Characterization of the Monk in Chaucer's General Prologue

Members of the clergy in Chaucer's The General Prologue are presented very differently from the way one would expect them to be presented. Of Chaucer's characters, the Monk and the Friar are excellent examples. The Monk, as introduced in Chaucer's General Prologue, is said to be "one of the finest sort" (Chaucer 7), though many context clues point to a conclusion that the Monk was not the best example of clergy in that time. The Friar is presented as equally reprehensible, if not more so for his actions as the Monk, because of the religious vows he has taken, which he clearly does not follow. The Friar however does fit a stereotype of other friars at that time, in that many were said to be seducers of young women on the road. To display the true character of the pilgrims, Chaucer uses traditional characterization techniques which expand the reader's knowledge in only a few lines.

The Monk, along with many of Chaucer's other characters, is not directly convicted of doing anything wrong, as his deeds were never particularly specified; however, by the use of certain adjectives Chaucer gives him, and descriptions of his mannerisms, we get hints that there is more to this character than meets the untrained eye. Certain traits given to the Monk include his love of hunting, his love of possessions, the clothing he is wearing, and how in all it went against the rules of the clergy.

Monks in the fourteenth century lived under a strict monastic rule, and also took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Chaucer's monk admits he breaks his order's rule, and also clearly breaks the vow of poverty and obedience. The general definition of a monk was a man who devoted his life to being part of a brotherhood whose primary goal was to live a simple life of discipline and prayer. In this way, the monks would live together in a monastery, a place in which it was their job to pay for mankind's salvation (Knox).

Monks would spend most of their time praying and meditating. As they are characterized as close to the women's equivalent of nuns, the time not spent in these activities would be used for reading, teaching, writing, and copying texts. They led very structured lives, but above all focused on maintaining organization (Knox). This contradiction between reality and the world of The Canterbury Tales is directly addressed by Chaucer when the narrator said, "he let go by the things of yesterday and took the modern world's more spacious way" (Chaucer 7).

The Monk is most associated with his hunting. He hunts hares and rides horses instead of studying, praying, and working.

Hunting a hare or riding at a fence

Was all his fun, he spared for no expense. (8)

He does not follow the rules of the monastery which say that monks should not hunt, be reckless, nor leave the monastery, but instead should study and perform manual labor. Chaucer displays the Monk's apathy towards the rules when he writes,

He did not rate that text at a plucked hen

Which says that hunters are not holy men

And that a monk uncloistered is a mere

Fish out of water, flapping on the pier,

That is to say a monk out of his cloister. (7-8)

Whereas the Monk may want the title of "monk," he does not wish to follow the rules it takes to be one. To be a proper monk, he needs to quit riding and hunting, and start studying, praying, and performing manual labor. His choice to avoid his monastic calling gives him more freedom in his life, which he seems to value above all else.

The Monk's clothing differs from those of other monks. Monks usually wore plain, dark and drab colored habits with hoods. This Monk's clothing is more luxurious.

I saw his sleeves were garnished at the hand

With fine grey fur, the finest in the land,

And on his hood, to fasten it at his chin

He had a wrought-gold cunningly fashioned pin;

Into a lover's knot it seemed to pass. (8)

As accentuated by his attraction to hunting, the robe he wears particularly stands out. This outfit would have been worn by someone who was noble, or at the very least upper-middle class. It denotes what he stands for in terms of simplicity and giving up the earthly temptation of greed. Furthermore, monks were expected to wear a rosary at all times. Chaucer's Monk replaces this with a "fashion pin," which again hints that the Monk is not interested in his vocation as much as in society and class.

His head was bald and shone like looking-glass;

So did his face, as if it had been greased.

He was a fat and personable priest (Chaucer 8)

The above passage also strays from a normal view of monks. Monks were often skinny because of the bland food they were required to eat. The Monk "like[s] a fat swan best, and roasted whole" (8) which