty and work, and even loves God more than most nobility and churchmen described in the tales
- In other words, he is just too good
COMPARISONS AND
CONTRASTS
- Like the Parson, the Plowman is equally virtuous, faithful, and giving
- Because he is idealized along with the Knight and the Parson, he compares with the same characters as them
- He contrasts other lower-class pilgrims, the Miller and the Reeve, who are described as disgusting, without brains, and do their work shrewdly
SEVEN DEADLY
SINS
The plowman does not have any sins.
ORDER OF
APPEARANCE
- Appears farther along the Tales, portraying that he occupies lower end of “The Great Chain of being”, considering how much of the way he lives is dependent on others
- He represented the peasantry class before the Peasant Revolt
- His natural goodness can be admired more after Chaucer writes about the more sinful pilgrims before him
- He joins the pilgrimage out of desire to find a sense of belonging with God. He could also want to see other ways in which he can help others in their day-to-day lives
MODERN
EQUIVALENT
Mother Teresa.
- Loved to help others; her whole life was spent doing charitable work and giving. This is portrayed in Plowman as well who takes care more of his neighbors than himself
- Her motives for why she sacrificed herself to help others was strongly linked to her religion. Plowman, too, because of his dedication to his faith, lived a charitable life caring for others
GENRE
- Philosophical and optimistic in nature
- For example, The Art of Happiness
- He may even just discuss his daily life, because he carries a simple dignity of an essential and ancient occupation, and one that is not practiced properly by others
- He actually does not tell a tale
THE PARSON
AND
THE PLOWMAN
- They are of different social classes. The Parson is part of the Catholic Church, the most dominant institution in the Middle Ages while the Plowman is part of the disappearing feudal system, a system based on the land
- Chaucer completely reverses the two brothers’ distinctions in the 15th century society from the Peasant Revolt and the corrupted church system into two ideals
- Charitable
He would go through all kinds of turmoil for his neighbours, or anyone in need without asking for pay. “And he would help the poor”, “Living in peace and perfect charity”.
- Faithful
He loved God the most. Even though he was a member of the peasant class, he paid all his tithes (taxes) on time and follows the commandments wholeheartedly, especially “to love one’s neighbours as one’s self” (showing in his selfless aid to those around him - “And then his neighbour as himself, repined at no misfortune, slacked for no content”, “And, as the gospel bade him, so did he, loving God best with all his heart and mind”
- Humble/Modest
“He wore a tabard smock and rode a mare”. He dressed in a simple laborer’s coat, and he never kept grudges nor asked for pay for the work he did for his neighbours. “For the love of Christ and never take a penny, if he could help it”.
- Hard-working
He did much manual labor for a living, even when he didn’t have to. “Many a load of dung one time or other he must have carted through the morning dew. He was an honest worker, good and true”, “For steadily about his work he went, to thrash his corn, to dig or to manure or make a ditch”.
Trait Evidence (Quotation)
- Spiritually righteous
“… Holy thought and work.” He practiced what he preached. “Who Christ’s own gospel truly sought to preach; devoutly his parishioners would he teach.” There are priests who do mass to a single wealthy family but the Parson chooses to walk far to visit his parishioners.
- Benign, warmhearted
The Parson is very gentle and “to sinners he was not impetuous, nor haughty in his speech, nor too divine, but in all teaching prudent and benign.”
- Generous, giving
The Parson himself is in poverty; however, he still gives away to the poor. He loathes excommunicating parishioners because of tithes and so he sacrifices his own materialistic fulfillment's to please others. “But rather he would give, in case of doubt, unto those poor parishioners about, part of his income, even of his goods.”
- Attentive
He visits his parishioners when they are sick, along with an officer of the parish. As well, when or if his parishioners are in trouble, he visits them and helps them in any way he could.
- Diligent, conscientious
The Parson takes his job very seriously and sees himself as a caretaker of his parishioners. “If poor gold rust, what shall poor iron do?” The Parson sees his parishioners as his sheep, and says that he cannot leave them stuck in the mud. He reinforces his reasons for living a holy life by saying that it wouldn't be right for a flock of white sheep to be watched by a dirty and sinful shepherd.
With the Plowman
- Both are idealized
- Both are charitable
- Both are faithful to the church
With the Knight
- Both are idealized
- Both are faithful and devoted to their work
- Both are respectful to people of all classes
With the Monk
- The Monk is concerned with living a wealthy life
- The Monk does not study religion
- The Monk lives with ease
With the Friar
- The Friar accepts bribes
- The Friar seduces women
- The Friar does not see any point in helping poor people
Reality:
Corrupted
Takes bribes
Focus is money
Indifferent
Unholy
Ideal:
Righteous
Warmhearted
Giving
Attentive
Conscientious
Pilgrim Portrait – The Parson and the Plowman
Thank you for participating
and listening!
:)
Winnie Sun
Nancy Yang
Block 4