Silvia Choi

The Summoner's Tale

Character Analysis-Physical traits• "face on fire"• black & scabby brows• narrow eyes • thin beard

 -a heavy drinker -attempts to speak Latin-irritable & greedy -a summoner brings people who violate church laws to the court 

The Summoner's Prologue

-the Summoner is angry after listening to the Friar's tale -tells the story of a friar who had a vision of hell; there, friar asked an angel where all other friars were -the angel lifted up Satan's tale and there were 20,000 friars -reflects the summoner's general view of friars

The Summoner's Tale

-from Holderness, Yorkshire -makes his living by going around houses, promising prayers in exchange for food & money -first, he puts down the name of contributors on his tablet, but as soon as he is out of the house, erases the names -shows that friars were often greedy and weren't devoted Christiansthe friar

The Summoner's Tale cont...-the friar visits an old and sick man named Thomas -he tells the old man that other friars are praying for him to get better -Thomas' wife walks in and the friar compliments her beauty -requests to pray for her sick husband so that his anger could subdue/ tells the friar that her baby died  -the friar requests a lavish dinner

The Summoner's Tale cont...-the friar tells Thomas that instead of giving money to many friars, he should concentrate on one -he preaches about the sin of anger  -Thomas gets really angry and tells the friar that he has a gift which the friar must share equally among other friars -the friar reaches down his hand under Thomas's butt and Thomas lets out a big fart

The Summoner's Tale cont...-feeling disgusted, the friar goes to the Lord's house -there, the friar thinks about how he could possibily divide the old man's gift -the Lord's servant suggests that the friar should get a 13-spoke wheel; have all friars kneel at each spoke and tie the old man to the middle -the Lord rewards the servant with a new gown for his excellent idea

Why?

-reflects his occupation as a summoner because he has to bring people who violate church laws to the court -also reflects the summoner's general view of friars -to attack the friar, who offended the summoner through his story -shows how church officials were very corrupted -somewhat ironic because the summoner himself isn't a good man