By: Nicole LeRose. “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court” Someone...

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The Summoner’s Tale By: Nicole LeRose

Transcript of By: Nicole LeRose. “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court” Someone...

Page 1: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

The Summoner’s

TaleBy: Nicole LeRose

Page 2: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

What is a Summoner?

“An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”

Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their spiritual crimes

Calls upon people for a specific purpose.

Page 3: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Who was the Summoner?

“With black and scabby brows and scanty beard, He had a face that all the children feared;” (lines 627-628)

Red, pimply face, scarred from leprocy Loved onions, garlic, leaks “And when with wine he was quite well infused,

Some Latin words were all the words he used. He knew a few good phrases, two or three, Which he had learnt to say from some decree.” (lines 637-640)

“All of the young girls of the diocese; He knew their secrets, counseled them and led.” (lines 664-665)

Page 4: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.
Page 5: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

The Summoner’s Prologue

“He was mad at the Friar to such degree that like an aspen leaf he shook with ire.”(lines 1665-1666)

Tells tale about a corrupt friar to get back at the friar.

Remembers others speaking of friar knowing of Hell.

Page 6: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

The Summoner’s Prologue Continued

One friar had a vision of Hell and was taken through by an angel and could not find any other friars.

Angel asked Satan to lift up his tale. “Out of the devil's ass there shot a drive

Of twenty thousand friars in a rout ,Who throughout hell went swarming all about, Until, as fast as they'd come to appear, Each one crept back into the devil's rear.”(lines 1694-1698)

Page 7: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Characters

Yorkshire friar- main character, beggar

Thomas- rich, old, uneducated and ill man

Thomas’ Wife The Lord Lord’s Servant Lord’s Lady

Page 8: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Summary

The Yorkshire Friar travels the country, preaching and begging for alms. He promises his prayers in return. When he arrives back at the convent, he forgets to make his prayers. He arrives at Thomas’ house, who is rich and ill. “So house by house this friar went, till he Came to one house where he was wont to be Better refreshed than at a hundred more”(1765-1767). He tells Thomas he has been praying for him. Thomas’ wife appears and states that their baby has recently died.

Page 9: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Summary Continued

The friar claims to already know this and that he has been praying. For this, the friar suggests Thomas to give him goods and gold and Thomas tells him he has already given plenty to the friars. “Your lack of faith is what has brought you down” (1958). The friar then states he has not given the friars enough to share. They go back in forth in disagreement.

Page 10: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Summary Continued

The friar tries to talk Thomas into giving him money. Thomas grew angry “This ailing man was nearly mad with ire; He would have liked to see the friar on fire For his dissembling and hypocrisy” (2121-2123). Thomas finally chose to give him a gift that he had been saving. He told the friar to reach below his back. “And when this sick man felt the friar begin To grope around his orifice, right in The friar's hand the fellow let a fart” (2144-2149).

Page 11: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Summary Continued

Thomas then told the friar to share it with all the others. The friar was unsure how to share such a gift and reported back to the lord of the village. Him and his wife were puzzled as well. The lord’s squire comes with the idea that the friars stand in a circle. One in the middle farts and they all share it. “Save that this worthy man who's your confessor, So honorable, should not be like those lesser But rather have first fruit, and so he will.” (2275-2277)

Page 12: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Themes

Corruption in the Church “When folks in church had given to him what They pleased,

he moved on, no more rest he got.” (lines 1735-1736) Anger between classes

“Since you've heard this false Friar lie, agree That I now be allowed my tale to tell.” (lines 1670-1671)

Human desire for a better life “Exhorting all the people with his preaching To purchase

trentals, giving, for God's sake, That holy houses men might undertake To build for services,” (1716-1719)

Rich vs. Poor/ Rags vs. Riches "Help us, Thomas, for him who harrowed hell! For if you don't,

our books we'll have to sell.” (lines 2107-2108) “This ailing man was nearly mad with ire; He would have liked

to see the friar on fire For his dissembling and hypocrisy.” (lines 2119-2123)

Page 13: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Allusions Inferno- reaches under tail of Satan

“Out of the devil's ass there shot a drive Of twenty thousand friars in a rout Story of Judas- stole from disciples’ purses” (lines 1694-1695)

Christ and the Twelve Apostles “So twelve of them shall kneel, As it shall be agreed, right by

the wheel, For every friar a spoke, to which he goes And firmly at the spoke-end lays his nose.” (lines 2261-2264)

Pentecost Parody- celebration “By way of proof that is demonstrative, In equal share the

sound will have its stroke,” (lines 2272-2273) Moses-

"Look, Moses fasted forty days and nights, Before God in his might came from the heights, To speak with him upon Mount Sinai; He fasted many a day, his stomach dry, And empty, and received the law inscribed, By God's own finger.” (1885-1889)

Page 14: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Metaphors

“I am a man whose appetite is spare; The Bible is my spirit's food, my flesh” (1884-1885)

“And so just as a hawk will up and rear Into the air, the prayer soars ever higher.” (1938-1940)

“On which concern the wise man says in kind: 'Don't make of your own house a lion's lair, Do not oppress the ones within your care, Or cause a friend to up and flee.‘” (1988-1991)

"You know what's best to do, don't get upset, You're my confessor," said this man of worth, "You've been the salt, the savor of the earth.”(2194-2196)

Page 15: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

What do you think?

Did the Summoner provide a good rebuttal?

Have you ever done something to teach someone a lesson?

Page 16: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Insight Into the Summoner

Was the Summoner’s tale in pure frustration for the Friar?

Did he prove a point or make himself look worse?

Page 17: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Evaluation

This tale was a satirical comedy portraying a corrupt friar.The Summoner’s ugly physical appearance depicted the ugliness of his personality. He is a gluttonous character who will take advantage of his powers. He has no fear of excommunicating those he feels deserve it. The Summoner holds himself high and shows it through his actions and tales.

Page 18: By: Nicole LeRose.  “An official who served summonses for an ecclesiastical court”  Someone hired by the medieval church who calls upon people for their.

Sources

http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft1f59n7bw&chunk.id=d0e9490&toc.id=&brand=ucpress

Finlayson, John. "Chaucer's "Summoner's Tale": Flatulence, Blasphemy, And The Emperor's Clothes." Studies In Philology 104.4 (2007): 455-470. Academic Search Premier. 

http://www.canterbury-tales.net/summoners-tale/

http://english.fsu.edu/canterbury/summoner.html

http://colfa.utsa.edu/chaucer/ec28-9.html