The term character can be applied in several ways. It can mean either a physical being, or to their total pattern of behavior. In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, one is used to complement the other. He often uses certain physical characteristics to dictate exactly how the person is going to act*. This is most evident in the Summoner's Tale. The Summoner is ugly, with a scary face, but also turns out to have a very ugly personality, between his job, attitudes, and values, which come out through his physical descriptions.**.Chaucer's use of physical characteristics is most obvious in the Summoner's Tale.
The Summoner is a scary sight, but not only because he looks so hideous. He also has a hideous job- a summoner is a kind of religious bounty hunter. He seeks down people that need to do their penances and make sure they do them. He is described as having acne so bad "no quicksilver, lead ointment, tartar creams,/ no brimstone, no boracic, so it seems,/ could make a salve...
Geoffrey Chaucer, whose Canterbury Tales shares ma...
Portrait of the Friar from the Ellesmere Manuscrip...
Friar Funto cure his whelks of knobby white." So, when people saw him coming, they would already be repulsed simply by his physical image. However, if they knew who he was, they would also be afraid that he was coming to get them. So, he is scary in more than one way. His behavior is as ugly as his face. "Questio quid juris was his tag." The Latin phrase questio quid juris means "the question is, what is the point in law?" He is supposed to be upholding the Church's law, but was known to turn his back (for a fee). Finally, he was an extortionist, with a heart as black as his beard. He would learn people's secrets and then tell them he would tell the Church. They...