"The Manciple's Tale" & "The Parsons Tale"
29
Literary Devices
Human Nature
The Parson
- Old
- Clergy member
-Focused on spiritual depth and not appearance
In The Parsons Tale, the prologue is a statement made by the Parson saying that he will not rhyme and what he says is not for entertainment. “You’ll get no fable or romance from me . . .”(l.485). Instead, the Parson prepares a sermon for those who are interested in the pilgrimage. The parson is a stern and professional man who is only interested in the church.
To begin the tale the Parson shares the three parts of penitence which are contrition, confession, and satisfaction. “One noble way is Penitence, the lamenting for sin and the will to sin no more”(ll. 487). The Parson goes on to say that there are different levels of sin: venial, and deadly. “Venial sin may lead to deadly sin. There were seven deadly sins . . .”(ll.488). With every sin that the Parson describes he includes a spiritual remedy. He ends the sermon by saying that the only way to salvation is through oral confession. He describes the act of oral confession, “[is] endless bliss in heaven”(ll.488).
It is ironic that the parson tells this tale because he is known to scam people by making them pay for forgiveness. The satire in this tale is against the people of the church. The Parson symbolizes people in the church who do not practice what they preach. The Parson preaches about forgiveness but isn’t honest in his work. This is also the societal weakness in the tale. The religious spectrum of the time period was highly respected so the weakness usually stemmed from the people who had power in the church like, the parson.
1. How does the Manciple's Tale relate to modern relationships/marriages?
2.How does the Parson exemplify religious people in society today?
The Manciple
- From London
- Purchases food
- Shrewd, good with money
- Metaphors
- 1. The wife as a caged bird, "Above all things his freedom he desires."
- 2. The wife as the crow- both are possessions
- Through Phoebus, many common downfalls of human nature are explored:
- 1. Jealousy
- 2. Acting rashly and without thinking because of extreme anger
- 3. Regret/guilt over past abrasive, impulsive actions
- 4. Ignoring adversity rather than facing the problem
"Guard well your tongue, and think upon the crow."
-Geoffrey Chaucer
- Biblical allusions- Used mainly in the conclusion of the tale to underscore the importance of holding one's tongue
- "A gossip is to God abominable"
Satire & Societal Weakness
The societal weakness in this tale is the relationship between men and women and also marriage and the fidelity in marriage. Another societal weakness is the relationship between the church and their followers. People are afraid to speak out against the church because of the consequences.
Summary
Setting
- After "Yeoman's Tale"
- Pilgrims are making fun of the Cook for being drunk
- The Manciple joins in on the joking and then steps in to tell a tale in the Cook's place
- Dysfunctional marriage between Phoebus and his wife
- Phoebus does what he can to please his wife, but suspects her of cheating
- They own a white feathered crow that can sing and speak like a human
- Watches his wife closely and keeps her guarded because of his suspicions
Controlling men and also the place of women in this time are being ridiculed by Chaucer. If Phoebus was not so convinced his wife was cheating and gave her more freedom the tale could have been different.
Background
Summary
- Catholic Church is all powerful, controlling all aspects of life
- Corruption is rampant
- Excommunication, interdiction, and being burnt at the stake are common forms of punishment
- There is a growing fear of speaking out against the Church
- One day when he leaves home, his wife takes a lover
- Upon returning, his crow tells of the wife's treachery
- Phoebus shoots an arrow, killing her, but immediately feels remorse
- Blames the crow for his rash actions, and plucks out all of its feathers, turning it black
- Takes away crow's power of speech and condemns it to have an ugly voice and serve the devil forever
Crow vs. Wife Parallel
Moral Implications
- Both are caged, metaphorically and physically
- In his home he "had a crow" and "had a wife"
- Both rebel from this enforced restraint
- affair and speaking out of turn
- Both are effectively silenced by the end of the tale
- Treatment of Crow is a metaphor for treatment of followers of the Church
- Silencing of the crow represents the silencing of the people by the Church
- Warning is not "Don't shoot the messenger," but, "Don't be the messenger, or you will pay the price."
The Tale
"The Manciple's Tale"
&
The Parson's Tale
Literary Devices