Section One: Summery The tale of the summoner is one of little action, yet it is sprinkled with comical relief and sarcasm. The story portrays the attitudes and life of a friar told from the summoner?s point of view. Therefore, the story according to the friar may be inaccurate as far as his objectives may be. The friar is a man of God who lectures the people of church the importance of contributing towards masses to save their souls from purgatory. After mass ends he continues to travel to every house to beg for money and goods. He would write down the names of every person who donated ?claiming? to pray for the giver. One particular house he regularly visited was one of an ill stricken man named Thomas. Thomas often contributed to the friars funds and to other friars in the hopes of prayers for recovery from his illness.
Geoffrey Chaucer
Portrait of Chaucer from a manuscript by Thomas Ho...
Thomas Chalmers, Century Opera (LOC)However, one this particular day he realized that the greedy friar was not helping his illness. Deceptive, one might say about this friar, and so with great satisfaction Thomas used the friars greediness to beat him in his own game. Thomas revealed that he had something special for the friar to split evenly among his convent hidden in the tale end of his pants. As the friar impatiently groped around, Thomas boastfully ?broke wind.? This sent the friar in a mad rage and when he complained to his lord of the incidence the lord?s squire offered a way to evenly divide the fart.
Section Two: Moral In The Summoner?s Tale Geoffrey Chaucer uses the story as a medium to expose a moral message. The idea that to be wrathful, or greedy will never put you on top is still consistent with today's value system. I believe this moral to fit...