"Cantebury tales" and "La Morte Darthur": good and evil in them.

Essay by nyfoleyHigh School, 12th gradeA+, November 2005

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In the middle ages there were many characters ranging from good to evil. In each story there was a person that was portrayed thoroughly as being either honorable or immoral. In the "Canterbury Tales" written by Geoffrey Chaucer the majority of the travelers are evil although there are a few that are genuinely good. In the story of "La Morte Darthur" written by Sir Thomas Malory there is one exceptionally kind hearted individual. There are many characteristics that make the people in the each story good or bad.

The "Wife of Bath" from the "Canterbury Tales" is known as evil for various reasons. First off she was considered to be spiritually deaf. "She'd had five husbands, all at the church door." This means that she was married five times and it was not out of love but out of greed. She married the men so she could travel to new exotic places.

Also her physical features such as a red face, a gap between her teeth, and her large hips gave away the fact that was she not pure.

There was a Summoner on the same journey as the "Wife of Bath". He too was immoral. Children were afraid of him because of his hideous appearance. His eyes were narrow with black scabby brows over there and he had too much acne on his red face. The Summoner would constantly consume alcohol and end up drunk. He allowed men to keep two wives at the same time which was not legal. Also he was homosexual which was not known as being good.

On the same journey as the wife and the Summoner was the Parson who was genuinely good. He was "rich in holy thought and work." He would not only preach the gospel to parishioners...