Let's Get General With Geoffrey Quiz

Answer: The Church

Geoffrey Chaucer's "General Prologue" presents a highly realistic representation of society during the 14th century. The change that was taking place in values, and the behaviour of the people is vividly depicted, leading to genuine concern for the state of society as a whole. Based loosely on the form of estates satire, which was traditionally used by medieval satirists in their criticism of society, Chaucer's "General Prologue" conveys the manifestation of deceit, corruption, and the growing tendency to sin. During a time when the Church was the institution with the greatest influence over the people, the question of morality is certainly brought to the forefront. Society is continually compared against the strict ideals of the Church, which results in criticism of those who ignore its moral superiority.

However such criticism is also aimed at many of the Church's own representatives, which complicates the matter.

Answer: True

In Chaucer's "General Prologue", it is the feudal system that dominates our first impressions. There is a clear acceptance of hierarchy, and the ordering of the portraits is mainly one of descending social class. However there is often a blurring of distinctions, due to the emergence of the middle-class, and tradesmen such as the merchant, who continuously comments on "th'encrees of his wynnyng". It is this particular structure that divides humanity into groups, enabling Chaucer to study its individuals.

The Knight is the first to be mentioned, followed by the Squire and the Knight's Yeoman. These are followed by the Prioress, (and her nun and three priests), the Monk and the Friar. Next comes the Merchant, the Clerk, the Sergeant (Man) of Law, the Franklin, Haberdasher, Carpenter, Arras-maker, Dyer and Weaver. These are then followed by the Cook, Shipman, Physician, Wife of Bath, Parson, Plowman and the Miller. Finally, Chaucer lists the Manciple, Reeve, Summoner and Pardoner.

Answer: The Parson

Despite the immorality that is apparent amongst the clergy, hope manifests itself in the form of the Parson, who is presented as an almost Christ-like figure. Although materially poor, he is spiritually empowered, for "riche he was" of both "hooly thoght and werk".

Moreover "Wyd was his parish, and houses far asonder", and yet "he lafte not for reyne or thonder/ In siknesse and in meschief to visíte" the "ferthest in his parisshe, smal and great". His impatience with "any persone obstinat" seems to be his only flaw, for "Cristes love, and his apostles twelve" he taught, but "ferst he folwed it himselve". Yet for every trap that Chaucer's Parson has avoided, there are thousands that have fallen into them, and in light of this, the goodness of Chaucer's Parson only serves to heighten the unruliness that is present in everybody else. For in the "General Prologue" he is the only individual that completely measures up to the strict Christian ideal, which is something even the Church itself does not.

Answer: The Church

The issues of the Church were clearly important to Geoffrey Chaucer. In the "General Prologue", whether or not he is criticising or commending his pilgrims' conduct, he is always drawing attention to their relationship with the Church. The Church traditionally opposed the manifestation of sin, however Chaucer continuously portrays members of the Church themselves falling victim to these influences.

In the "General Prologue", Chaucer does indeed imply that the Church is responsible for the sins of his society, by suggesting that a deceitful trader does not harm the whole of his profession, in the same way that an irresponsible churchman harms the entire Church.

He frequently attacks the Church, condemning the sins of its representatives, and the institution itself. For the manner of religious practice is underlined above all by a desire for personal gain, be it in the form of wealth, personal honour, or greater material comfort. Having pledged to a simple and austere living, Chaucer's Prioress goes against it. "Ful fetys was hir cloke", where "theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene".

She ought to be stripped of artifice, which is what tradition requires. Furthermore, she is challenging the rules of her order by going on pilgrimage in the first place, for she is meant to be kept enclosed. She forms the role of prioress, as well as the identity of a lady. In addition to this, the Monk also betrays his order, preferring "venerie", rather than poring "Upon a book in cloystre".

Answer: True

During the course of the "General Prologue", Chaucer continuously shows the likeable qualities of his pilgrims. Both their strengths and weaknesses are portrayed, for he does make allowances for human imperfection. Although aspects of Chaucer's Prioress are in direct opposition to the rules of ecclesiastic order, there is no indication that she was neglectful to all religious responsibility.

