Similarities and Differences b/w Chaucer and Langland's Work
...t for hunting. This kind of leisure activity is not highly encouraged in the monastery but the Monk disregards it because he disagrees with it. The Prioress, “emerges as a very realistically portrayed human being, but she seems somewhat lacking as a religious figure.” This very clearly defines the Prioress who is also very fixated on the concept of love just like the Squire. But in her case that is forbidden. A Prioress, holding the higher authority in a group of nuns, should have no feeling or thought about love. The Friar on the other hand commits one of the most sinful acts of the three. He collects people’s money that go to him for help claiming that the people will be absolved of their sins just because they are contributing money to a Friar. This clearly shows the Friar’s sin and greed more than anything else. As a member of the clergy he is guiltier of sin than the Knight, the Squire, the Prioress or the Monk for that matter. Nevertheless, all three serving under God should not be committing any of these sins. These examples are perfect illustrations of their faulty character and weak nature. Finally the last estate, the peasantry which includes the Man of the Law, the Clerk and the Merchant. These three characters focus nearly their entire attention on money; once again greed comes into play. Usually, this social class consists of those who struggle to get by or make just enough money. In this case, the Merchant who is in debt always manages to get himself out of it and hide his secret fairly well. The Man of the Law is surely very gluttonous when it comes to money. “[He] contrasts very sharply with the Clerk in that he has used his studies for monetary gain.” Again, this without a doubt demonstrates the human weakness and sin that is being committed by these pilgrims. Langland’s, The Vision of Piers Plowman, alternatively does not go into so much detail describing each character. In contrast, Langland introduces us to a dreamer who in turn tells us about his visions or dreams. Throughout the whole text, there aren’t many specific characters. The only three that can actually be considered sole characters are Gluttony, Envy and Piers Plowman. But even these are very generalized characters in the stories that simply show us what they are and how they repent. In the dreamer’s first vision he describes a field of folk where we are introduced to a small society and the dreamer describes many different people who live there. Some are merchants; others are part of the clergy. Both Langland and Chaucer represent similar social types. The narrator introduces us through, The Canterbury Tales, to a number of characters, some more important then others, and proceeds to tell us about how he remembers each character from when he first met them. We see the way the characters interact with each other which allows us as bystanders to observe each one and pick up on any subtlety that the author uses to criticize them or mock their weaknesses. It is clear to us from the beginning that these people have sinned and are taking this pilgrimage for penance. Every character, even the less significant ones such as the host of the tavern, are portrayed as selfish, and more than anything else, greedy. For instance, when the host comes up with the idea of giving away a free dinner to the winner it is merely for his own profit. In other words, he won’t be giving it away but the other pilgrims will be paying for it. The host is a lot like Langland’s characters in The Vision of Piers Plowman; constantly trying to profit by cheating other people. Once the twenty or so pilgrims venture off on their journey they begin trying to out do each other and their journey soon becomes a competition. This in itself shows human weakness and most of all, sin. On the way to their destination each pilgrim tells a story and through their stories they begin to expose themselves for who they really are. Their stories begin to illustrate their faults and vices. This is where Chaucer strictly differs from Langland. Chaucer manages to expose his characters’ moral weakness without directly criticizing them whereas Langland openly censures his own characters. In The Canterbury Tales, the pilgrims don’t seem to have any self awareness of what they are saying or doing. Either way, they don’t seem like they care too much. In that case, one must ask the question why are they going on this pilgrimage in the first place? In Langland’s The Vision of Piers Plowman, the character of Envy and Gluttony as an example, know they are sinners and can so they seek repentance. The pilgrims in Chaucer’s poem seem to be taking this journey simply for the sake of having a new beginning and the enjoyment of it. The season during which they venture off is spring and spring is usually referred to as a fresh beginning, a new start. These pilgrims only seem to care who will win the contest rather than having their sins absolved and receiving this new beginning. By going on this pilgrimage, they make an attempt to fool God. In Langland’s tale, the folk also want their sins forgiven just at the pilgrims; and they too go about it the wrong way. For instance, some of them pay off a pardoner who only pockets the money much like the Friar and they think their sins have been forgiven. But by paying him off they are only committing more sins. Chaucer portrays human weakness and sin through his characters, their appearances, their actions, etc… He is subtle but yet very clear about what he wants to and does depict as the weakness of human nature and sin. Langland in contrast talks about sin and the weakness of human nature a lot more freely. He doesn’t hold back and liberally states what he sees in the society around him. I find that in these two poems, the societies are defined by the people that they are composed of. In Langland’s, The Vision of Piers Plowman, the dreamer’s visions show what he feels is wrong with the society around him. In other words, we get an idea about what Langland feels is wrong. In the Canterbury Tales Chaucer too voices his views on society through his poem and that society is much the same as that of Langland; full of human imperfection. Chaucer is very ironic and manipulative in his writing. That isn’t to say that he is a manipulator. He simply uses humor to portray the ...