Hubert the Friar (of Canterbury Tales)

The Friar

A brother in the church w/ duties such as living among the poor out in the open, to beg on their behalf and to give his earnings to help their struggle for livelihood since they weren't rich. They were supposed to attack evil and sinners by preaching among the people . This is what the friar in this tale was supposed to do. However friars turned begging into a very profitable business.

Occupation

A friar a.k.a. a limiter is licensed to beg in a certain district. {line 213}There are four districts and this friar was the best beggar in all four districts. Each friar had to pay rent but the proceeds of his begging were a lot more than the rent he paid to the church. His purchases were too nice for the income he was supposed to be getting. He should have been very poor, even more poor than the people he was helping but this was not the case.This friar was eating healthy & living large. Therefore "his income came to be more than he laid out" Line #256-257

(Anti)Pope Alexander VI

Appearance

The friar wore a double worsted coat. { A short robe made of fine woolen fabric}. This was a luxury unsuitable for a friar. He shouldn't have been able to afford this. He also always kept gifts for women in the hood of his coat to seduce women and girls.

"Of double worsted was the semi-cope upon his shoulders" Line # 270-271

"He kept his tippet {hood} stuffed with pins and curls and pocket knives" Line # 237-238

He is often said to be an outstanding symbol of corruption in the church. He committed a number of sins including having 12 children by 12 different women,authorizing the use of torture to get confessions from heretics {A person who holds controversial opinions, especially one who publicly dissents from the officially accepted dogma of the Roman Catholic Church} and condoned burning them alive.

Language

Status

Friars were definitely lower class, poor ones who helped other poor people. However this friar in particular, because of his hypocritical, ungodly ways was better off than any other friar.

The friar tried to woo women with sweet talk, henceforth the quote " so glib with gallant phrase and well turned speech" Line #239 ,"he lisped out of wantonness to make his English sweet upon his dress" Line # 274-275

Actions

Actions( cont'd)

Actions (continued)

The friar was a corrupt clergyman in several ways. He is described by some as a "bachelor on a love hunt, a crooked business man who does not complete his duties.

2.Instead of begging on behalf of the poor,he turned begging into a way to satisfy his fleshly desires with women.

3.Instead of giving his earnings to help the poor, he was using the money to buy gifts for women. Line #237-238

1.Instead of living among the poor, he thinks it's neither fitting nor profitable for him to associate himself w/ such lowly people. This is the opposite of what he supposed to be doing. Line 247-254

Secrets

Actions (cont'd)

4. Hubert was the best beggar in all 4 districts of the friars.

{ Line #222-224}. He could take money from even the poorest person.If a poor widow didn't have a shoe, he could still get a coin out of her before he left. { Line # 259-262}

5.Hubert has a "merry" voice and can sing very well along w/ an instrument. He always won the best prize in ballad singing competitions. Unfortunately his musical ability helps him to seduce women. { Line #240-241}

1. The friar used his position in the church to get money. He claimed he could forgive sins more than the priest. {Line # 218-219} He would only forgive the rich & powerful men in his town when he was certain he would receive a good gift. { Line #225-229}

Secrets(cont'd)

Secrets (cont'd)

2.The friar seduced many married women and village girls. Even arranging the marriages for the very ones he had seduced and got pregnant. {Line # 216-217

3.The friar knew all the local bars and hotels better than most people. {Line #240-242} This shows that he spent a lot of his time at bars and hotels rather than living among the poor and helping them.

Direct Characterizations

Indirect Characterizations

1. "For he sang well and played the hurdy gurdy, At sing songs he was champion of the hour" Line # 240-241

1. "He'd fix up many a marriage, giving eaxh of his young women what he could afford her" Line # 216-217

Indirect Charac. (cont'd)

Direct Charac.( Cont'd)

2." For he was qualified to hear confessions, or so he said with more than priestly scope. He had a special license from the pope. Sweetly he heard his penitents at shrift with pleasant absolution for a gift" Line #222-226

2." He knew the taverns well in every town and every innkeeper and barmaid too better than the lepers, beggars and that crew" Line # 244-246

Indirect Charac. (cont'd)

Direct charac. (cont'd)

3."For so eminent a man as he it was not fitting with the dignity of his position dealing with a scum of wretched lepers, nothing good can come of commerce with such slum-and-gutter dwellers, but only with the rich and victual sellers. But anywhere a profit might accrue courteous he was and low of service too" Line #247-254

3." He was the finest beggar of his batch" Line # 356

1.Hypocrite

A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion. 2. : A person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

Works Cited

Crafty

Skilled in or marked by underhandedness, deviousness, or deception.

• The Canterbury Tales Prologue
• www.thefreedictionary.com
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friar
• www.sparknotes.com › ... › The Canterbury Tales
• www.nndb.com/people/159/000092880/
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Alexander_VI

Corrupt

Having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.