Indeed while Chaucer frowns upon many of the indulgences of his pilgrims, he also recognises that their virtues amply offset weakness.

The Prioress is full of "conscience and tendre herte" and is also moderate in speech. Her mouth is "ful smal" and "therto softe and reed", a description traditionally associated with the depiction of heroines in courtly romances.

This is typical of Chaucer's method of measuring the quality of a pilgrim's character, which only differs in the few, profoundly corrupt exceptions, such as in the portrait of the Pardoner. Indeed with only one or two exceptions, none of Chaucer's pilgrims are unbelievably good, nor profoundly wicked.

Answer: The Pardoner

The Pardoner, is certainly presented as one of the most corrupt of all Chaucer's pilgrims (along with the Summoner), making both "the person and the peple his apes". His deception and "feyned flaterye" convinces simple folks to purchase his phoney relics.

He cheats and manipulates all that believe in the sanctity of the Church and the morality of those that represent it, so much so, that Chaucer himself can find nothing good to say about him. For thought "He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste", this is merely an act, for he would "preche, and wel affile his tonge" for the sole purpose of of winning silver from the crowd.

Answer: 5

Many members of the upper-classes are seen participating freely in sin, be it in the form of Pride, Lust, Envy, Anger, Gluttony, Greed, or Sloth, and Chaucer's Wife of Bath is no different. Like the Prioress, she too is guilty of pride, and as a wealthy woman she does not seek to hide it. "Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed", and her "shoes ful moyste and newe". "Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground".

Moreover she reveals that "Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve". As there were no divorces for women during the 14th century, it naturally follows that each one of her husbands has died.

Indeed during the "Prologue" to her own tale, we discover that three of these men were actually very old. Her number of husbands, as well as the "oother compaignye" she enjoyed "in youthe" hints towards a lustful nature, which can be further substantiated by her "gat-tothed" appearance, which would have been seen as an indication of sexual virility.

Answer: An immoral, lecherous drunk

The Summoner is yet another of Chaucer's pilgrims who violates the laws of the Church. Rather ironically, he is also an officer of the Church himself. Indeed it is he who is responsible for bringing others who violate Church laws to court, so that they may answer any charges that have been made against them. Extremely ugly, his outward appearance seems to mirror the unattractiveness of his character. All "saucefleem he was, with eyen narwe", with "scalled browes blake, and piled berd"; he is so ugly that "Of his visage children were aferd".

Moreover he is such a drunkard that he is willing to accept a bribe of "a quart of wyn" from any "good felawe" who wishes to avoid being reported for having a "concubyn".

Answer: Gluttony

The major failing of Chaucer's Franklin, is his love of food, making him a slave to gluttony. Despite not being of noble birth, he is a substantial landowner of the gentry class, and it is his custom "to lyven in delit". Chaucer even goes so far as to say that the the amount of food is "so plentevous", that the Franklin's house seems to snow "fissh and flessh".

His "breed, his ale, was alweys after oon/A bettre envyned man was nowher noon". He is never "Withoute bake mete" and is accustomed to receiving his daily "sop in wyn".

Many "a fat partrich hadde he in muwe/ And many a breem and many a luce in stuwe". Indeed he is so gluttonous that Chaucer is convinced that his table, "dormant in his halle alway/ Stood redy covered al the longe day".

Answer: Gold

The "General Prologue" reveals that Chaucer's Physician is guilty of avarice. For despite being "a verray parfit praktisour", capable of diagnosing "the cause of everich maladye", he is guilty of a form of greed that makes him uneasy "of dispence". He is an intelligent man, and "in al this world ne was ther noon" as capable as he in the field of "phisik and of surgerye". Though his diet is modest, "His studie was but litel on the Bible", and above all else he "lovede gold in special". Clad in blue and scarlet, "Lyned with taffata and with sendal", he "kepte that he wan in pestilence" for gold is his "cordial".

This theme of obtaining wealth is again hinted at, in the portrait of Chaucer's Sergeant-at-law (sometimes referred to as the Man-of Law). For the Sergeant-at-law too, with all "his science" and skill, "Of fees and robes hadde he many oon". Both men are guilty of avarice, which directly opposes the teachings of the Church.